Abstract

Cognitive development is thought to depend on the refinement and specialization of functional circuits over time, yet little is known about how this process unfolds over the course of childhood. Here we investigated growth trajectories of functional brain circuits and tested an interactive specialization model of neurocognitive development which posits that the refinement of task-related functional networks is driven by a shared history of co-activation between cortical regions. We tested this model in a longitudinal cohort of 30 children with behavioral and task-related functional brain imaging data at multiple time points spanning childhood and adolescence, focusing on the maturation of parietal circuits associated with numerical problem solving and learning. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed selective strengthening as well as weakening of functional brain circuits. Connectivity between parietal and prefrontal cortex decreased over time, while connectivity within posterior brain regions, including intra-hemispheric and inter-hemispheric parietal connectivity, as well as parietal connectivity with ventral temporal occipital cortex regions implicated in quantity manipulation and numerical symbol recognition, increased over time. Our study provides insights into the longitudinal maturation of functional circuits in the human brain and the mechanisms by which interactive specialization shapes children’s cognitive development and learning.

Details

Title
Mechanisms of interactive specialization and emergence of functional brain circuits supporting cognitive development in children
Author
Battista, Christian 1 ; Evans, Tanya M 1 ; Ngoon, Tricia J 1 ; Chen, Tianwen 1 ; Lang, Chen 1 ; Kochalka, John 1 ; Menon, Vinod 2 

 Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA 
 Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Neuroscience Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Symbolic Systems Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA 
First page
1
Publication year
2018
Publication date
2018
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20567936
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2057413300
Copyright
© 2018. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.