TY - JOUR
T1 - The neural substrates of cognitive flexibility are related to individual differences in preschool irritability
T2 - A fNIRS investigation
AU - Li, Yanwei
AU - Grabell, Adam S.
AU - Wakschlag, Lauren S.
AU - Huppert, Theodore J.
AU - Perlman, Susan B.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by National Institutes of Health (K01 MH094467 PI: Susan Perlman, R21 MH100189 PI: Susan Perlman, and R01 MH107540 PI: Susan Perlman). Yanwei Li was sponsored by the China Scholarship Council. Adam S. Grabell received support from the National Institutes of Health (T32MH018951; PI: David Brent).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016
PY - 2017/6
Y1 - 2017/6
N2 - Preschool (age 3–5) is a phase of rapid development in both cognition and emotion, making this a period in which the neurodevelopment of each domain is particularly sensitive to that of the other. During this period, children rapidly learn how to flexibly shift their attention between competing demands and, at the same time, acquire critical emotion regulation skills to respond to negative affective challenges. The integration of cognitive flexibility and individual differences in irritability may be an important developmental process of early childhood maturation. However, at present it is unclear if they share common neural substrates in early childhood. Our main goal was to examine the neural correlates of cognitive flexibility in preschool children and test for associations with irritability. Forty-six preschool aged children completed a novel, child-appropriate, Stroop task while dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activation was recorded using functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). Parents rated their child's irritability. Results indicated that left DLPFC activation was associated with cognitive flexibility and positively correlated with irritability. Right DLPFC activation was also positively correlated with irritability. Results suggest the entwined nature of cognitive and emotional neurodevelopment during a developmental period of rapid and mutual acceleration.
AB - Preschool (age 3–5) is a phase of rapid development in both cognition and emotion, making this a period in which the neurodevelopment of each domain is particularly sensitive to that of the other. During this period, children rapidly learn how to flexibly shift their attention between competing demands and, at the same time, acquire critical emotion regulation skills to respond to negative affective challenges. The integration of cognitive flexibility and individual differences in irritability may be an important developmental process of early childhood maturation. However, at present it is unclear if they share common neural substrates in early childhood. Our main goal was to examine the neural correlates of cognitive flexibility in preschool children and test for associations with irritability. Forty-six preschool aged children completed a novel, child-appropriate, Stroop task while dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activation was recorded using functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). Parents rated their child's irritability. Results indicated that left DLPFC activation was associated with cognitive flexibility and positively correlated with irritability. Right DLPFC activation was also positively correlated with irritability. Results suggest the entwined nature of cognitive and emotional neurodevelopment during a developmental period of rapid and mutual acceleration.
KW - Cognitive flexibility
KW - Early childhood
KW - Irritability
KW - Neurodevelopment
KW - fNIRS
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84995564779&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.dcn.2016.07.002
DO - 10.1016/j.dcn.2016.07.002
M3 - Article
C2 - 27527736
AN - SCOPUS:84995564779
VL - 25
SP - 138
EP - 144
JO - Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
JF - Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
SN - 1878-9293
ER -