Selective attention processes are critical to everyday functioning and are known to develop through at least young adulthood. Although numerous investigations have studied the maturation of attention systems in the brain, these studies have largely focused on the spatial configuration of these systems; there is a paucity of research on the neural oscillatory dynamics serving selective attention, particularly among youth. Herein, we examined the developmental trajectory of neural oscillatory activity serving selective attention in 53 typically developing youth age 9-to-16 years-old. Participants completed the classic arrow-based flanker task during magnetoencephalography, and the resulting data were imaged in the time-frequency domain. Flanker interference significantly modulated theta and alpha/beta oscillations within prefrontal, mid-cingulate, cuneus, and occipital regions. Interference-related neural activity also increased with age in the temporoparietal junction and the rostral anterior cingulate. Sex-specific effects indicated that females had greater theta interference activity in the anterior insula, whereas males showed differential effects in theta and alpha/beta oscillations across frontoparietal regions. Finally, males showed age-related changes in alpha/beta interference in the cuneus and middle frontal gyrus, which predicted improved behavioral performance. Taken together, these data suggest sexually-divergent developmental trajectories underlying selective attention in youth.

选择性注意过程对日常功能至关重要，并且已知至少会在成年后发展。尽管许多研究已经研究了大脑中注意力系统的成熟，但这些研究主要集中在这些系统的空间配置上。对服务于选择性注意的神经振荡动力学的研究很少，尤其是在青年人中。在这里，我们检查了 53 名 9 至 16 岁的典型发育青年中为选择性注意服务的神经振荡活动的发展轨迹。参与者在脑磁图期间完成了经典的基于箭头的侧翼任务，并在时频域中对结果数据进行成像。侧翼干扰显着调制了前额叶内的θ和α/β振荡，中扣带回，楔骨和枕骨区域。颞顶交界处和前扣带回的干扰相关神经活动也随着年龄的增长而增加。性别特异性效应表明，女性在前岛叶中具有更大的θ干扰活动，而男性在额顶区域的θ和α/β振荡中表现出不同的影响。最后，男性在楔叶和额中回的 α/β 干扰中表现出与年龄相关的变化，这预示着行为表现的改善。总之，这些数据表明了青少年选择性注意的性别差异发展轨迹。性别特异性效应表明，女性在前岛叶中具有更大的θ干扰活动，而男性在额顶区域的θ和α/β振荡中表现出不同的影响。最后，男性在楔叶和额中回的 α/β 干扰中表现出与年龄相关的变化，这预示着行为表现的改善。总之，这些数据表明了青少年选择性注意的性别差异发展轨迹。性别特异性效应表明，女性在前岛叶中具有更大的θ干扰活动，而男性在额顶区域的θ和α/β振荡中表现出不同的影响。最后，男性在楔叶和额中回的 α/β 干扰中表现出与年龄相关的变化，这预示着行为表现的改善。总之，这些数据表明了青少年选择性注意的性别差异发展轨迹。