Striatal and orbitofrontal grey matter volumes are associated with cognitive event related potentials during associative learning task performance in male and female children and adolescents
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Biophysics, Biomedicine, and Neuroscience, Farabi University
- 2Brain Institute, Farabi University
- 3University of Alabama at Birmingham
- 4University of Cincinnati
Abstract
Introduction: The individual differences in gray matter volumes and event-related potentials may underlie variability in associative learning. However, little is known about the sex differences in these structure–function relationships across development.
Methods: The current study investigates associations between local gray matter volumes and brain responses during associative learning task in children and adolescents aged 7–21 years. We hypothesized that gray matter volumes of the basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex would be associated with event-related potentials indices of associative learning, in a sex-dependent manner. Final analysis included 138 participants (68 females, 70 males). Participants completed an associative learning task with concurrent EEG event-related potentials recording. Gray matter volumes were analyzed within 5 a priori regions of interest, predominantly located in the basal ganglia vicinity and prefrontal cortex.
Results: In females, anterior N400 latency to Early-stage stimulus onsets was positively associated with gray matter volume in the left putamen/lentiform nucleus and to Late-stage stimulus onsets with gray matter volume in the subgenual anterior cingulate. Anterior P300 amplitude to Late-stage feedback presentation was positively associated with gray matter volume in the right nucleus accumbens/putamen and the right medial orbitofrontal cortex. Correlations involving the subgenual anterior cingulate and medial orbitofrontal cortex were significantly stronger in the female group relative to the male group. In males, anterior P300 amplitude to Early-stage feedback presentation was associated with gray matter volume in a left hippocampus/amygdala cluster, yet not significantly differently from females. In exploratory analysis, after accounting for total brain volumes, age was positively associated with the volumes of striatal and orbitofrontal regions in both sexes, with largely overlapping patterns.
Discussion: Therefore, findings support structure–function relationships linking gray matter volumes of striatum and orbitofrontal cortex to brain activity during reinforcement learning performance. Given that associative learning is an instance of reinforcement learning, its underlying neural processes are influenced by the structural development of striatal and orbitofrontal regions.
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BibTeX
@article{kassen2026striatal,
title = {{Striatal and orbitofrontal grey matter volumes are associated with cognitive event related potentials during associative learning task performance in male and female children and adolescents}},
author = {Kymbat Kassen and Rassul Shakhzadayev and Manzura Zholdassova and Oxana Kabenova and Altyngul Kamzanova and Gaukhar Datkhabayeva and Daniyar Abdilmanov and Jane B. Allendorfer and James Eliassen and Mikhail Ye. Mel’nikov and Almira Kustubayeva},
journal = {Frontiers in Neuroscience},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fnins.2026.1902749},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2026.1902749/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Striatal and orbitofrontal grey matter volumes are associated with cognitive event related potentials during associative learning task performance in male and female children and adolescents
AU - Kymbat Kassen
AU - Rassul Shakhzadayev
AU - Manzura Zholdassova
AU - Oxana Kabenova
AU - Altyngul Kamzanova
AU - Gaukhar Datkhabayeva
AU - Daniyar Abdilmanov
AU - Jane B. Allendorfer
AU - James Eliassen
AU - Mikhail Ye. Mel’nikov
AU - Almira Kustubayeva
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/22
JO - Frontiers in Neuroscience
DO - 10.3389/fnins.2026.1902749
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2026.1902749/full
AB - Introduction: The individual differences in gray matter volumes and event-related potentials may underlie variability in associative learning. However, little is known about the sex differences in these structure–function relationships across development. Methods: The current study investigates associations between local gray matter volumes and brain responses during associative learning task in children and adolescents aged 7–21 years. We hypothesized that gray matter volumes of the basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex would be associated with event-related potentials indices of associative learning, in a sex-dependent manner. Final analysis included 138 participants (68 females, 70 males). Participants completed an associative learning task with concurrent EEG event-related potentials recording. Gray matter volumes were analyzed within 5 a priori regions of interest, predominantly located in the basal ganglia vicinity and prefrontal cortex. Results: In females, anterior N400 latency to Early-stage stimulus onsets was positively associated with gray matter volume in the left putamen/lentiform nucleus and to Late-stage stimulus onsets with gray matter volume in the subgenual anterior cingulate. Anterior P300 amplitude to Late-stage feedback presentation was positively associated with gray matter volume in the right nucleus accumbens/putamen and the right medial orbitofrontal cortex. Correlations involving the subgenual anterior cingulate and medial orbitofrontal cortex were significantly stronger in the female group relative to the male group. In males, anterior P300 amplitude to Early-stage feedback presentation was associated with gray matter volume in a left hippocampus/amygdala cluster, yet not significantly differently from females. In exploratory analysis, after accounting for total brain volumes, age was positively associated with the volumes of striatal and orbitofrontal regions in both sexes, with largely overlapping patterns. Discussion: Therefore, findings support structure–function relationships linking gray matter volumes of striatum and orbitofrontal cortex to brain activity during reinforcement learning performance. Given that associative learning is an instance of reinforcement learning, its underlying neural processes are influenced by the structural development of striatal and orbitofrontal regions.
SN - 1662-453X
ER -