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Hazard anticipation of young novice drivers - SWOV

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When do these sex differences emerge? The total brain volume peaks in girls<br />

around age 10.5 and in boys around age 14.5. After this peak the decrease in<br />

total volume is somewhat stronger in females than in males (Lenroot et al.,<br />

2007). White matter increases throughout adolescence until middle<br />

adulthood with males having a slightly steeper rate <strong>of</strong> increase during<br />

adolescence (Lenroot & Giedd, 2010). Gray matter peaks for boys and girls at<br />

different ages in different lobes (see Section 2.3.1). After these peaks, the<br />

volume <strong>of</strong> gray matter declines (synaptic pruning). This decline is somewhat<br />

steeper in girls than in boys (Lenroot & Giedd, 2010). These different peaks<br />

and the subsequent decline in gray matter suggest that during the first years<br />

<strong>of</strong> adolescence girls are ahead in cortical maturation, but that this sex<br />

difference gradually disappears in the later stages <strong>of</strong> adolescence (around 16<br />

years and older). Not only do the cortical areas develop at a different pace in<br />

boys and girls during adolescence, some <strong>of</strong> the subcortical regions show<br />

different patterns <strong>of</strong> development during adolescence as well. After a review<br />

<strong>of</strong> the literature Lenroot & Gied (2010) concluded that most consistently<br />

differences in development during adolescence have been reported for the<br />

basal ganglia, the hippocampus and the amygdala. The basal ganglia play an<br />

important role in action selection, procedural learning and movement<br />

control. The basal ganglia function in close cooperation with the PFC (the<br />

executive functions). In cooperation with the PFC, the basal ganglia influence<br />

motivational processes (cooperation between basal ganglia and cingulate<br />

cortex), social reactions (cooperation between basal ganglia and the OFC)<br />

and planning (cooperation between basal ganglia and the DLPFC) (see<br />

Brouwer & Schmidt, 2002 for an overview). In cooperation with the<br />

hippocampus, the amygdala performs a primary role in the formation,<br />

storage and recall <strong>of</strong> memories associated with emotional events (McGaugh,<br />

2000; McGaugh, McIntyre, & Power, 2002). It would seem likely that the<br />

subtle differences in development between girls and boys during<br />

adolescence are related to the different neuroendocrine processes in boys and<br />

girls during puberty. According to Paus (2009) it is difficult to ascertain that<br />

this relation exists as the age-related changes in hormone levels are very<br />

complex. However, Lenroot & Giedd (2010) noted that although a direct<br />

causal relation is difficult to pro<strong>of</strong>, there are some associations between sex<br />

steroid levels and the development <strong>of</strong> certain brain regions. Different brain<br />

regions have a different number <strong>of</strong> sex steroid receptors. Brain regions that<br />

show a different pattern <strong>of</strong> maturation in boys and girls during adolescence<br />

also show differences in populations <strong>of</strong> sex steroid receptors with more<br />

oestrogens receptors in brain regions that are larger in females and more<br />

androgen receptors in brain regions that are larger in males.<br />

35

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