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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Nov 1.
Published in final edited form as: Int J Dev Neurosci. 2013 May 27;31(7):10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2013.05.007. doi: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2013.05.007

Figure 1. Decreases in regional gray matter volume, in normal children, between age 5 and age 20.

Figure 1

As a general principle of development, cortical regions that are concerned with more low-level, primary functions – such as vision and sensation – mature more quickly than the regions subserving higher order cognition. Here the loss of gray matter volume is thought to be due to greater myelination of the cortex, rather than solely due to synaptic and dendritic pruning. Vascular and glial changes many also play a role. Reprinted with permission from Gogtay et al., PNAS 2004.