Scientists Prove Girls Mature Faster Than Boys

They can also shine with intelligence earlier.

Scientists from the National Institute on Drug Abuse in Bethesda (USA) have discovered differences in brain development between boys and girls. It turns out that the female nervous system progresses faster. The results of the study were published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

This was the first study in the field of age-related changes in brain structure, during which American neurophysiologists observed the development of 8,900 children aged 10 and older. They were regularly examined using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and changes in the nervous system were recorded. This revealed gender differences in the nature of neural connections.

The results confirmed the popular belief that girls mature faster. They indeed begin to show a higher density of connections between neurons in the central nervous system earlier, which are responsible for brain function in "sleep mode." This means they initiate cognitive processes when a person is not acting. This also affects the level of intellectual development in children.

Scientists believe that these differences are established during fetal development in the mother's womb and are due to evolutionary reasons.

The results obtained can be used to identify and track various cognitive and behavioral deviations in adolescents. They are also useful in studying psychiatric and neurological disorders in children, the scientists added.