An enlarged suprachiasmatic nucleus in homosexual men

Morphometric analysis of the human hypothalamus revealed that the volume of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in homosexual men is 1.7 times as large as that of a reference group of male subjects and contains 2.1 times as many cells. In another hypothalamic nucleus which is located in the immediate...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBrain research Vol. 537; no. 1-2; p. 141
Main Authors Swaab, D F, Hofman, M A
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Netherlands 24.12.1990
Subjects
Adult
Aged
AIDS Dementia Complex - pathology
Female
Homosexuality
Humans
Hypothalamus - anatomy & histology
Immunohistochemistry
Male
Middle Aged
Organ Size
Suprachiasmatic Nucleus - anatomy & histology
Suprachiasmatic Nucleus - pathology
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Summary:Morphometric analysis of the human hypothalamus revealed that the volume of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in homosexual men is 1.7 times as large as that of a reference group of male subjects and contains 2.1 times as many cells. In another hypothalamic nucleus which is located in the immediate vicinity of the SCN, the sexually dimorphic nucleus (SDN), no such differences in either volume or cell number were found. The SDN data indicate the selectivity of the enlarged SCN in homosexual men, but do not support the hypothesis that homosexual men have a 'female hypothalamus'.
ISSN:0006-8993
DOI:10.1016/0006-8993(90)90350-K