Lateralized Cognitive Visuospatial Processing: Is It Primarily Gender-Related or Due to Quality of Performance?
Abstract
The brain activity of 13 right-handed students (6 men and 7 women) was determined using high resolution (99m)Tc-HMPAO brain SPECT images during visuospatial tasks. The results showed that there was no significant gender-specific difference in solving the visuospatial tasks and that no meaningful statistical difference in brain activity between the two sexes could be found. When the sample was split into groups of good and poor performers, the results showed that there was a relatively symmetrical brain activity both frontal and parietal in subjects with poor test results. The results for those who performed the tests well, on the other hand, showed increased left frontal and right parietal brain activity. These results would suggest an asymmetric type of processing for better visuospatial brain performance independent of gender.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Studies did not universally support brain activation differences between women and men.
“However, studies did not universally support these difference (e.g., Halari et al., 2006;Unterrainer et al., 2000)”
From Factors Related to Mean Score Group Differences on Cognitive Ability Tests: A Systematic Review (2025) · cites this paper as Unterrainer et al., 2000
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Women and men exhibit different cortical activation patterns during mental rotation tasks.
Jordan, K., Wüstenberg, T., Heinze, H., Peters, M., & Jäncke, L. (2002) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/s0028-3932(02)00076-3 · Cited by 390 · see citing works
“[59] found different cortical activation patterns in dependence on the performance level rather on sex during visuospatial and mental rotation tasks [59,61].”
BackgroundScheperjans, F., Eickhoff, S. B., Hömke, L., Mohlberg, H., Hermann, K., Amunts, K., & Zilles, K. (2008) · Cerebral Cortex · doi:10.1093/cercor/bhm241 · Cited by 336 · see citing works
“…activation patterns for men and women are not gender specific but for the most part explicable by differences in performance (Grön et al. 2000; Unterrainer et al. 2000, 2005; Jordan et al. 2002; Weiss et al. 2003; Boghi et al. 2006; Halari et al. 2006; Ohnishi et al. 2006; Gorbet and Sergio…”
A Sex Difference in Mental Rotation in Young Infants
Quinn, P., & Liben, L. S. (2008) · Psychology Science · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02201.x · Cited by 297 · see citing works
Weiß, E., Siedentopf, C., Hofer, A., Deisenhammer, E., Hoptman, M., Kremser, C., Golaszewski, S., Felber, S., Fleischhacker, W., & Delazer, M. (2003) · Neuroscience Letters · doi:10.1016/s0304-3940(03)00406-3 · Cited by 268 · see citing works
Sex differences in cerebral laterality of language and visuospatial processing.
Clements, A. M., Rimrodt, S. L., Abel, J., Blankner, J. G., Mostofsky, S. H., Pekar, J., Denckla, M., & Cutting, L. (2006) · Brain and Language · doi:10.1016/j.bandl.2006.04.007 · Cited by 209 · see citing works
Cognitive sex differences and hemispheric asymmetry: A critical review of 40 years of research
Hirnstein, M., Hugdahl, K., & Hausmann, M. (2018) · Laterality · doi:10.1080/1357650x.2018.1497044 · Cited by 153 · see citing works
“…skills, and the Embedded Figures task found neither a sex difference in cognitive performance nor in hemispheric asymmetry (Allendorfer et al., 2016; Chiarello, Welcome, Halderman, Towler, et al., 2009; Hao et al., 2013; Hugdahl et al., 2006; Unterrainer et al., 2000; Wendt & Risberg, 1994).”
BackgroundHalari, R., Sharma, T., Hines, M., Andrew, C., Simmons, A., & Kumari, V. (2005) · Experimental Brain Research · doi:10.1007/s00221-005-0118-7 · Cited by 146 · see citing works
“Few studies have examined the role of sex in brain activity during performance on these tasks (Dietrich et al. 2001; Thomsen et al. 2000; Tagaris et al. 1996; Unterrainer et al. 2000).”
BackgroundResultSex differences in mental rotation: Top-down versus bottom-up processing
Butler, T., Imperato-McGinley, J., Pan, H., Voyer, D., Cordero, J. J., Zhu, Y.-S., Stern, E., & Silbersweig, D. (2006) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.03.030 · Cited by 149 · see citing works
“…analyses in order to assess contributions of sex, level of behavioral performance, and interaction effects to fMRI results, in accordance with studies emphasizing the importance of this approach (Seurinck et al., 2004; Shelton and Gabrieli, 2004; Tagaris et al., 1996; Unterrainer et al., 2000).”
