Grant: Operating Grant

Stress-related psychiatric disorders like depression and anxiety are approximately twice as prevalent in women as men, yet the reasons for this discrepancy are not clear. The anatomical and neurochemical systems in the brain which are very important in regulating stress and emotion processing, differ in many ways in males and females. One important difference is the way in which these structures and systems are lateralized (in terms of left/right hemispheric specialization), which can be opposite in the two sexes. This proposal examines these gender differences in brain laterality and attempts to demonstrate how such differences are related to the ability to respond to and cope with stress. By following up on a number of highly relevant findings in rodents, various technical approaches will be employed including behavioural analysis, measures of neurotransmitter levels and release in response to stress and the differential effects of brain lesions in males and females. It is hoped that by better understanding gender differences in how specific brain regions and systems are functionally lateralized, that we may someday be better equipped to treat these devastating disorders with more effective and gender-specific treatments.