The goal of this proposal is to examine the neural correlates of the development of working memory (WM) in children ages 7-12. We will use fMRI to identify brain regions involved in the maintenance of verbal and spatial information in VVM, and parametrically manipulate the amount (load) of information. We will then compare activations found in the children and in young adults (ages 18-30), and use the load manipulation to address issues of age-associated differences in performance. Our initial hypothesis is that children will have less lateralized activations for maintenance of both verbal and spatial information in WM than will adults. Further, we will examine the relation of age-related differences in the hemodynamic basis of the fMRI signal (BOLD signal), and use that information to individually tailor vascular response measures. Finally, functional development will be considered in relation to the integrity of white matter microstructure measured by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). We will examine regionally specific DTI correlates of WM capacities in children. The fMRI, DTI, and BOLD measures ought to be informative about how the maintenance of information in WM differs between children and adults. ? ?
| Thomason, Moriah E; Race, Elizabeth; Burrows, Brittany et al. (2009) Development of spatial and verbal working memory capacity in the human brain. J Cogn Neurosci 21:316-32 |
| Thomason, Moriah E; Chang, Catherine E; Glover, Gary H et al. (2008) Default-mode function and task-induced deactivation have overlapping brain substrates in children. Neuroimage 41:1493-503 |
| Thomason, Moriah E; Foland, Lara C; Glover, Gary H (2007) Calibration of BOLD fMRI using breath holding reduces group variance during a cognitive task. Hum Brain Mapp 28:59-68 |
