Longitudinal study of spatial working memory development in young children.
This study longitudinally compared activity in the frontal cortex during a spatial working memory task between 5-year-old and 7-year-old children using near-infrared spectroscopy. Eight children participated in this study twice, once at 5 years and once at 7 years of age. Behavioral analysis showed that older children performed the working memory task more precisely and more rapidly than younger children. Near-infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that right hemisphere dominance was observed in older children, whereas no hemispheric difference was apparent in younger children. Children with strengthened lateralization showed improved performance from 5 to 7 years. We therefore offer the first demonstration of the developmental changes in frontal cortical activation during spatial working memory tasks during the preschool period.
Center for Advanced Research on Logic and Sensibility, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan. tuji@flet.keio.ac.jp
Takeo
T
Tsujii
Eriko
E
Yamamoto
Sayako
S
Masuda
Shigeru
S
Watanabe
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003463:Cues; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared
D010108:Oxyhemoglobins