BackgroundResultDevelopment of Neural Networks for Exact and Approximate Calculation: A fMRI Study
Kucian, K., von Aster, M., Loenneker, T., Dietrich, T., & Martin, E. (2008) · Developmental Neuropsychology · doi:10.1080/87565640802101474 · Cited by 131 · see citing works
“Corresponding studies in adults with different levels of expertise emphasize that better performance is paralleled with increasing activation in task relevant brain areas ( Lawrence, Ross, Hoffmann, Garavan, & Stein, 2003 ; Unterrainer, Wranek, Staffen, Gruber, & Ladurner, 2000 ).”
BackgroundDoes egocentric mental rotation elicit sex differences?
Seurinck, R., Vingerhoets, G., de Lange, F. D., & Achten, E. (2004) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2004.08.010 · Cited by 120 · see citing works
“Second, a SPECT study, using a related visuospatial task, suggests that quality of performance, rather than gender, has an effect on the cortical activation pattern (Unterrainer et al., 2000).”
MethodEEG Alpha Asymmetry in Schizophrenia, Depression, PTSD, Panic Disorder, ADHD and Conduct Disorder
Gordon, E., Palmer, D. M., & Cooper, N. (2010) · Clinical EEG and Neuroscience · doi:10.1177/155005941004100404 · Cited by 115 · see citing works
“Additionally, several studies have failed to find either of these sex differences in functional laterality.(29-31)”
BackgroundHarris, J., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Newcombe, N. S. (2013) · Cognitive Processing · doi:10.1007/s10339-013-0544-6 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
A Sex Difference in Mental Rotation in Infants: Convergent Evidence
Quinn, P., & Liben, L. S. (2014) · Infancy · doi:10.1111/infa.12033 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
Gauthier, C. T., Duyme, M., Zanca, M., & Capron, C. (2008) · Cortex · doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2007.09.006 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
“…that sex differences in brain activation between men and women might be (1) attributed to the variety of verbal tasks probably involving different cognitive processes (Kitazawa and Kansaku, 2005) and/or (2) linked to the variability of behavioural performance (Unterrainer et al., 2000, 2005).”
Gender-related differences in lateralization of hippocampal activation and cognitive strategy
Frings, L., Wagner, K., Unterrainer, J., Spreer, J., Halsband, U., & Schulze-Bonhage, A. (2006) · NeuroReport · doi:10.1097/01.wnr.0000203623.02082.e3 · Cited by 103 · see citing works
“[23,24] concluded that an individual’s performance level rather than his or her sex largely determines the neuronal activation patterns during higherlevel cognition.”
BackgroundSelf-citationHoppe, C., Fliessbach, K., Stausberg, S., Stojanovic, J., Trautner, P., Elger, C., & Weber, B. (2012) · Brain and Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2011.10.008 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
“Referring to several previous studies from other groups (O’Boyle et al., 2005; Unterrainer et al., 2000, 2004, 2005), we simultaneously examined the effects of math talent, gender and experimental task performance on brain activations during mental rotation.”
BackgroundResultBrain activation during mental rotation in school children and adults
Kucian, K., von Aster, M., Loenneker, T., Dietrich, T., Mast, F., & Martin, E. (2006) · Journal of neural transmission · doi:10.1007/s00702-006-0604-5 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
“…differences in mental rotation favoring men have been noted in behavioral studies (Crucian and Berenbaum, 1998; Halpern, 2000; Linn and Petersen, 1985) and in functional imaging studies (Jordan et al., 2002; Tagaris et al., 1996; Thomsen et al., 2000; Unterrainer et al., 2000; Weiss et al., 2003).”
BackgroundInfluentialHänggi, J., Buchmann, A., Mondadori, C., Henke, K., Jäncke, L., & Hock, C. (2010) · Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1162/jocn.2008.21175 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
“…with GM and WM volume differences in the parietal lobes (Butler et al., 2006; Hugdahl et al., 2006; Jordan et al., 2001, 2002; Thomsen et al., 2000; Unterrainer et al., 2000; Cohen et al., 1996), preferentially in the spatial pro- 140 Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience Volume 22, Number 1 D o w n l…”
BackgroundInfluentialEffects of Novel Conceptual Combination on Creativity.
Wan, W., & Chiu, C.-Y. (2002) · The Journal of Creative Behavior · doi:10.1002/j.2162-6057.2002.tb01066.x · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Evolutionary Cognitive Neuroscience
Platek, S., Keenan, J., & Shackelford, T. (2006) · doi:10.7551/mitpress/2882.003.0029 · Cited by 80
The Relation between Computerized and Paper-and-Pencil Mental Rotation Tasks: A Validation Study
Voyer, D., Butler, T., Cordero, J. J., Brake, B., Silbersweig, D., Stern, E., & Imperato-McGinley, J. (2006) · Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology · doi:10.1080/13803390591004310 · Cited by 68
“This is not surprising in a study such as Unterrainer et al. (2000), which used a type of paper folding task resembling the Space Relations subtest of the Differential Aptitude Test.”
