Neurophysiological sex differences in mental rotation in young adults: a narrative review of event-related potentials

Vollständiger Abstract

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Sex differences in mental rotation represent one of the most consistently reported behavioural sex differences. Identifying the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying spatial cognition may contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of cognitive processing in males and females. The present review synthesises evidence from event-related potential (ERP) studies and identifies sex-related neurophysiological differences across ERP correlates of mental rotation in healthy young adults. Behavioural evidence was also synthesised to examine its relationship to ERP findings. A structured search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science identified studies published between January 1987 and February 2026. Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria, all involving young adult participants. The evidence suggests that young males may show higher mental rotation performance, accompanied by sex-related differences in ERP amplitude, latency, global field power, and topographic patterns. Early and later ERP differences suggest sex-related differences in neurophysiological processing, although the underlying mechanisms remain uncertain. ERP differences may also occur without behavioural effects, suggesting greater sensitivity of neurophysiological measures. The most consistent finding across studies is that behavioural and neurophysiological sex differences become more pronounced as task difficulty increases, particularly with larger rotation angles and more complex, three-dimensional, less familiar, or less nameable stimuli. In contrast, evidence regarding the effects of response format, stimulus presentation, time constraints, and specific cognitive strategies remains limited or inconsistent. Given the limited number of studies, methodological heterogeneity, and small sample sizes, these findings should be interpreted with caution.