Sex differences, asymmetry, and age-related white matter development in infants and 5-year-olds as assessed with tract-based spatial statistics.

ABSTRACT: The rapid white matter (WM) maturation of first years of life is followed by slower yet long-lasting development, accompanied by learning of more elaborate skills. By the age of 5 years, behavioural and cognitive differences between females and males, and functions associated with brain lateralization such as language skills are appearing. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can be used to quantify fractional anisotropy (FA) within the WM and increasing values correspond to advancing brain development. To investigate the normal features of WM development during early childhood, we gathered a DTI data set of 166 healthy infants (mean 3.8 wk, range 2-5 wk; 89 males; born on gestational week 36 or later) and 144 healthy children (mean 5.4 years, range 5.1-5.8 years; 76 males). The sex differences,

SUBMITTER: Kumpulainen V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10089102 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature