Charting the Unknown : Sex Differences in Spatial Exploration Across the Lifespan

Area of Science:

• Behavioral neuroscience
• Cognitive psychology
• Human-computer interaction

Background:

• Previous research suggests sex-based differences in exploration styles, with females often exhibiting more cautious behavior.
• Exploration is a complex behavior, and prior studies have often focused on limited aspects, leading to vague definitions of sex differences.
• The developmental trajectory of sex differences in exploration remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sex and age differences in exploration behavior using a fine-grained, multi-faceted approach.
• To identify distinct measures of exploration and analyze individual differences across the lifespan.
• To explore the potential of these measures as cognitive markers for neuropsychiatric disorders.

Main Methods:

• A 3D virtual environment was used for exploration tasks with 206 females and 218 males aged 7-77 years.
• Standard animal exploration measures (roaming entropy, distance traveled, shape, efficiency) were computed.
• Hierarchical cluster analysis identified three key exploration dimensions: activity, efficiency, and shape.

Main Results:

• Males exhibited higher exploratory activity and a more complex exploration shape compared to females.
• Females demonstrated greater exploratory efficiency, navigating the environment more effectively.
• No significant interaction between age and sex was found, indicating stable differences across the lifespan.
• Older individuals showed simpler exploration paths (lower sinuosity/tortuosity) than younger individuals.

Conclusions:

• Exploration behavior is influenced by individual differences, specifically sex and age.
• Females are more efficient explorers despite potentially showing more caution.
• Novel, fine-grained measures of exploration could serve as valuable cognitive markers for conditions like schizophrenia.