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Cited by 728Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and ApplicationsNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesFunctional Brain Connectivity Studies

Sex Differences in Brain Maturation during Childhood and Adolescence

De Bellis, M. D.·2001·Cerebral Cortex
DOI 10.1093/cercor/11.6.552
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Abstract

Brain development during childhood and adolescence is characterized by both progressive myelination and regressive pruning processes. However, sex differences in brain maturation remain poorly understood. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to examine the relationships between age and sex with cerebral gray and white matter volumes and corpus callosal areas in 118 healthy children and adolescents (61 males and 57 females), aged 6-17 years. Gender groups were similar on measures of age, handedness, socioeconomic status and Full Scale IQ. Significant age-related reductions in cerebral gray and increases in white matter volumes and corpus callosal areas were evident, while intracranial and cerebral volumes did not change significantly. Significant sex by age interactions were seen for cerebral gray and white matter volumes and corpus callosal areas. Specifically, males had more prominent age-related gray matter decreases and white matter volume and corpus callosal area increases compared with females. While these data are from a cross-sectional sample and need to be replicated in a longitudinal study, the findings suggest that there are age-related sex differences in brain maturational processes. The study of age-related sex differences in cerebral pruning and myelination may aid in understanding the mechanism of several developmental neuropsychiatric disorders.

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Crossref · 10.1093/cercor/11.6.552

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48 of 48 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • The study was restricted to males only to limit treatment-related variability and inherent sex differences in brain development while maximizing eligible participants.

    “To limit treatment‐related variability and inherent sex differences in brain development (De Bellis et al., 2001; Gur et al., 1999; Lange, Giedd, Castellanos, Vaituzis, & Rapoport, 1997; Kang, Herron, & Woods, 2011), while maximizing eligible participants, we restricted this study to males only.”

    From Brain structure, working memory and response inhibition in childhood leukemia survivors (2017) · cites this paper as De Bellis et al., 2001

  • Sex is known to modulate brain development so that manifestation of late effects at any given age may depend on sex.

    “Firstly, sex is known to modulate brain development (De Bellis et al., 2001; Gur et al., 1999; Lange et al., 1997; Kang et al., 2011) so that manifestation of late effects at any given age may depend on sex (Anderson & Kunin‐Batson, 2009; Buizer, de Sonneville, van den Heuvel‐Eibrink, & Veerman, 2005).”

    From Brain structure, working memory and response inhibition in childhood leukemia survivors (2017) · cites this paper as De Bellis et al., 2001

  • Cross-sex application of the model supports prior findings that females mature earlier than males.

    “Sex differences in applying the model learned from one sex on another support multiple studies suggesting earlier maturation in females (De Bellis et al. 2001;Lenroot et al. 2007).”

    From Imaging Patterns of Brain Development and their Relationship to Cognition (2015) · cites this paper as De Bellis et al. 2001

  • The sex difference in maturation is earlier in females.

    “We validated the sensitivity of this index to the well-established sex difference in maturation, which is earlier in females (De Bellis et al. 2001;Lenroot et al. 2007), by applying the male predictors to the female sample and vice versa.”

    From Imaging Patterns of Brain Development and their Relationship to Cognition (2015) · cites this paper as De Bellis et al. 2001

  • In addition to age, pubertal status and hormone titers significantly interact with sex to affect white matter volume in multiple tracts in the human brain, including those connecting higher association cortices.

    “In addition to age, pubertal status and hormone titers significantly interact with sex to affect white matter volume in multiple tracts in the human brain, including those connecting higher association cortices (Asato et al., 2010; Chavarria et al., 2014; De Bellis et al., 2001; Herting et al., 2012; Peper et al., 2008; Perrin et al., 2008; Perrin et al., 2009).”

    From Does puberty mark a transition in sensitive periods for plasticity in the associative neocortex? (2017) · cites this paper as De Bellis et al., 2001

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Authors
De Bellis, M. D.
Venue
Cerebral Cortex
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2001-06-01
Volume
11
Issue
6
Pages
552-557
ISSN
  • 1047-3211 (ISSN-L)
  • 1460-2199
DOI
10.1093/cercor/11.6.552
OpenAlex
W2119268056
Cited by
728
References
49
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 31 · 2020: 27 · 2019: 42 · 2018: 36 · 2017: 29 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 31 · 2014: 36 · 2013: 39 · 2012: 32
FWCI
14.78
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Cerebral Cortex (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (1r03mh043687-01)
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA08746-08, P50AA008746)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (P01MH041712, MH-41712, K08MH001324, MH 01180, 5 K08 MHO1324-02, MH-43687, K02MH001180)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
Keywords
sex differences, brain maturation, brain development, childhood, adolescence, gray matter volume, white matter volume, corpus callosum, myelination, synaptic pruning, intracranial volume
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Age Factors, Brain, Child, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Myelin Sheath, Puberty, Sex Characteristics, Linear Models

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