Siletz news /, September 01, 2010, Page 21, Image 21

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Congratulations!
NWTS is owned & operated by Siletz Tribal Member and U.S. Marine Corp Veteran
Hurray for Jeff, our shining star! We’re all so proud of who you are. Upper
Farmers rule. Love, your family
September Notes from the Healthy Family Healthy Child Project
By Mark Kimball, HFHCP Project
Specialist
and shape. It was there that I first observed
the behavior of innate choice by kids.
Compassion - Compassion often is
the only remedy when something assaults
our bodies, minds and spirits. No one is
immune from affliction and sometimes
we are unable to bear it alone. In all prob­
ability, no one can completely take away our
pain or despair, but they can share it with us.
Feeling the compassion of others teaches us
that we are our brother's keeper.
Is there such a thing as a boy
brain and a girl brain?
•
This month marks the beginning of
the end of Healthy Family Healthy Child
Project as a Tribal entity. The project has
been around for four years now and I am
not quite sure where I have been as the
time has certainly sped by without my
being totally aware of its passing. I am
sure of one thing, however - this final year
will pass as quickly as the preceding four
years, if not faster.
Last month I wrote about which of
our children, boys or girls, were harder to
raise. I wrote that the differences began in
the kids’ brains. This month I will go into
more detail on this subject.
I’m sure almost all of us have seen it
play out, even in families that give their
girls tractors and encourage their boys
to cuddle with dolls. Given a full room
of toy options, the girls will choose a
pink pony over a fire engine and the boys
will take G.I Joe over Tinker Bell almost
every time. Researchers suspect that even
before birth, boys’ and girls’ brains are
developing differently, shaping them into
the distinct little persons they are.
I saw it every week when I was a
member of the program staff at what was
called The Saturday Circus in Eugene.
The Saturday Circus was sponsored by the
University of Oregon and Lane Commu­
nity College and we met every Saturday
at the LCC downtown campus.
The circus was and is a place where
families would come to observe and listen
to my mentor, Dr. Carolynn Morse, as she
counseled children and parents. While the
parents were learning from Dr. Morse, the
children were allowed to play in a large
room full of toys of every description, size
The short answer is yes. We know
physical differences exist between a boy’s
brain and a girl’s, both at birth and as chil­
dren grow. But at least for now, exactly
how those differences affect behavior and
personality is a mystery.
For example, researchers say there
probably is an area of the brain that pro­
pels many boys toward things that move
and many girls toward nurturing, but that
it has yet to be identified.
female hormones such as estrogen, these
seem to have little impact on their devel­
oping brains. In other words, girls have the
brain that boys would have if theirs was
not reshaped by testosterone production.
Comparing boys’ and girls’
brains as they grow
Once girls and boys are bom, their
brains continue to take different paths.
MRI studies show that some areas grow
faster in female brains while others grow
faster in male brains. So the brains of boys
and girls who are the same age can be at
different developmental stages. Eventu­
ally, however, the developing brains will
catch up with each other.
The size of the developing brains also
How a boy’s brain develops in
the womb
varies. Male brains grow slightly larger
than female brains. The significance of
Boys in the womb are little testos­
this difference in size is still not under­
terone machines. In fact, male babies
stood and is being studied.
are bom with as much testosterone as a
25-year-old man. After birth, testosterone
Research indicates that in girls, the
levels plummet and stay low until the boy
region of the brain that helps control lan­
reaches puberty.
guage and emotion, called the caudate,
Among its many other jobs, testos­ tends to be larger. This is the part of the
terone shapes a male’s developing brain.
brain that becomes especially active when
Animal studies have shown that it pares
someone looks at the photo of a sweet­
down the connections, the synapses,
heart or loved one.
between brain cells in some areas and
The same research also indicates that
bulks them up in others.
the part of the brain known as the corpus
Different animal studies have shown
callosum, which connects the two sides of
that in any male, some regions make con­
the brain, is larger in girls than in boys. It’s
nections that are typical of males but some
generally accepted by researchers that this
parts remain feminine. This would lead us could mean girls tend to use both the left and
to believe there is really no such thing as
right sides of the brain to solve problems.
a completely male brain, that it could be
Some studies also seem to indicate
considered to be a mosaic of both male
that males have been found to have a
and female.
slightly larger amygdala, the region of
Yet another animal study found that
the brain that controls deeper emotions,
both male and female rats exposed to extra such as fear.
testosterone before birth perform better at
These seemingly small differences in
maze tests shortly after birth. While most
brain structure don’t necessarily mean that
researchers would not attempt to draw
boys will be better at certain things and
conclusions about humans based on this
girls at others. It has been explained that
study, it’s an indicator that testosterone
young brains are extremely plastic and
could play a part in spatial reasoning.
key regions grow or shrink depending on
how they are used.
How a girl’s brain develops in
Do women tend to cry more easily
the womb
than men because their brains are built to
Girls also produce some testosterone
make them that way? Or are their brains
before they are bom, but not nearly as
shaped by their emotions? Or is it a little
much as boys. While girls do produce
bit of both? This is just not yet known.
Adding to the mystery is the fact that
individuals simply do not always conform
to the stereotypes. There are plenty of
“tomboys” who show little interest in
dolls and boys who are drawn to “girl”
activities from an early age. These kids
are well within the norm.
Do girls and boys think
differently?
Scientists with the National Institutes
of Health are piecing together the results
from the MRIs of brains of 500 healthy
young boys and girls in order to try to an­
swer some key questions about the devel­
opment of their brains. They already have
made some interesting findings, such as:
•
•
•
In most tests, boys and girls showed
very similar abilities. They were
equally competent at math, raising the
possibility that any gap in math skills
in later years is a product of culture,
not biology.
Girls were somewhat better at
memorizing and reciting lists of
words and they are slightly better at
tasks that require finger dexterity and
quick thinking.
Boys had the upper hand with spatial
tasks, such as arranging blocks to
form patterns.
The brain is only the beginning!
Above all, the brain is flexible. Chil­
dren build connections between brain cells,
find fresh obsessions and hone new skills
as they read, listen, watch and learn.
A girl who plays exclusively with
dolls this month might move on to con­
struction toys and blocks next month.
Even if she never develops a fascination
with toy cars, she may very well enjoy
her bike and learn how to fix a chain (and
later tune a carburetor).
A boy may never pour imaginary tea
for a doll, but he can learn how to take
care of a pet (and later raise a baby of his
own). One thing for certain is that biology
is not destiny.
This month’s article has been somewhat
dry and clinical. Next month I will attempt
to provide a more “user friendly” view of
the differences between boys and girls.
September 2010
•
Siletz News
•
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