Spontaneous theta rhythm and working memory co-variation during child development.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Brain maturation involves significant changes in neural activity and cognitive functions.
• Working memory (WM) undergoes substantial development throughout childhood and adolescence.
• Electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectral density (PSD) reflects underlying neural activity patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between changes in EEG power and working memory (WM) components during brain maturation.
• To determine if specific EEG frequency bands correlate with the development of phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, and executive functions.
• To explore the role of reaction time (RT) as a control for visuomotor abilities in this relationship.

Main Methods:

• Correlated WM scores (Working Memory Test Battery for Children) with EEG PSD (1-46 Hz) in 167 participants aged 6-26.
• Measured reaction time (RT) using an Oddball task to control for visuomotor processes.
• Analyzed spontaneous EEG recordings and WM performance data.

Main Results:

• WM component scores increased, while RT and EEG PSD values generally decreased with age.
• Significant negative correlations were found between WM components and EEG PSD across various frequencies.
• Maximal negative correlations between WM and EEG PSD were observed in the theta frequency range (4-7 Hz).

Conclusions:

• Spontaneous EEG maturation is closely associated with working memory (WM) maturation.
• Theta band EEG activity (4-7 Hz) plays a crucial role in the age-related development of WM.
• A model combining theta PSD and RT effectively explains age-related variance in WM.