SEX-DIFFERENCES IN THE REPRESENTATION OF VISUOSPATIAL FUNCTIONS IN THE HUMAN BRAIN

Sex differences in the representation of visuospatial functions in the human brain were investigated in 20 subjects with right hemisphere st roke and 40 stroke-free control subjects with the Complex Figure Test, WAIS-R Block Design, and Judgment of Line Orientation. The WAIS-R Sim ilarities subtest was administered as a measure of verbal reasoning. T he stroke and control groups were composed of equal proportions of mal es and females, and the male and female stroke groups were matched for location and volume of infarction. A multivariate analysis of covaria nce determined that the interaction between stroke status and sex (p<. 05), as well as the main effects for stroke status (p<.001) and sex (p <.001), were significantly related to visuospatial performance. None o f these variables was significantly related to WAIS-R Similarities per formance. The results of this study suggest that females may be dispro portionately impaired in visuospatial functioning relative to males fo llowing right hemisphere stroke. We propose that visuospatial function s are bilaterally represented in the brains of males, allowing them to rely upon left hemisphere visuospatial systems following right hemisp here stroke, and that these functions are represented in the right hem isphere of females, resulting in their disproportionate impairment des pite comparable lesions.