Gender Dysphoria
Conditions
Brief summary
This study will provide valuable information on the neurobiological underpinning of gender dysphoria (GD) and the effects of sex hormones, and promises to uncover functional or structural neural patterns that could predict outcome in terms of body image and quality of life after cross-sex hormone treatment.
Detailed description
The purpose of this study is to understand the neurobiology of gender dysphoria (GD) and the interactions between cross hormone treatment, the brain, and the body phenotype. The investigators also aim to identify pre-treatment neurobiological and other factors to help predict body congruence and quality of life outcomes from hormone treatment. There is mounting interest in gender identity issues worldwide, as requests for gender-confirming treatments have increased in the past 3 decades, and alarmingly high suicide rates have recently been reported in those with GD. Despite this, little is known about neurobiological or other etiological factors contributing to GD or gender incongruence. This study will address a core feature of GD that has been little studied in terms of the neurobiology: the incongruence between perception of self and one's own body.
Interventions
DIAGNOSTIC_TESTfMRI
fMRI: body morph test and neurocognitive testing
Sponsors
University of California, Los Angeles
Study design
Observational model
CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 40 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Participants with gender dysphoria (GD) Inclusion Criteria: * Females and males from any racial or ethnic background, between the ages of 18 years and 40 years. * Participants must meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5 criteria for GD (302.85) * Intelligence quotient (IQ) \> 80 Participants with GD
Exclusion criteria
* Previous or on-going sex hormone medication * Previous sex reassignment surgery * Oral contraceptives * Participants with GD are not be taking any other psychotropic medication. (No participant will be recommended to discontinue or taper medications for the purpose of participating in the study.) * Irregular menstrual cycles Control participants Inclusion Criteria: * Females and males from any racial or ethnic background, between the ages of 18 and 40. * IQ \> 80 Control participants
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| cerebral networks measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) mediating body perception and association with subjective own-body self-incongruence | Baseline Visit 2 pre hormone treatment | Own body perception in relation to functional and structural connection |
| Morphometric differences by sex, gender identity and sexual orientation | Baseline Visit 2 pre hormone treatment | Cortical thickness, surface area, cortical and subcortical structural volumes and white matter tracts measured by MRI in relation to sex and gender identity and sexual orientation. |
| Brain activation during own body perception | Baseline Visit 2 pre hormone treatment | Images of body morph test presented during fMRI scan |
| Change in cerebral networks measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) mediating body perception and association with subjective own-body self-incongruence | Post hormone treatment. Visit 4 last appt. within 2 yrs of Visit 2. | Own body perception in relation to functional and structural connection |
| Change in morphometric differences by sex, gender identity and sexual orientation | Post hormone treatment. Visit 4 last appt. within 2 yrs of Visit 2. | Cortical thickness, surface area, cortical and subcortical structural volumes and white matter tracts measured by MRI in relation to sex and gender identity and sexual orientation. |
| Change in brain activation during own body perception | Post hormone treatment. Visit 4 last appt. within 2 yrs of Visit 2. | Images of body morph test presented during fMRI scan |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed