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Individual differences in ERP measures of executive function in early childhood: Relation to low-risk preterm birth

Amanda S Hodel1, Jane E Brumbaugh2, Ruskin H Hunt1

  • 1a Institute of Child Development , University of Minnesota , Minneapolis , MN , USA.

Child Neuropsychology : a Journal on Normal and Abnormal Development in Childhood and Adolescence
|November 1, 2018
PubMed

Insights

This study examined neural systems supporting executive function (EF) in 4-year-olds, finding that brain activity patterns related to cognitive conflict are present in preschoolers. These brain measures of EF correlate with cognitive and behavioral performance in both full-term and preterm children.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Pediatric Neurodevelopment

Background:

  • Executive function (EF) develops rapidly in early childhood, but neural underpinnings in preschoolers are understudied.
  • Early life experiences, such as preterm birth, can impact developing neural systems supporting EF.
  • Understanding early EF neural development is crucial for identifying potential developmental alterations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neural systems supporting executive function (EF) in 4-year-old children using event-related potentials (ERPs).
  • To examine cognitive conflict processing during an EF task in full-term and low-risk preterm children.
  • To explore correlations between neural measures of EF and cognitive/behavioral functioning.

Main Methods:

  • Collected behavioral and ERP data during a directional Stroop task in 150 children (4-year-olds).
  • Included full-term and low-risk preterm children (49 and 43, respectively, with usable ERP data).
  • Administered IQ, processing speed (WPPSI-III), and parent-reported EF (BRIEF-P) assessments.

Main Results:

  • Preschoolers exhibited ERP modulation (N2, P3) reflecting cognitive conflict, similar to adults and older children.
  • Early attentional ERP components (N1, P2) showed effects related to trial type.
  • Exploratory analyses revealed correlations between ERP measures of EF and cognitive/behavioral performance in both groups.

Conclusions:

  • Neural systems supporting EF are observable in preschool-aged children, showing sensitivity to cognitive conflict.
  • ERP measures of EF show promise for assessing individual differences in cognitive and behavioral functioning.
  • Further research on neural correlates of EF in at-risk populations like preterm children is warranted.

Keywords:
ERPExecutive functioncognitive conflictdirectional Strooppreterm birth

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