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Review
. 2019 Jan;44(1):86-96.
doi: 10.1038/s41386-018-0179-5. Epub 2018 Aug 14.

Let's call the whole thing off: evaluating gender and sex differences in executive function

Nicola M Grissom  1 , Teresa M Reyes  2
Affiliations
Review

Let's call the whole thing off: evaluating gender and sex differences in executive function

Nicola M Grissom et al. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2019 Jan.

Erratum in

Abstract

The executive functions allow for purposeful, deliberate, and intentional interactions with the world-attention and focus, impulse control, decision making, and working memory. These measures have been correlated with academic outcomes and quality of life, and are impacted by deleterious environmental events throughout the life span, including gestational and early life insults. This review will address the topic of sex differences in executive function including a discussion of differences arising in response to developmental programming. Work on gender differences in human studies and sex differences in animal research will be reviewed. Overall, we find little support for significant gender or sex differences in executive function. An important variable that factors into the interpretation of potential sex differences include differing developmental trajectories. We conclude by discussing future directions for the field and a brief discussion of biological mechanisms.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Summary of sex and gender differences in executive function. Literature review supports the finding that there are small and subtle to no sex and gender differences in executive function. However, sex differences do emerge in the context of developmental programming, the interaction with genotype, and potential underlying biological differences
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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