Morphometry and connectivity of the fronto-parietal verbal working memory network in development

Two distinctly different maturational processes - cortical thinning and white matter maturation - take place in the brain as we mature from late childhood to adulthood. To what extent does each contribute to the development of complex cognitive functions like working memory? The independent and joint contributions of cortical thickness of regions of the left fronto-parietal network and the diffusion characteristics of the connecting pathway of the left superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) in accounting for verbal working memory performance were investigated, using a predefined regions of interest-approach. 108 healthy participants aged 8-19 years underwent MRI, including anatomical and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), as well as cognitive testing using a digit span task. Radial diffusivity of the SLF, as well as cortical thickness of supramarginal gyrus and rostral middle frontal cortex, were negatively related to digit span forwards performance, independently of age. Radial diffusivity of the SLF was also negatively related to digit span backwards. A multi-modal analysis showed that cortical thickness and SLF microstructure were complementary in explaining working memory span. Furthermore, SLF microstructure and cortical thickness had different impact on working memory performance during the developmental period, suggesting a complex developmental interplay. The results indicate that cortical and white matter maturation each play unique roles in the development of working memory.