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Self-representation and brain development.

Michael Lewis¹, Dennis P Carmody

¹Institute for the Study of Child Development, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0019, USA. lewis@umdnj.edu

Developmental Psychology

|September 17, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Brain maturation in toddlers is linked to developing self-representation. Specifically, the left temporo-parietal junction

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Area of Science:

Developmental neuroscience
Cognitive development
Neuroimaging

Background:

Self-representation emerges in early childhood.
Brain development underpins cognitive abilities.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relationship between brain maturation and the development of self-representation in young children.
To identify specific brain regions associated with early self-representation.

Main Methods:

Assessed self-representation using mirror recognition, personal pronoun use, and pretend play.
Acquired structural brain images via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Quantitatively measured the maturation of key brain regions: temporo-parietal junction, temporal pole, medial frontal cortex, and occipital cortex.

Main Results:

Maturation of the left temporo-parietal junction showed a significant relationship with self-representation.
This association remained significant after controlling for the child's age.

Conclusions:

Brain maturation, particularly in the left temporo-parietal junction, is associated with the emergence of self-representation in human infants and young children.
Provides evidence linking neural development to the development of the self.