Related Concept Videos
01:30Biological Influences on Intelligence
Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter more...
01:14Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory
The cerebellum, while traditionally associated with motor control, also plays a crucial role in memory, particularly in procedural memory, which involves learning motor tasks that become automatic through repetition. For example, studies have shown that when the cerebellum is damaged, individuals or animals lose the ability to learn conditioned motor responses, such as the conditioned eye-blink response in classical conditioning experiments with rabbits. This study demonstrates the cerebellum's...
01:14Brain Imaging
Brain imaging technologies provide critical insights into both the structure and function of the human brain, enabling medical professionals and researchers to diagnose, study, and treat neurological disorders or psychiatric disorders more effectively.
These technologies include computerized axial tomography (CAT or CT scans), positron-emission tomography (PET scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).
These technologies include computerized axial tomography (CAT or CT scans), positron-emission tomography (PET scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).
01:27Language and Cognition
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
You might also read
Related Articles
Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.
Sort by
Same author
From traits to trajectories: How changes in reactive temperament relate to the development of externalizing symptoms.
Development and psychopathology·2026
Does variability in cognitive performance correlate with frontal brain volume?
Martin Lövdén1, Florian Schmiedek, Kristen M Kennedy
1Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany. Martin.Lovden@ki.se
Neuroimage
|September 25, 2012
Summary
Cognitive performance variability, specifically block-to-block fluctuations, is linked to prefrontal brain region integrity. These associations differ between younger and older adults, highlighting age-related neural differences in cognitive stability.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Aging Research
Background:
- Understanding the neural basis of within-person variability in cognitive function is crucial for a comprehensive view of cognition.
- Previous research has primarily focused on mean cognitive performance, with less attention paid to the stability or variability of performance over time.
- Individual differences in cognitive variability may reflect distinct neural underpinnings, potentially varying with age.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between regional brain volumes and different types of within-person cognitive variability (trial-to-trial, block-to-block, day-to-day).
- To examine how these associations differ between healthy younger and older adults.
- To determine if variability measures are independent of mean cognitive performance.
Main Methods:
- Recruited healthy younger (n=25) and older (n=18) adults.
- Conducted 101 daily assessments of cognitive performance, including choice-reaction time, episodic memory, and working memory.
- Manually measured regional brain volumes using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Main Results:
- Smaller prefrontal white matter volumes were associated with increased block-to-block variability in choice-reaction time, particularly in older adults.
- Reduced dorsolateral prefrontal cortex volumes correlated with higher block-to-block variability in episodic memory performance, more so in younger adults.
- Trial-to-trial and day-to-day variability in cognitive performance were not associated with regional brain volumes.
Conclusions:
- Block-by-block variability in cognitive performance is associated with the structural integrity of prefrontal brain regions.
- Between-person differences in cognitive variability reflect distinct age-related neural and behavioral factors.
- These findings suggest that cognitive stability, not just average performance, is supported by specific brain structures and is influenced by aging.