Correlational analysis of normalized regional cerebral metabolic data obtained by positron emission tomography, in healthy subjects in the ‘resting’ state (eyes covered, ears plugged) using [18F]2-fluuro-2-deoxy-dgllucose, demonstrated gender differences in patterns of functional associations. Fifteen women and 18 men (< 40 yr) were scanned with a Scanditronix PC1024-7B tomograph. The brain was divided into 65 regions of interest (ROIs). There were no differences between men and women in global or regional metabolic rates, or in metabolic right-left asymmetries. Although the total number of significant correlations did not differ between men and women, patterns differed: female correlations rF were more positive than male correlations rM more often than rM > rF; and most rF > rM cases involved left frontal and sensorimotor ROIs, whereas most rM > rF cases involved right sensorimotor and occipital ROIs. The finding demonstrate gender differences in the pattern of functional neocortical interactions at the ‘resting’ state.