OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to explore the neurophysiologic origins of gender differences in auditory processing mechanisms of 7-10 year-old children by means of event-related oscillations. It was tested if the developmental changes in synchronization and magnitude of oscillations in different processing conditions depended on gender. METHODS: Eighteen girls and 18 boys aged 7-10 years were pair wise matched for age and were divided into two age groups. Auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded in passive, sensorimotor and working memory conditions. Phase-locking and single-trial magnitude of ERPs were analyzed in the delta (0.5-4 Hz), theta (4-7 Hz), slow (7-10 Hz), and fast (10-14 Hz) alpha frequency bands to test the effects of gender, age, and processing condition. RESULTS: The phase-locking of auditory delta, theta, and slow alpha oscillations increased with development only in girls, independently of task processing. Only for the theta phase-locking was this effect additionally affected by the motor-related task. No changes in the magnitude of oscillations accompanied these gender differences in synchronization except for parietal delta responses that also increased with development only in girls. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that gender differences in auditory ERPs basically originate from a stronger functional synchronization of oscillatory responses generated during stimulus processing. SIGNIFICANCE: The study provides evidence that the functional maturation of oscillatory auditory networks reflected by a progressive developmental increase of synchronization, is accelerated in girls relative to boys between 7 and 10 years of age.
OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to explore the neurophysiologic origins of gender differences in auditory processing mechanisms of 7-10 year-old children by means of event-related oscillations. It was tested if the developmental changes in synchronization and magnitude of oscillations in different processing conditions depended on gender. METHODS: Eighteen girls and 18 boys aged 7-10 years were pair wise matched for age and were divided into two age groups. Auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded in passive, sensorimotor and working memory conditions. Phase-locking and single-trial magnitude of ERPs were analyzed in the delta (0.5-4 Hz), theta (4-7 Hz), slow (7-10 Hz), and fast (10-14 Hz) alpha frequency bands to test the effects of gender, age, and processing condition. RESULTS: The phase-locking of auditory delta, theta, and slow alpha oscillations increased with development only in girls, independently of task processing. Only for the theta phase-locking was this effect additionally affected by the motor-related task. No changes in the magnitude of oscillations accompanied these gender differences in synchronization except for parietal delta responses that also increased with development only in girls. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that gender differences in auditory ERPs basically originate from a stronger functional synchronization of oscillatory responses generated during stimulus processing. SIGNIFICANCE: The study provides evidence that the functional maturation of oscillatory auditory networks reflected by a progressive developmental increase of synchronization, is accelerated in girls relative to boys between 7 and 10 years of age.
Authors: David B Chorlian; Madhavi Rangaswamy; Niklas Manz; Jacquelyn L Meyers; Sun J Kang; Chella Kamarajan; Ashwini K Pandey; Jen-Chyong Wang; Leah Wetherill; Howard Edenberg; Bernice Porjesz Journal: Int J Psychophysiol Date: 2016-11-12 Impact factor: 2.997
Authors: David B Chorlian; Madhavi Rangaswamy; Niklas Manz; Chella Kamarajan; Ashwini K Pandey; Howard Edenberg; Samuel Kuperman; Bernice Porjesz Journal: Behav Brain Res Date: 2015-06-20 Impact factor: 3.332
Authors: Sarah K Mesrobian; Alessandro E P Villa; Michel Bader; Lorenz Götte; Alessandra Lintas Journal: Front Hum Neurosci Date: 2018-02-27 Impact factor: 3.169