Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42339254›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in cognition2025

Chronological age and biological maturity are separately positively associated with inhibitory control and working memory in boys and girls.

Luke M Gilbert, Ryan A Williams, John G Morris, Anna Dunn, Ruth Boat, Karah J Dring, Mary E Nevill, Simon B Cooper

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in cognition, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Luke M GilbertDepartment of Sport Science, Sport, Health, and Performance Enhancement (SHAPE) Research Centre, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Ryan A WilliamsDepartment of Sport Science, Sport, Health, and Performance Enhancement (SHAPE) Research Centre, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
John G MorrisDepartment of Sport Science, Sport, Health, and Performance Enhancement (SHAPE) Research Centre, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Anna DunnDepartment of Sport Science, Sport, Health, and Performance Enhancement (SHAPE) Research Centre, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Ruth BoatDepartment of Sport Science, Sport, Health, and Performance Enhancement (SHAPE) Research Centre, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Karah J DringDepartment of Sport Science, Sport, Health, and Performance Enhancement (SHAPE) Research Centre, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Mary E NevillDepartment of Sport Science, Sport, Health, and Performance Enhancement (SHAPE) Research Centre, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Simon B CooperDepartment of Sport Science, Sport, Health, and Performance Enhancement (SHAPE) Research Centre, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Executive function is typically considered from a chronological age perspective, despite the influence of biological maturity on executive function development. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of chronological age and biological maturity on inhibitory control and working memory, separately in boys and girls (due to sex differences in biological maturation). The study employed a cross-sectional design and, following familiarization, 736 (400 female) young people (12.3 ± 1.3 years) completed tests of cognitive function on two separate occasions. Participants completed the Stroop test to measure inhibitory control and the Sternberg paradigm to measure working memory. Chronological age and biological maturity were calculated for each participant. Linear regression models were performed separately for boys and girls. Two models were fit for each test and level of executive function: a chronological age model (executive function x chronological age) and a biological maturity model (executive function x biological maturity). Higher chronological age and biological maturity were associated with superior performance on inhibitory control and working memory tests. In boys, the biological maturity models were a significantly better fit (vs. chronological age), whilst in girls, the chronological age models were a better fit (vs. biological maturity). This study provides novel evidence that biological maturity is associated with inhibitory control and working memory. Emphasizing that future investigations into inhibitory control and working memory in young people should consider biological maturity, especially in boys.

Indexed as

adolescencecognitioncognitive developmentexecutive functionmaturation

Identifiers

PMID42339254
PMCPMC13281056

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.