Neural basis of protracted developmental changes in visuo-spatial working memory.

Full Abstract

Developmental studies have shown that visuo-spatial working memory (VSWM) performance improves throughout childhood and adolescence into young adulthood. The neural basis of this protracted development is poorly understood. In this study, we used functional MRI (fMRI) to examine VSWM function in children, adolescents, and young adults, ages 7-22. Subjects performed a 2-back VSWM experiment that required dynamic storage and manipulation of spatial information. Accuracy and response latency on the VSWM task improved gradually, extending into young adulthood. Age-related increases in brain activation were observed in focal regions of the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (including Broca's area), left premotor cortex, and left and right posterior parietal cortex. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relative contributions of age, accuracy, and response latency on activation. Our analysis showed that age was the most significant predictor of activation in these brain regions. These findings provide strong evidence for a process of protracted functional maturation of bilateral fronto-parietal neural networks involved in VSWM development. At least two neural systems involved in VSWM mature together:
(i) a right hemisphere visuo-spatial attentional system, and (ii) a left hemisphere phonological storage and rehearsal system. These observations suggest that visually and verbally mediated mnemonic processes, and their neural representations, develop concurrently during childhood and adolescence and into young adulthood.

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Author information

Author/s: Kwon, H (H); Reiss, A L (AL); Menon, V (V);

Affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Program in Neuroscience, and Stanford Brain Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.

Grants: HD31715 (Agency:NICHD NIH HHS) ; HD40761 (Agency:NICHD NIH HHS) ; MH01142 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; MH50547 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; MH62430 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Oct; vol 99 (issue 20) : pp 13336-41

Dates: Created 2002/10/02; Completed 2002/11/13; Revised 2008/11/20;

PMID: 12244209, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Brain - anatomy & histology; pathology; physiology
Brain Mapping
Child
Humans

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