A protocol for the analysis of DTI data collected from young children.

Analysis of scalar maps obtained by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) produce valuable information about the microstructure of the brain white matter. The DTI scanning of child populations, compared with adult groups, requires specifically designed data acquisition protocols that take into consideration the trade-off between the scanning time, diffusion strength, number of diffusion directions, and the applied analysis techniques. Furthermore, inadequate normalization of DTI images and non-robust tensor reconstruction have profound effects on data analyses and may produce biased statistical results.

Altered working memory-related brain responses and white matter microstructure in extremely preterm-born children at school age.

Preterm birth poses a risk for neurocognitive and behavioral development. Preterm children, who have not been diagnosed with neurological or cognitive deficits, enter normal schools and are expected to succeed as their term-born peers. Here we tested the hypotheses that despite an uneventful development after preterm birth, these children might exhibit subtle abnormalities in brain function and white-matter microstructure at school-age.

Attention and Working Memory in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Functional MRI Study.

The present study examined attention and memory load-dependent differences in the brain activation and deactivation patterns between adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and typically developing (TD) controls using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Attentional (0-back) and working memory (WM; 2-back) processing and load differences (0 vs. 2-back) were analysed.

Visuospatial working memory in 7- to 12-year-old children with disruptive behavior disorders.

Very little evidence exists on working memory (WM) deficits in children with disruptive behavior disorders such as Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) or Conduct Disorder (CD). We evaluated the function of visuospatial WM in patients (n = 26) with ODD/CD compared with age- and gender-matched controls (n = 26) while controlling for the comorbid diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity-Disorder (ADHD) in patients. The patients were diagnosed by Kiddie-SADS-PL interview, psychiatric symptoms were measured using Child Behavior Checklist and Teacher Report Form.

Regulation of brain activity in the fusiform face and parahippocampal place areas in 7-11-year-old children.

Developmental studies have demonstrated that cognitive processes such as attention, suppression of interference and memory develop throughout childhood and adolescence. However, little is currently known about the development of top-down control mechanisms and their influence on cognitive performance. In the present study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate modulation of activity in the ventral visual cortex in healthy 7-11-year-old children and young adults.

Working memory, attention, inhibition, and their relation to adaptive functioning and behavioral/emotional symptoms in school-aged children.

The present study investigated the development of executive functions (EFs) and their associations with performance and behavior at school in 8-12-year-old children. The EFs were measured by computer-based n-back, Continuous Performance and Go/Nogo tasks. School performance was evaluated by Teacher Report Form (TRF) and behavior by TRF and Child Behavior Checklist.

Brain activation and deactivation during location and color working memory tasks in 11-13-year-old children.

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and n-back tasks we investigated whether, in 11-13-year-old children, spatial (location) and nonspatial (color) information is differentially processed during visual attention (0-back) and working memory (WM) (2-back) tasks and whether such cognitive task performance, compared to a resting state, results in regional deactivation. The location 0-back task, compared to the color 0-back task, activated segregated areas in the frontal, parietal and occipital cortices whereas no differentially activated voxels were obtained when location and color 2-back tasks were directly contrasted. Several midline cortical areas were less active during 0- and 2-back task performance than resting state.

Processing of auditory and visual location information in the monkey prefrontal cortex.

Visuospatial working memory mechanisms have been studied extensively at single cell level in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (PFCd) in nonhuman primates. Despite the importance of short-term memory of sound location for behavioral orientation, there are only a few studies on auditory spatial working memory. The purpose of this study was to investigate neuronal mechanisms underlying working memory processing of auditory and visual location information at single cell level in the PFCd.

Audiospatial and visuospatial working memory in 6-13 year old school children.

The neural processes subserving working memory, and brain structures underlying this system, continue to develop during childhood. We investigated the effects of age and gender on audiospatial and visuospatial working memory in a nonclinical sample of school-aged children using n-back tasks. The results showed that auditory and visual working memory performance improves with age, suggesting functional maturation of underlying cognitive processes and brain areas.

Working memory and sleep in 6- to 13-year-old schoolchildren.

Objective: To study the associations between sleep quality/quantity and performance in auditory/visual working memory tasks of different load levels.

Method: Sixty schoolchildren aged 6 to 13 years from normal school classes voluntarily participated. Actigraphy measurement was done during a typical school week for 72 consecutive hours.