Cited by 507Cognitive Abilities and TestingNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesDevelopmental and Educational Neuropsychology

Age group and sex differences in performance on a computerized neurocognitive battery in children age 8−21.

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Gur, Ruben C., Richard, Jan, Calkins, Monica E., Chiavacci, Rosetta, Hansen, John A., Bilker, Warren B., Loughead, James, Connolly, John J. +5 more·2012·Neuropsychology

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Examine age group effects and sex differences by applying a comprehensive computerized battery of identical behavioral measures linked to brain systems in youths that were already genotyped. Such information is needed to incorporate behavioral data as neuropsychological "biomarkers" in large-scale genomic studies. METHOD: We developed and applied a brief computerized neurocognitive battery that provides measures of performance accuracy and response time for executive-control, episodic memory, complex cognition, social cognition, and sensorimotor speed domains. We tested a population-based sample of 3,500 genotyped youths ages 8-21 years. RESULTS: Substantial improvement with age occurred for both accuracy and speed, but the rates varied by domain. The most pronounced improvement was noted in executive control functions, specifically attention, and in motor speed, with some effect sizes exceeding 1.8 standard deviation units. The least pronounced age group effect was in memory, where only face memory showed a large effect size on improved accuracy. Sex differences had much smaller effect sizes but were evident, with females outperforming males on attention, word and face memory, reasoning speed, and all social cognition tests and males outperforming females in spatial processing and sensorimotor and motor speed. These sex differences in most domains were seen already at the youngest age groups, and age group × sex interactions indicated divergence at the oldest groups with females becoming faster but less accurate than males. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that cognitive performance improves substantially in this age span, with large effect sizes that differ by domain. The more pronounced improvement for executive and reasoning domains than for memory suggests that memory capacities have reached their apex before age 8. Performance was sexually modulated and most sex differences were apparent by early adolescence.

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  • Only recently sizeable multimodal normative brain developmental data have become available, with large prospective studies ongoing in Rotterdam, San Diego and Philadelphia.

    “The tools that we have for measuring brain functioning and connectivity are growing, but only recently sizeable multimodal normative brain developmental data have become available, with large prospective studies ongoing in Rotterdam (68), San Diego (69) and Philadelphia (70).”

    From Pediatric psychopharmacology: Too much or too little? (2013) · cites this paper as [69]

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  1. Wilkinson GS Robertson GJ Wide Range Achievement Test--Fourth Edition Psychological Assessment Resources 2006 Lutz, FL WRAT4 Introductory Kit

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Authors
Gur, R. C., Richard, J., Calkins, M. E., Chiavacci, R., Hansen, J. A., Bilker, W. B., Loughead, J., Connolly, J. J., Qiu, H., Mentch, F. D., Abou-Sleiman, P. M., Hakonarson, H., & Gur, R. E.
Affiliations
  • University of Pennsylvania (US)
  • Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (US)
Venue
Neuropsychology
Published
2012-03
Volume
26
Issue
2
Pages
251-265
ISSN
  • 0894-4105 (ISSN-L)
  • 1931-1559
OpenAlex
W2069724292
Cited by
507
References
70
Citations by year
2026: 20 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 43 · 2022: 52 · 2021: 44 · 2020: 47 · 2019: 37 · 2018: 41 · 2017: 38 · 2016: 41 · 2015: 31 · 2014: 32 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 8
FWCI
39.41
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Neuropsychology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Health (RC2 Grants MH089983, MH089924, RO1 Grants MH084856, MH060722)
  • The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
Keywords
age differences, sex differences, executive function, episodic memory, social cognition, reaction time (psychology), accuracy, face memory, spatial processing, adolescence, cognitive development
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Age Factors, Attention, Child, Child Development, Cognition, Computers, Female, Humans, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Psychomotor Performance, Reaction Time, Sex Factors, Young Adult, Executive Function, Memory, Episodic

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