How trans brains sense their bodies

摘要

Differences in the brain's response to touch may explain why transgender people often feel at odds with their anatomy. Information from studies that show this may one day help doctors better help children who identify as trans. Many trans people feel that parts of their body don't fit with their gender identity. Those who have surgery to change their anatomy overwhelmingly say they feel more like themselves afterwards. To see if the way the brain processes body image underlies feelings of body incongruity in trans individuals, Laura Case at the University of California, San Diego, and her colleagues recruited eight volunteers who were anatomically female but identified as male and strongly desired a male anatomy. Eight biologically female people who identify as women were also recruited as a control group.