Dr. Biol., Professor V.N. Pushkina^{1, 2}
Dr. Biol., Associate Professor E.Y. Fedorova¹
Dr. Sc. Soc. A.E. Stradze^1
1Moscow City University, Moscow
₂Institute of Developmental Physiology of the Russian Academy  of Education, Moscow

Objective of the study was to test and analyze the gender-specific sensorimotor responses in the 7-8 year-olds.
Methods and structure of the study. We sampled for the study the 7.38±0.08 years boys (n = 20) and 7.18±0.05 year-old girls (n = 20) without known medical contraindications to physical trainings at a Moscow school. The sample was tested by UPFT-1/30 "Psycho-physiologist" Test System with application of 35 response triggers/ stimuli. The central nervous system functions were rated by the simple and complex visual-motor response and response to moving object tests.
Results and conclusion. The simple visual-motor response tests found the girls’ central nervous system functions being 20% faster (p=0.0002) and better synchronized than the boys’ ones. The complex visual-motor response tests indicative of the individual operational functions under time pressure (withing tight time limits) also ranked the girls group higher. The complex visual-motor response test data analysis ranked the girls group significantly higher on the response speed (p=0.03), response stability (p=0.03) and error scoring (p=0.05) scales despite the fact that the group responses were collectively on the ‘below average’ level on the whole – versus he boys group ranked on the ‘low’ level (p=0.007). It should be mentioned that the girls group is close to the upper limit of the low level versus the boys group averaging close to the lower limit of this level.
The test data and analyses found the metropolitan 7-8 year-olds’ sensory activity and progress gender-specific in many aspects, and this fact is to be taken into account in the school education curricula, to have the education service and individual progress trajectories sensitively customized to the individual abilities and progresses. The physical education teachers in their analyses of the physical fitness and motor skills test data should know that the 7-8 year-old girls' response speed is normally higher than the boys’ ones due to the higher central nervous system mobilization fitness and better response speed control.

Keywords: 7-8 year-olds, central nervous system, sensorimotor response, gender specifics.

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