Sexual Differentiation of Non-Reproductive Brain Areas

University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL

Investigators

Abstract

In mammals, puberty is a time of increasing hormonal secretions as well as developing reproductive abilities. Associated changes occur in brain structures involved in these activities, and recent evidence shows that other parts of the brain involved in cognitive, non-reproductive functions also change structural features during puberty. This project uses anatomical and pharmacological approaches to examine how cellular numbers and membrane receptor molecules may change during puberty in non-reproductive areas of the brain. Ovarian hormone effects are measured in the visual cortex and in the hippocampus, which is a region known to be essential for many types of learning and memory. Potential cellular mechanisms such as programmed cell death and types of hormone receptors are studied to see how critically they depend on timing of the hormone action, compared to the traditional perinatal 'critical periods.' Results will have substantial impact on understanding this little-studied but dynamic period related to reproductive and cognitive development, by exploring changes uniquely at the cellular level. The impact will extend beyond neuroendocrinology to the fields of biology of aging, comparative neuroanatomy, and developmental neuroscience. In addition, students will receive excellent research training in a lab that continues an excellent record of training and productivity.