University of Southern California News (July 2019): “So far, results from the few existing studies are INCONCLUSIVE, Vanhoecke said. Some evidence [1st group of studies] suggests differences in gender identity could be linked to ways the brain develops in childhood and adolescence, and that the observed patterns correspond to gender identity. OTHER STUDIES [2nd group of studies] have indicated that NEURAL PATTERNS generally MATCH THE SEX a person is assigned at birth. Yet other studies [3rd group of studies] found evidence that doesn’t seem to support either of these, but rather that there are unique neural patterns in transgender people. “It’s a VERY MIXED story,” he said. “It’s NOT always true that your “brain structure” “matches” your “gender identity”, or vice versa. There is NO CLEAR CONSENSUS in the field.”

The Scientist Magazine (February 2018): “Mixed results for studies of the transgender brain. It’s unlikely that gender identity has such a straightforward biological explanation, however, and some studies have identified features of the transgender brain that appear CLOSER to the NATAL SEX, casting DOUBT on the “developmental mismatch” hypothesis. In a 2015 study from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, a comparison of the distribution of gray matter in 93 transgender adolescents with cisgender controls in the same age group found broad similarities in the hypothalami and the cerebellums of the transgender subjects and cisgender participants of the SAME NATAL SEX.”

“A 2013 study that focused on cortical thickness, which tends to be slightly greater in women than in men, also yielded MIXED RESULTS. Led by Antonio Guillamon, a neuroscientist at the National Distance Education University in Spain, researchers analyzed the MRI scans of 94 subjects and found that the total cortical thickness of both transgender women AND [!] men was more similar to that of cis women than that of cis men. But this finding did NOT hold true across the entire brain: in a structure in the forebrain known as the right putamen, which is involved in motor tasks and learning, cortical thickness in transgender men was more similar to that in cisgender men, [but] transgender women showed NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES from EITHER cisgender control group.”

Even James Caspian (the psychotherapist with 17 years’ experience in helping patients with Gender Dysphoria, and who is a trustee of the transgender charity The Beaumont Trust) said: “On the one hand, there is a narrative that gender identity is neurobiological – that you can have such a thing as a female brain in a male baby’s body and vice versa. To that end, there are a small number of studies that attempt to show a gendered brain, but there are MANY OTHERS that show that there is not.”

Here is how Prof Derek Hill, Professor of Medical Imaging, UCL explains it: “ “Brain scanning studies” in this area [Gender Dysphoria] tend to be on small numbers of subjects, with poorly standardised methodology for data collection and analysis, and with varying approaches to controlling for other conditions the individuals suffer from such as anxiety and depression, which could impact the results. It is quite possible, therefore, that some of the associations suggested here by the authors between gender dysphoria and brain function are CHANCE RANDOM FINDINGS – the underlying data the authors have looked at is very noisy so the assumptions that underpin their theory are all subject to uncertainty. Further work to test their theory prospectively would be very helpful in determining whether the theory could be helpful in managing and planning treatment of these individuals.”

So the methodology of the study needs to make sure that they are not confusing/conflating one phenomenon for another. For example, in a news article about a genetic study that claimed to link Gender Dysphoria to 'Brain Sex', it problematically seemed to CONFLATE the potential cause for Homosexuality with the potential cause for Gender Dysphoria: “Animal studies have helped identify 4 areas of the brain with pathways leading to development of a “male or female brain”, and the investigators focused on those likely also present in humans. Laboratory studies have indicated that disrupting these brain pathways in males and females during this critical period results in cross sex behavior, like female rodents mounting and thrusting, and males taking on a more traditional female posture when mating.”

See the problem here? The premise that those genetic scientists used is that if a female mouse is humping another female mouse - it’s so-called “evidence” of a so-called “male brain”. But that methodology is questionable - because what they’re observing is potentially Homosexuality, not Gender Dysphoria. So they’re testing for Gender Dysphoria by looking for potential genetic pathways for Homosexuality! Which is a bizarre approach which will lead to confusing/conflating results.

