Neurophysiological Mechanisms of Auditory Information Processing in Adolescence: A Study on Sex Differences

Bakos, Sarolta; Töllner, Thomas ; Trinkl, Monika; Landes, Iris; Bartling, Jürgen; Grossheinrich, Nicola; Schulte-Körne, Gerd and Greimel, Ellen (2016): Neurophysiological Mechanisms of Auditory Information Processing in Adolescence: A Study on Sex Differences. In: Developmental Neuropsychology, Vol. 41, No. 3: pp. 201-214

Abstract

To date, little is known about sex differences in the neurophysiological correlates underlying auditory information processing. In the present study, auditory evoked potentials were evoked in typically developing male (n = 15) and female (n = 14) adolescents (13–18 years) during an auditory oddball task. Girls compared to boys displayed lower N100 and P300 amplitudes to targets. Larger N100 amplitudes in adolescent boys might indicate higher neural sensitivity to changes of incoming auditory information. The P300 findings point toward sex differences in auditory working memory and might suggest that adolescent boys might allocate more attentional resources when processing relevant auditory stimuli than adolescent girls.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Faculties: Medicine; Psychology and Education Science > Department Psychology > General and Experimental Psychology
• Subjects: 100 Philosophy and Psychology > 150 Psychology; 600 Technology > 610 Medicine and health
• ISSN: 1532-6942
• Language: English