Responsiveness and functional connectivity of the scene-sensitive retrosplenial complex in 7-11-year-old children

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

• The parahippocampal place area (PPA) and retrosplenial complex (RSC) are identified cortical areas responsive to scene viewing.
• The functional maturation and cognitive control of the RSC are less understood compared to the PPA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate task-dependent modulation of activity and whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) in the RSC.
• To compare the RSC's functional maturation with the PPA in children (7-11 years) and young adults.
• To explore developmental changes in RSC function and its associated neural networks.

Main Methods:

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed in 7-11-year-old children and young adults.
• Participants performed tasks requiring attention to scene images and suppression of face images (Sf task), and vice versa (Fs task).
• Activity modulation and whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) of the RSC and PPA were analyzed.

Main Results:

• The RSC showed selective activation by scene images in both age groups, though less than the PPA.
• Children exhibited similar activity modulation in the RSC and PPA, comparable to adults in the PPA.
• Adults showed less activity modulation in the RSC compared to the PPA; stronger FC was observed in children within specific RSC-related networks.

Conclusions:

• The RSC's function and its connected networks undergo significant developmental changes from childhood to adulthood.
• These findings highlight distinct developmental trajectories for the RSC and PPA in scene processing.
• Understanding these developmental shifts is crucial for comprehending the maturation of spatial cognition and scene perception.