The huge problem of conflation of homosexuals and trans-identifying individuals in studies about Dysphoria was brought up in a 2015 German meta-study of “Trans brain” studies: “It appears the data [of studies] are quite INHOMOGENEOUS, mostly NOT REPLICATED and in many cases available for male-to-female [Ts] only. As the PREVALENCE OF HOMOSEXUALITY is markedly higher among Ts than among the general population, DISENTANGLING correlates of Sexual Orientation and gender identity is a major problem. To resolve such DEFICIENCIES [in studies], the implementation of specific research standards is proposed."

A Belgian co-author scientist in a Belgian/Dutch study admitted this possible confusion in her own study: “Limitations: Since all girls with Gender Dysphoria [who claimed to be ‘T-boys’ in this study] identified as Gynephilic [i.e. attracted to females], their resemblance in spatial cognition with the control boys, who were also Gynephilic [i.e. also attracted to females], may have been related to their shared Sexual Orientation RATHER THAN their shared “gender identity”.

“Brains of [non-Trans] Gay men ALSO structured like those of the opposite-sex [non-Trans] Straight females’, study observed" (New Scientist article about it: https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14146-gay-brains-structured-like-those-of-the-opposite-sex). So then... since this study suggests that Gay Men and Straight Women have "similar brains" - then, if we adopt TRA "brain sex theory" logic, that would mean that Gay Men (even NON-TRANS ones!) are "Straight Women". See how ridiculous this "brain sex" theory gets? So there’s actually a HUGE ‘elephant-in-the-room’ problem in the speculative “Brain Sex” studies that Trans Activists promote because they often FORGOT to control for Sexual Orientation. That is: the “brain scans”, etc can confuse same-sex orientation for “Gender Dysphoria”.

If they have a test group of e.g. males who are “dysphoric” and claim to be “Trans” (and who are Gay males) - then they need to compare them in a control-study with regular (‘non-Trans’) Gay males, as a control group (not with regular Hetero females). Because if we start comparing a cohort of gay male “Ts” with a cohort of straight female “non-Ts” - then the results of the study might misleadingly show “brain similarities” NOT because of any “Trans” / “Gender Dysphoria” factor - but because of Sexual Orientation.

Finally, the other HUGE (elephant-in-the-room) problem for these "brain sex" studies is this: "There is also evidence that some "brain structures" may show a SIMILAR variation in SCHIZOPHRENIA, with [MALE Schizophrenia patients] showing a “feminized” pattern and [FEMALE Schizophrenia patients] showing a “masculinized” pattern, leading to the proposal that SCHIZOPHRENIA itself may be related to Gender-atypical brain development, perhaps caused by prenatal hormonal imbalances” https://www.hindawi.com/journals/schizort/2014/463757/

And there have been studies that suggest that Schizophrenia, AUTISM, Body Dysmorphia, Gender Dysphoria and even Anorexia - all have potential genetic/neurological causes too. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211364915300051

So basically regular (non-trans) gay males can have (so-called) "feminised brains". Male Schizophrenics & Autism patients can have "feminised brains". Male Gender Dysphoric patients can have "feminised brains". Studies have even shown that even some regular (NON-trans) people have brains more similar to some members of the opposite sex! But none of that is "evidence" that all of these MALES (homosexual men, gender-dysphoric men, body-dysmorphic men, autistic men, schizophrenic men, etc) are "women" / "females". In other words, having gay sexual orientation or a neurological connectivity problem in the brain which lead to self-perception problems (Gender Dysphoria, Autism, Schizophrenia, Autogynephilia) does NOT mean any such person is the "opposite sex" - it simply means they're gay or have a neurological issue. Gay men having (so-called) "feminized brains" does not mean they're "women". Schizophrenic men having "feminized brains" does not mean they're "women". Likewise, Trans patients and autism patients having "feminized brains" does not mean they're "women".