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Our understanding of how visual cortex neural processes mature during infancy and toddlerhood is limited. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), the present study investigated the development of visual evoked responses (VERs) in cross-sectional and longitudinal samples of infants and toddlers 2 months to 3 years. Brain space analyses focused on N1m and P1m latency, as well as N1m-to-P1m amplitude. Associations between VER measures and developmental quotient (DQ) scores in the cognitive/visual and fine motor domains were also examined. Results showed a nonlinear decrease in N1m and P1m latency as a function of age, characterized by rapid changes followed by slower progression, with the N1m latency plateauing at 6–7 months and the P1m latency plateauing at 8–9 months. The N1m-to-P1m amplitude also exhibited a non-linear decrease, with strong responses observed in younger infants (∼2–3 months) and then a gradual decline. Associations between N1m and P1m latency and fine motor DQ scores were observed, suggesting that infants with faster visual processing may be better equipped to perform fine motor tasks. The present findings advance our understanding of the maturation of the infant visual system and highlight the relationship between the maturation of the visual system and fine motor skills. • The infant N1m and P1m latency shows a nonlinear decrease. • N1m latency decreases precede P1m latency decreases. • N1m-to-P1m amplitude shows a nonlinear decrease, with stronger responses in younger than older infants. • N1m and P1m latency are associated with fine motor skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to assess whether the COVID-19 pandemic affected the health behaviours of men and women differently, and to estimate whether the associations between health behaviours and mental health differed by gender. By employing nationally representative panel data (UKHLS) and a difference-in-differences strategy, we provide evidence that the pandemic adversely affected health behaviours among women more than men in the UK. Compared to men, women were 3.2 percentage points less likely to adopt a healthy lifestyle and reported 0.09 fewer healthy behaviours (corresponding to 7.0 per cent of a standard deviation) during the pandemic. These changes are primarily driven by smaller improvements rather than absolute declines in health behaviours for women compared to men. The changes in health behaviours among women appear to persist over time when lockdown policies were relaxed. Importantly, we find that the pandemic considerably weakened the protective effect of health behaviours on mental health for women but not for men. For women, adopting a healthy lifestyle was strongly correlated with mental health before the pandemic, but this relationship was no longer significant during the pandemic. This loss in significance corresponds to a 0.61-points decline in the GHQ-12 Likert score, equivalent to 10.5 per cent of a standard deviation. However, we observe a partial return of the protective effect of health behaviours on mental health once lockdown measures had eased., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)