For many men, the idea that they have a better sense of direction than women has been improved by a scientific study.
Researchers from Norway scanned the brains of volunteers as they completed navigation tasks to discover men are more skillful at finding their way because they use a separate part of their brain. According to lead researcher Dr. Carl Pintzka from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), men and women have different navigational strategies.
Men use basic directions-the use of north, south, east and west-during navigation to a greater degree. Men's sense of direction was more effective. They quite simply got to their destination faster. "If they're going to the Student Society building in Trondheim, for example, men usually go in the general direction where it's located. " Dr. Pintzka explained.
Women usually orient (标定方向) themselves along a route to get there, for example, go past the hairdresser and then up the street and turn right after the store.
The study shows that using basic directions is more efficient because it is a more flexible strategy. The destination can be reached faster because the strategy depends less on where you start.
Meanwhile, the study also shows both men and women use large areas of the brain when they navigate, but some areas are different. The men use the hippocampus more, whereas women use their frontal areas to a greater extent. That agrees with the fact that the hippocampus is necessary to make use of basic directions. Losing one's sense of direction is one of the first symptoms in Alzheimer's disease.
Understanding how men and women use different brain areas and strategies to navigate, researchers will be able to enhance the understanding of the disease's development, and develop coping strategies for those already affected.
