The development of working memory: fMRI measures of frontal lobe contribution
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1
Hospital for Sick Children, Diagnostic Imaging and Research Institute, Canada
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2
Bloorview Research Institute, Canada
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3
University of Toronto, Institute of Medical Science, Canada
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4
University of Toronto, Department of Psychology, Canada
Although working memory (WM) has been extensively studied in adults using fMRI, less is known about how this capacity develops. We assessed the neural correlates of WM in 39 children (6-16 years) and 18 adults (20-34 years), using an n-back, block design, fMRI paradigm. Colourful abstract patterns were presented in three conditions that varied by WM load (n = 0, 1 or 2). Using random effects ANOVA, we computed three contrasts (1>0, 2>0, 2>1) for participants who had > 80% accuracy. Adults responded to higher loads by increased activation of middle and inferior frontal regions. Older children (12-16 years) demonstrated some incremental frontal recruitment with WM load, but to a smaller extent than adults. Younger children (6-11 years) showed increased frontal activations for 1-back greater than both 0-back and 2-back. Thus, WM loads elicited age-related differential activity patterns. Given similar performance levels, differences in brain responses suggest that younger children employed different strategies, likely related to task difficulty and to immature frontal lobe function. Although the use of cognitive resources appeared more adult-like for older than younger children, the data demonstrate that significant maturational change is still occurring in the teenage years.
Conference:
The 20th Annual Rotman Research Institute Conference, The frontal lobes, Toronto, Canada, 22 Mar - 26 Mar, 2010.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Frontal Lobe Development
Citation:
Arsalidou
M,
Dade
L,
Lin
SY and
Taylor
MJ
(2010). The development of working memory: fMRI measures of frontal lobe contribution.
Conference Abstract:
The 20th Annual Rotman Research Institute Conference, The frontal lobes.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2010.14.00066
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Received:
28 Jun 2010;
Published Online:
28 Jun 2010.
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Correspondence:
S. Y Lin, Hospital for Sick Children, Diagnostic Imaging and Research Institute, Toronto, Canada, sarah.yaolin@sickkids.ca