MethodDevelopmental sex differences in basic visuospatial processing: Differences in strategy use?
Clements-Stephens, A., Rimrodt, S., & Cutting, L. (2008) · Neuroscience Letters · doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2008.10.094 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
“Additionally, a limited number of studies have failed to show any sex difference, attributing such differences to performance-related factors [13].”
BackgroundThe influence of sex differences and individual task performance on brain activation during planning
Unterrainer, J., Ruff, C., Rahm, B., Kaller, C., Spreer, J., Schwarzwald, R., & Halsband, U. (2005) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2004.09.020 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Self-citationInvestigating Neural Efficiency in the Visuo-Spatial Domain: An fmri Study
Lipp, I., Benedek, M., Fink, A., Koschutnig, K., Reishofer, G., Bergner, S., Ischebeck, A., Ebner, F., & Neubauer, A. (2012) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0051316 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Beste, C., Heil, M., & Konrad, C. (2010) · Brain and Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2009.09.005 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Hattemer, K., Plate, A., Heverhagen, J., Haag, A., Keil, B., Klein, K., Hermsen, A., Oertel, W., Hamer, H. M., Rosenow, F., et al. (2011) · Journal of Neuroimaging · doi:10.1111/j.1552-6569.2009.00402.x · Cited by 26
Silvestri, C., Motro, R., Maurin, B., & Dresp, B. (2010) · Design Studies · doi:10.1016/j.destud.2010.03.001 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
The role of lines and corners of geometric figures in recognition performance.
Shevelev, I., Kamenkovich, V. M., & Sharaev, G. A. (2003) · Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis · doi:10.55782/ane-2003-1475 · Cited by 20
“Evoked potentials to faces have also gender differences in amplitude and latency of components (Orozco and Ehlers 1998), although MRI did not show gender differences under visual spatial tasks (Unterrainer et al. 2000).”
BackgroundFunctional Neuroanatomy of Mental Rotation Performance
Jäncke, L., & Jordan, K. (2007) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-0-387-71978-8_12 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Butler, T., Pan, H., Imperato-McGinley, J., Voyer, D., Cunningham-Bussel, A., Cordero, J. J., Zhu, Y.-S., Silbersweig, D., & Stern, E. (2007) · Clinical Neuroscience Research · doi:10.1016/j.cnr.2007.05.005 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
The fMRI correlates of visuo-spatial abilities: sex differences and gender dysphoria
Gavazzi, G., Fisher, A., Orsolini, S., Bianchi, A., Romani, A., Giganti, F., Giovannelli, F., Ristori, J., Mazzoli, F., Maggi, M., et al. (2022) · Brain Imaging and Behavior · doi:10.1007/s11682-022-00638-5 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Haberstumpf, S., Seidel, A., Lauer, M., Polak, T., Deckert, J., & Herrmann, M. (2020) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107650 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Basso, D., & Saracini, C. (2019) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.107260 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Factors Related to Mean Score Group Differences on Cognitive Ability Tests: A Systematic Review
Cuppello, S., Zibarras, L. D., & Corr, P. J. (2025) · Trends in Psychology · doi:10.1007/s43076-025-00504-5
The adolescent brain : neurocognitive development and subject-related factors
Keulers, E. H. H. (2010) · maastricht university · doi:10.26481/dis.20101203ek
- Authors
- Unterrainer, J., Wranek, U., Staffen, W., Gruber, T., & Ladurner, G.
- Affiliations
- University of Salzburg (AT)
- Paracelsus Medical University (AT)
- ORCID
- Unterrainer, Josef
- Venue
- Neuropsychobiology
- Publisher
- S. Karger AG
- Published
- 2000
- Volume
- 41
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 95-101
- ISSN
- 0302-282X (ISSN-L)
- 1423-0224
- OpenAlex
- W2020294169
- Cited by
- 37
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Neuropsychobiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Hemispheric Asymmetry in Neuroscience
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Automotive Engineering › Spatial Cognition and Navigation
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Spatial Neglect and Hemispheric Dysfunction
- Keywords
- visuospatial processing, sex differences, brain activity, performance quality, hemispheric lateralization, frontal lobe, parietal lobe, visuospatial tasks
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Brain Mapping, Cerebral Cortex, Depth Perception, Dominance, Cerebral, Female, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Imagination, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Orientation, Pattern Recognition, Visual, Problem Solving, Reference Values, Sex Characteristics, Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon, Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
