Neurodevelopmental Trajectories of Brain Growth between Males, Females, and Gender Diverse Youth

Global brain volume differences between males and females emerge as early as 11 weeks gestational age. While males show greater global brain volume from this period on, a lifespan perspective of sex differences highlights periods where these differences have peaks and troughs over development. Namely, there is a peak in mid-gestation, at 10 months of age, and an additional peak associated with the onset of puberty. Further, studies of regional brain sex differences shows localized brain regions that develop along different trajectories, including in youth who are gender diverse. This presentation will show new and existing studies that demonstrate sex-based differences in trajectories, including how differences in these trajectories in youth with mental health conditions. Finally, using a large-scale study of simulated brain data at five independent sites over three continents, this presentation will also discuss how researchers perceive sex-based trajectories in brain development in relation to large, population-based studies of child brain development.