tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5573426.post1866137266037591322..comments2024-02-20T15:17:48.594+11:00Comments on A.E.Brain: Brains, Genes, Nature and NurtureZoe Brainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13712045376060102538noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5573426.post-60411651731836363232007-10-20T06:10:00.000+10:002007-10-20T06:10:00.000+10:00@riki: if you can find the time in your research s...@riki: if you can find the time in your research schedule, it might be interesting to study the relationship between other atypical brain development disorders and transsexuality.<BR/><BR/>For example, there are more transwomen and transmen with Asperger's Syndrome than would be expected purely based on their prevalence. Zoe used to have undiagnosed AS (which went away after her erm... singularity), I have an 11-year old diagnosis of AS, Jennifer Reitz of transsexual.org is said to have it, and there are more of us out there.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, just a suggestion. Good luck with your research.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5573426.post-53595515827882938102007-10-19T21:18:00.000+10:002007-10-19T21:18:00.000+10:00riki, it's good to have any new reader, but it's e...riki, it's good to have any new reader, but it's especially good to have you here.<BR/><BR/>Thank goodness *someone* is doing some research on this! And your bachelaureate qualifications are exactly what I'd think best for the person doing it.<BR/><BR/>I'd be very interested in your thesis, especially if it differs in its conclusions from my own views. To have confirmation would be nice for the ego, but having someone who knows more about it correct me would be even better.<BR/><BR/>Please feel free to contact me on this via private e-mail. Maybe I could be of some help. Another data point, anyway.<BR/><BR/>As Hildy pointed out, those with 5ARD, 17BHD deficiency or my own peculiar condition may be rich sources of data for this research: those who transition from one appearance to another, without treatment.Zoe Brainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13712045376060102538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5573426.post-35988560050952627272007-10-19T17:57:00.000+10:002007-10-19T17:57:00.000+10:00I am doing a phd on the "brain sex" theory of tran...I am doing a phd on the "brain sex" theory of transsex and its social and political implications. Although not doing simultaneous PhDs, I do have undergrad qualifications of a BSc (Hons) (Genetics)/BA (Gender sexuality and dviersity).<BR/>The biological literature on trans is littered with failed theories of causation - circulating hormones, HY antigen, estrogen/LH feedback loops. The BSTc research is really intersting, but may turn out to be another false start - or as you point out - the direction of causality may be from gender identity formation to BSTc structure rather than vice versa.<BR/>The very limited(like about 10 monozygotic cases)twins stuff for transsex is not very clear - some concordance, some discordance. <BR/>I interviewd Dick Swaab - whose lab did the BSTc stuff - he pointed out that homozygotic twins have far from identical brains at birth. There is a process known as "neural Darwinianism" - survival of the fittest neurons and synaptic connections - which combines with chance events and cahotic processes to prduce differnt brains from identical genes.<BR/>so - the best guess is an extremely complex interaction of genes prenatal horomes, other prenatal experience, early postnatal psychological expereience, social attitudes, effect of pubertal hormones etc etc etc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5573426.post-42436675560249149602007-10-19T00:44:00.000+10:002007-10-19T00:44:00.000+10:00What's perhaps interesting to note here is that ap...What's perhaps interesting to note here is that apparently (if Wikipedia is to be believed), quite a lot of children with <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5-alpha-reductase_deficiency" REL="nofollow">5-ARD</A> - which leads to a mostly female physiology at birth and a virilizing puberty - <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5-alpha-reductase_deficiency#Gender_identity_disorder" REL="nofollow">identify as females</A>.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com