Margaret L. Forgie (1995) Are Ovarian Secretions all That Females "need"?
. Psycoloquy: 6(22) Sex Brain (3)
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Psycoloquy 6(22): Are Ovarian Secretions all That Females "need"?
ARE OVARIAN SECRETIONS ALL THAT FEMALES "NEED"?
Commentary on Fitch & Denenberg on Sex-Brain
Margaret L. Forgie
Department of Psychology
The University of Lethbridge
4401 University Drive
Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, CANADA
FORGIE@hg.uleth.ca
Abstract
Fitch & Denenberg (1995) have done an admirable job of
marshalling evidence in support of the hypothesis that the full
development of female-typical behavior requires exposure to ovarian
steroids in the postnatal period. Although I am in agreement with
this position, I feel that the authors have oversimplified the rich
variation in the processes that might account for the production of
sexually-dimorphic behaviors in the adult mammal.
Keywords
corpus callosum, development, estrogen, feminization,
ovaries, sensitive period.
References
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- Becker, J.B., Robinson, T.E. & Lorenz, K.A. (1982) Sex differences and estrous cycle variations in amphetamine-elicited rotational behavior. European Journal of Pharmacology 80: 65-72.
- Castner, S.A., Xiao, L. & Becker, J.B. (1993) Sex differences in striatal dopamine: in vivo microdialysis and behavioral studies. Brain Research 610: 127-134.
- Fitch, R. H. & Denenberg, V.H. (1995) A Role for Ovarian Hormones in Sexual Differentiation of the Brain. PSYCOLOQUY 6(5) sex-brain.1.fitch.
- Forgie, M.L. & Stewart, J. (1994a) Effect of prepubertal ovariectomy on amphetamine-induced locomotion in adult female rats. Hormones and Behavior 28: 241-260.
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