Community Conversation => Transitioning => Hormone replacement therapy => Topic started by: Terracotta on January 26, 2014, 03:10:21 AM Return to Full Version

Title: Does hormone replacement therapy affect your practical intelligence?
Post by: Terracotta on January 26, 2014, 03:10:21 AM
So from my understanding, with transgender/gender dysphoric people, parts of the brain regarding self-perception/ecetera shifted to a female spectrum, but it's not offensive to assume you utilize a masculine thought process with many or some aspects of life if you're pre-HRT trans.

I wonder if shifting previously used areas of the brain, to areas of the brain that haven't had the usual exercise you've accumulated over your life -

Does it affect your intelligence in any way? Productively/comprehensive-wise ecetera.?
Title: Re: Does hormone replacement therapy affect your practical intelligence?
Post by: Jenna Stannis on January 26, 2014, 03:24:23 AM
Yes, it helped me to identfy faulty reasoning. 
Title: Re: Does hormone replacement therapy affect your practical intelligence?
Post by: kelly_aus on January 26, 2014, 03:25:56 AM
I can't say I've noticed any changes. Generally better mood, perhaps - bit I'd attribute that more to lifestyle change than the hormones.

There is some evidence to suggest MtF brains are fairly female-typical in structure pre-HRT, so I'm not sure hormones really have quite the effect you are thinking of.
Title: Re: Does hormone replacement therapy affect your practical intelligence?
Post by: Terracotta on January 26, 2014, 03:32:31 AM
@JS

Could you expand into more detail on that? I'm extremely curious

@The Post-Trans-Rebel

I've read that it's a very localized/isolated part of the brain that decides gender identification traits and leads to gender dysphoria if it's it's misaligned, so knowing
that piece of information leads to me to jump to conclusions in that their can also be masculine dominated traits in a transgender neurology. People recount changes after
taking hormone replacement therapy for example.
Title: Re: Does hormone replacement therapy affect your practical intelligence?
Post by: Jamie D on January 26, 2014, 03:44:05 AM
Interesting topic.  My HRT use is limited to just six months.

Practical Intelligence: this involves the ability to grasp, understand and deal with everyday tasks. This is the Contextual aspect of intelligence and reflects how the individual relates to the external world about him or her.

Is this what you meant?
Title: Re: Does hormone replacement therapy affect your practical intelligence?
Post by: Jenny07 on January 26, 2014, 03:49:03 AM
Nothing I've noticed so far and I can still read maps.
Title: Re: Does hormone replacement therapy affect your practical intelligence?
Post by: Terracotta on January 26, 2014, 03:54:41 AM
Quote from: Jamie de la Rosa on January 26, 2014, 03:44:05 AM
Interesting topic.  My HRT use is limited to just six months.

Practical Intelligence: this involves the ability to grasp, understand and deal with everyday tasks. This is the Contextual aspect of intelligence and reflects how the individual relates to the external world about him or her.

Is this what you meant?

Sort of, definitely the first but the second I'd also be curious about. I was hoping a detailed answer would break it down further into different levels/aspects of thinking I guess!
Title: Re: Does hormone replacement therapy affect your practical intelligence?
Post by: Terracotta on January 26, 2014, 03:59:07 AM
Quote from: Jenny07 on January 26, 2014, 03:49:03 AM
Nothing I've noticed so far and I can still read maps.

Thanks for that insight!
Title: Re: Does hormone replacement therapy affect your practical intelligence?
Post by: Tori on January 26, 2014, 04:35:10 AM
Quote from: BLZA on January 26, 2014, 03:10:21 AM
So from my understanding, with transgender/gender dysphoric people, parts of the brain regarding self-perception/ecetera shifted to a female spectrum
This is likely not quite what you stated, since all fetuses default to female.

So, it is more likely in your scenario that the brain did not shift to a male spectrum rather than shifting to female one.
Title: Re: Does hormone replacement therapy affect your practical intelligence?
Post by: suzifrommd on January 26, 2014, 09:13:15 AM
I'm easier to distract, or so it would seem. It's hard to know for sure. I certainly seem to be able to solve problems at work just as well.
Title: Re: Does hormone replacement therapy affect your practical intelligence?
Post by: Natalia on January 26, 2014, 09:20:49 AM
I'm just four months on hormones, but I think nothing changed about my practical inteligence so far. I mean, I am still solving the problems the same way I did all my life. I don't feel things are getting any harder or easier.
Title: Re: Does hormone replacement therapy affect your practical intelligence?
Post by: amZo on January 26, 2014, 09:37:34 AM
No change that I can tell regarding intelligence. But then, do stupid people know they're stupid?

But, before I had excellent spatial relationship abilities. It use to throw me off talking to my ex regarding directions. We would be at home and she would be using her hands pointing in directions as she was giving me directions to some place. She would ALWAYS point the OPPOSITE direction on every direction she was giving. Her brain seemed to work in reverse regarding maps and directions. I would get confused by this and she would get angry with me, but I am (or was) more visual, but she needed her hand jesters to help her with her thought process, but we were like the three stooges (or two of them anyway) on getting places on time.

I noticed shortly after HRT that I was standing in my family room and I couldn't think of what streets went which way or anything. It was weird, it wasn't backwards, it just wasn't there at all. So, I do feel there can be an affect on our brains, it probably depends on the individual.
Title: Re: Does hormone replacement therapy affect your practical intelligence?
Post by: peky on January 26, 2014, 09:46:08 AM
Not too long after starting HRT an immense calmness permeated my soul, as a results it seems to me I deliberated more about actions to be taken.

Also, I noticed that the colors were much brighter and the smells more intense.

Title: Re: Does hormone replacement therapy affect your practical intelligence?
Post by: Rachel on January 26, 2014, 12:20:12 PM
Quote from: peky on January 26, 2014, 09:46:08 AM
Not too long after starting HRT an immense calmness permeated my soul, as a results it seems to me I deliberated more about actions to be taken.

Also, I noticed that the colors were much brighter and the smells more intense.



I would add a fog was lifted and smells became more pungent.

I make a lot of decisions at work. Important decisions I would get stuck going over all the possibilities and it would be an arduous task to come to a decision. Now I consider the possibilities and make a decision. Personnel decisions were extremely difficult pre-hrt and usually result in extreme displeasure then decision. Now they are not pleasant but know what has to be done and I list the steps and execute. Decision making is able to be carried out much quicker.
Title: Does hormone replacement therapy affect your practical intelligence?
Post by: ErinM on January 26, 2014, 12:38:49 PM
I haven't noticed any changes in my practical intelligence. I've always had a horrible sense of direction, but I can still troubleshoot and fix computers like before. The analytical part of my brain seems to work just as well as before.

My thought process has always been non-linear (considered a female trait) and that hasn't changed either.

As far as mental changes in general, I've noticed that I am much more aware of my emotional state, and that in turn has influenced how I react in certain situations.
Title: Re: Does hormone replacement therapy affect your practical intelligence?
Post by: Jill F on January 26, 2014, 03:37:32 PM
I noticed I don't fumble for words anymore.  In fact, I'd say my verbal accuity has been greatly enhanced.  I believe that parts of my brain that were previously dark or malfunctioning have now been lit up, or a fog has lifted.

My sense of color vision, smell and taste have also been enhanced.   I have become a better cook as well.   Don't get me started on wine tasting... *drools*