Neural basis of protracted developmental changes in visuo-spatial working memory
Open accessAbstract
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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Age-related changes were found in several brain regions including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the posterior parietal cortex bilaterally.
“Age-related changes were found in several brain regions including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the posterior parietal cortex bilaterally (see Figure 6).”
From Development of the adolescent brain: implications for executive function and social cognition (2006) · cites this paper as Kwon, Reiss, and Menon, 2002
Activation in left and right prefrontal cortex and posterior parietal cortex increases during a working memory task.
“Increasing activation in left and right prefrontal cortex and posterior parietal cortex during working memory task”
From Development of the adolescent brain: implications for executive function and social cognition (2006) · cites this paper as Kwon et al., 2002
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- Authors
- Kwon, H., Reiss, A. L., & Menon, V.
- Affiliations
- Stanford Medicine (US)
- Corresponding author
- Menon, V.
- Venue
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 2002-09-20
- Volume
- 99
- Issue
- 20
- Pages
- 13336-13341
- ISSN
- 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-6490
- PMC
- PMC130634
- OpenAlex
- W2061198654
- Cited by
- 441
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 30 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 21
- FWCI
- 19.21
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH62430, MH01142, MH50547, K02MH001142, R01MH050047, R03MH062430)
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (K25HD040761, HD40761, R01HD031715, HD31715)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
- Keywords
- visuospatial working memory, cognitive development, brain maturation, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, Broca's area, premotor cortex, posterior parietal cortex, frontoparietal network, visuospatial attention, children and adolescents
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Brain, Brain Mapping, Child, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Memory, Models, Neurological, Regression Analysis, Spatial Behavior, Verbal Behavior
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