A Cross Sectional Study of Sexual Dimorphism in Working Memory and Attention in late Adolescent Subjects

Abstract

Ever since John Gray (1992) proposed that men are from Mars and women are from newlineVenus, researchers have conducted studies to find out if this notion was certainly the newlinecase. Over the last 50 years, researchers wanted to explore sex differences in the brain newlineto explain our differences in cognition and behaviour. There have been numerous newlinestudies conducted on differences in brain size and tissue, as well as studies that looked newlineinto differences incognition. newlineThe aim of the present study was to explore sex differences in brain capacities of newlinecognition in Attention and Working Memory (WM) of late adolescent age group. To newlineassess the relationship among gender, working memory, attention, academic newlineperformance and fluid intelligence,. To explore the association of polymorphisms of newlineCatechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) and Dopamine transporter (DAT) with newlineattention and WM. The study was carried out in healthy adolescent age groups. The newlinesample was homogenous as age, socioeconomic status and education were same for newlineall the participants. Most of the assessments the female advantage was seen. newlineIt is more likely that the findings in this study resulted from the indirect association newlinebetween genes and cognition. The specific cognitive phenotypes may result, from a newlineconfluence of multiple genetic and environmental factors. Accordingly, the effect of a newlinespecific gene on Cognition is likely to be smaller and less direct. In this study we newlinewere able to detect COMT sex-specific effects only when analyzed in combination newlinewith DAT1. newlineAlso apart from genetic variability beyond DNA sequence variations, epigenetics may newlineplay a role in individual differences in cognition and brain function. Thus there are newlinemany avenues in which sexual dimorphism in brain function may manifest in human. newlineKey words: cognition, working memory, attention, fluid intelligence, sex differences, newlinegender, Dopamine, COMT, DAT. newline newline