Prior research points to a positive concurrent relationship between reasoning ability and both frontoparietal structural connectivity (SC) as measured by diffusion tensor imaging (Tamnes et al., 2010) and frontoparietal functional connectivity (FC) as measured by fMRI (Cocchi et al., 2014). Further, recent research demonstrates a link between reasoning ability and FC of two brain regions in particular: rostrolateral prefrontal cortex (RLPFC) and the inferior parietal lobe (IPL) (Wendelken et al., 2016). Here, we sought to investigate the concurrent and dynamic, lead-lag relationships among frontoparietal SC, FC, and reasoning ability in humans. To this end, we combined three longitudinal developmental datasets with behavioral and neuroimaging data from 523 male and female participants between 6 and 22 years of age. Cross-sectionally, reasoning ability was most strongly related to FC between RLPFC and IPL in adolescents and adults, but to frontoparietal SC in children. Longitudinal analysis revealed that RLPFC-IPL SC, but not FC, was a positive predictor of future changes in reasoning ability. Moreover, we found that RLPFC-IPL SC at one time point positively predicted future changes in RLPFC-IPL FC, whereas, in contrast, FC did not predict future changes in SC. Our results demonstrate the importance of strong white matter connectivity between RLPFCmore »
Optimization of energy state transition trajectory supports the development of executive function during youth
Adolescents are known for taking risks, from driving too fast to experimenting with drugs and alcohol. Such behaviors tend to decrease as individuals move into adulthood. Most people in their mid-twenties have greater self-control than they did as teenagers. They are also often better at planning, sustaining attention, and inhibiting impulsive behaviors. These skills, which are known as executive functions, develop over the course of adolescence. Executive functions rely upon a series of brain regions distributed across the frontal lobe and the lobe that sits just behind it, the parietal lobe. Fiber tracts connect these regions to form a fronto-parietal network. These fiber tracts are also referred to as white matter due to the whitish fatty material that surrounds and insulates them. Cui et al. now show that changes in white matter networks have implications for teen behavior. Almost 950 healthy young people aged between 8 and 23 years underwent a type of brain scan called diffusion-weighted imaging that visualizes white matter. The scans revealed that white matter networks in the frontal and parietal lobes mature over adolescence. This makes it easier for individuals to activate their fronto-parietal networks by decreasing the amount of energy required. Cui et al. show more »
- Authors:
- ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; more »
- Award ID(s):
- 1631112
- Publication Date:
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10196100
- Journal Name:
- eLife
- Volume:
- 9
- ISSN:
- 2050-084X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Publisher's Version of Record
- https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.53060
