Running Head: HORMONES AND LEARNING AND MEMORY

Hormones and Learning and Memory

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Hormones and cognitive enhancement:

Cognitive enhancement involves enhancement of the mind capacity for various cognitive functions such as reasoning speed and memory capacity. Hormones can have a profound impact on the cognitive performance of an individual since they can have a profound impact on the neural plasticity. Moreover, sex differences between men and females indicate may result into differences in cognitive capabilities between the two sexes. Research has been done on the impact of hormones on the neural plasticity as well as sex differences that result into differences in the cognitive capabilities between men and women. This essay reviews how hormones influence neural plasticity and the cognitive enhancement of an individual. Moreover, the article reviews the differences between males and females that result into differences in cognitive functions.

How hormones influence neural plasticity:

Cognitive enhancement involves extension of the mind capacity, accomplished through improvement of various internal and external systems of perceiving and processing information (Bostron and Sandberg, 2009). Cognitive enhancement does not relate to the speed of cognitive capacities but pertains to the benefits resulting from a cognitive enhancement intervention (Bostron and Sandberg, 2009). As such, a cognitive enhanced person is one who, through cognitive enhancement intervention, has improved his cognitive performance. Neural plasticity involves the ability of the neural system to change or switch between activities functionally and in the organization. Neural plasticity has a profound impact on the cognitive enhancement of an individual. For instance, increased neural plasticity results into enhanced cognitive ability.

Neural plasticity can be affected by various factors, among them being education, training and hormones. Moreover, hormones have a profound impact on neural plasticity and the cognitive enhancement of an individual. Various researchers have found a relation between cognitive Oestradial hormone and cognitive enhancement. According to Luine (2008), Oestradial hormone has several effects on the brain those affect the neural plasticity of the brain. In other researches, progesterone and Testerone hormones are associated to neural plasticity, suggesting that the hormones act on neurons, improving the neural plasticity of the brain and thus enhancing the cognitive performance of the brain (Luine, 2008).

Sex differences between males and females that provide evidence of the hormonal and neural correlates of cognitive function

Research suggests that males and females behave differently on various cognitive functions. Various studies indicate that females produce better results compared to males on matters concerning verbal abilities, reasoning speed and memory capacity (Davies and Wilkinson, 2006). On the other hand, studies indicate that males outdo females on matters concerning mental rotation and mathematical tasks (Davies and Wilkinson, 2006).

The hormone Testerone has been associated with the cognitive difference between males and females. This is a steroid hormone that is secreted by males from the testes and females from the ovaries. Studies indicate that males produce more Testerone hormone compared to female, resulting to the difference in the cognitive abilities between males and females (Bell et al, 2005).

In the brain, Testerone affects various cognitive functions such as attention, memory and the spatial ability of an individual. According to Nugent et al. (2005), males usually produce higher levels of Testerone compared to women that explains the difference between the two sexes on memory capacity. According to Bell et al. (2005), men usually have larger brains compared to women, and that explains why men and females exhibit different cognitive capacities.

From the article, it is evident that the hormonal differences between males and females produce varying cognitive capabilities. For instance, women exhibit enhanced reasoning speed and verbal capabilities compared to men. On the other hand, men exhibit improved memory capacities compared to women. These differences are usually caused by hormonal differences between men and women. For instance, research indicates that males produce more Testerone compared to females, explaining the differences between cognitive functions between the two sexes.

References

Bell, E, Willson, M, Wilman, A, Dave, S & Silverstone, P. (2005). Males and Females Differ in

Brain Activation During Cognitive tasks. Alberta, Canada: Elsevier Inc.

Bostrom, A & Sandberg, A, (2006). Cognitive Enhancement: Methods, Ethics, Regulatory

Challenges. Springer Science + Business Media.

Davies, W & Wilkinson, L. (2006). It is not all Hormones: alternative Explanations for sexual

Differentiation of the Brain. UK: Elsevier.

Luine, V. (2008). Sex Steroid and Cognitive Function. Journal of Neuroendoclinology.

Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 20 (6).

Nugent, A, Bain, E, Thayer, J, Sollers, J & Drevets, C. (2005). Sex Differences in the Neural

Correlates of Autonomic Arousals. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 80 (3).

United States of America.