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Imaging the developing brain: what have we learned about cognitive…
Imaging the developing brain: what have we learned about cognitive development?
1) Introduction
Neuroimaging techniques allow us to study the biological substrates of cognitive development
We focus on MRI techniques: limitations in lack of resolution
Compensated by:
Information about regional development
Possibility of longitudinal studies (repeated scanning)
Structural MRI
Functional MRI
DTI
2) Neuroanatomical development of the human brain
Synchrony in time between behavioural and cognitive development but be quiet to infer causality!
Specific order in brain development
First primary areas, then high-order areas
Process contine during adolescence
Associated with maturation of cognitive functions
Prefrontal lobe maturation and memory
Differences in brain matter:
Gray-matter (U pattern)
Sculpting processes, such as pruning
White-matter (slow increasing)
3) Development of human brain connectivity
We can study it with DTI
Working Memory Development and Prefrontal-Parietal connectivity
Age-related differences
We can dissociate particular tracts
4) Functional organization of the developing human brain
Performance differences VS Maturational differences
To study maturational differences:
Performance matching to equate behavioural performance
Differences in recuitment brain areas
But same posterior association areas are recruited
Areas responsible for maturing inhibition capacity
Manipulate task difficulty parametrically
Crosso-sectional studies VS longitudinal studies
Lognitudinal studies of Durston and colleagues supports precedent cross-sectional results
They show developmental shift in cortical activation patterns
Other cross-sectionla studies give less specific results
Ex. study the maturation of suppress irrelevant stimuli and prefrontal regions
Fine-tuned of relevant brain areas and decrease of irrelevant areas
5) Cortical organization with learning
Enlanching of primary motor cortex's task-relevant regions
Biological networks can be modified by experience
6) Future directions and conclusions
Possibility to combine with electrophysiologic tecniques
Possible comparison with animal and human postmortem studies