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Updated: Feb 11, 2026
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Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)
Published on: June 12, 2017
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N-back Working Memory Task: Meta-analysis of Normative fMRI Studies With Children
Zachary Yaple1, Marie Arsalidou1,2
1National Research University Higher School of Economics.
Child Development
|May 8, 2018
Summary
This study analyzed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from 260 children using the n-back task. Findings reveal consistent activation in frontoparietal regions and the insula, crucial for working memory development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Neuroscience
Background:
- The n-back task is a widely used tool in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess working memory.
- While numerous neuroimaging studies have employed the n-back task in children, its precise neural underpinnings remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To clarify the neural representation of working memory in children using the n-back task.
- To identify consistent brain regions involved in working memory across pediatric neuroimaging studies.
Main Methods:
- A meta-analysis of existing fMRI studies utilizing the n-back task was conducted.
- Activation likelihood estimation (ALE) was employed to analyze data from 260 children up to 15 years of age.
Main Results:
- Consistent activation was observed in frontoparietal regions, known to be critical for working memory.
- The insula, a region not traditionally emphasized in working memory networks, also showed significant concordance.
- The findings highlight both established and novel neural correlates of working memory in developing brains.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a clearer map of the neural network supporting working memory in children.
- Results contribute to understanding cognitive development and refining developmental theories of cognition.
- The findings underscore the importance of considering regions like the insula in the context of working memory.
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