Longitudinal development of hippocampal subregions from early- to mid-childhood

Early childhood is characterized by vast changes in behaviors supported by the hippocampus and an increased susceptibility of the hippocampus to environmental influences. Thus, it is an important time to investigate the development of the hippocampus. Existing research suggests subregions of the hippocampus (i.e., head, body, tail) have dissociable functions and that the relations between subregions and cognitive abilities vary across development. However, longitudinal research examining age-related changes in subregions in humans, particularly during early childhood (i.e., 4-6 years), is limited. Using a large sample of 184 healthy 4- to 8-year-old children, the present study is the first to characterize developmental changes in hippocampal subregion volume from early- to mid-childhood. Results reveal differential developmental trajectories in hippocampal head, body, and tail during this period. Specifically, head volume showed a quadratic pattern of change, and both body and tail showed linear increases, resulting in a pattern of cubic change for total hippocampal volume. Further, main effects of sex on hippocampal volume (males > females) and hemispheric differences in developmental trajectories were observed. These findings provide an improved understanding of the development of the hippocampus and have important implications for research investigating a range of cognitive abilities and behaviors.