Are boys and girls wired differently when it comes to thinking?

By Dr. Liji Thomas, MDFeb 23 2023Reviewed by Aimee Molineux Scientists have wondered whether boys and girls think differently because their brains are different. A recent paper presents evidence that, indeed, girls do show meaningful differences in their brain circuits that could explain why their cognitive functions differ from those of boys.

Little is known about why girls show increased cognitive performance as they approach adolescence compared to boys. Traditionally, it has been recognized that physically, intellectually, and emotionally, girls mature ahead of boys at the same age. In the developing brain, white matter builds up over time, faster in girls.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging was carried out in all children whose data was used for the current study. The aim was to assess global functional connectivity density at rest and mean water diffusivity , as well as examining their association with overall cognitive performance. The results showed that in girls, distinctively, there was higher global functional connectivity density in multiple regions. It was most obvious in the cortical region of the posterior cingulate gyrus of the brain. This part of the brain is one hub where default mode networks meet.

At the same time, the superior corticostriatal white matter tracts showed lower mean diffusivity in inverse proportion to higher cognitive performance in girls relative to boys. These findings were found to fully explain the difference in cognitive performance between the sexes at this age. Yet they explain that poor childhood brain connectivity is not necessarily linked to better cognitive performance, as earlier researchers have reported to be true of children and male adolescents.

Source: Entertainment Trends (entertainmenttrends.net)

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