The influence of cross-sex hormone treatment on brain lateralisation in persons with Gender Dysphoria

Tess Beking

University of Groningen

I am a PhD student at the University of Groningen, in cooperation with the VU Medical Center in Amsterdam. My research project is very interdisciplinary, I work at Neuropsychology, Behavioural Biology, Neuroimaging, and sometimes at the Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria in Amsterdam. In my project I investigate the effect of sex hormones on brain lateralization in two ways: 1) I investigate the influence of prenatal (measured in amniotic fluid) and pubertal sex hormones in healthy children of 15 years old, 2) I investigate the effect of cross-sex hormone treatment in adolescents diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria.

Background

We investigate the influence of cross-sex hormone treatment on brain lateralisation in adolescents with Gender Dysphoria (>16 years of age). Brain lateralisation is the functional specialization of the brain, with some... [ view full abstract ]

Aim(s)

A very interesting case (and perhaps the only way) for the experimental study of effects of testosterone on lateralisation in humans, is the hormonal treatment in persons with Gender Dysphoria (GD). [ view full abstract ]

Methods

We will investigate the effect of testosterone administration in 21 transboys (FtM). Brain lateralisation is measured with fMRI during the Mental Rotation task. This task is generally lateralised to the right hemisphere. The... [ view full abstract ]

Main Outcome Measures

Lateralisation of brain activation before and during cross-sex hormone treatment will be compared, also in comparison to the control groups. [ view full abstract ]

Results

Results are being processed at this moment. [ view full abstract ]

Conclusion

Will be presented at the conference. [ view full abstract ]

Authors

  1. Tess Beking (University of Groningen)
  2. Sarah Burke (Leiden University)
  3. Baudewijntje Kreukels (VUMC)
  4. Reint Geuze (University of Groningen)
  5. Ton Groothuis (University of Groningen)

Topic Area

Oral & Poster Topics: Endocrinology

Session

OS-3C » Endocrinology III: Neurobiology (11:15 - Saturday, 8th April, Atlantic 3)

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