Sex differences in the neural correlates of affective reactivity and regulation in early adolescence.

ABSTRACT: Internalizing disorders are the leading cause of disability worldwide. Despite this public health crisis, borne disproportionately by female adolescents, specific neural mechanisms driving these differences remain unclear. The present study investigated sex differences in the neural circuitry underlying emotion regulation in a community sample of 180 early adolescents (M_age= 12.03 years; 54.4 % female). Participants were instructed to either react naturally or regulate their affective responses to negative or neutral stimuli. Voxelwise analyses revealed a significant 3-way interaction between sex, regulation (e.g., regulate vs. react), and stimulus valence (e.g., negative vs. neutral) in bilateral middle/medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), right middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and ri

SUBMITTER: Church LD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12271767 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature