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Links between socioeconomic disadvantage, neural function, and working memory in early childhood

Xinge Li1, Rebecca Lipschutz1, Samuel Montero Hernandez2

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.

Developmental Psychobiology
|August 23, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Socioeconomic disadvantage in early childhood is linked to altered brain development, specifically lower prefrontal cortex activation during working memory tasks. This brain change may explain later cognitive and behavioral disparities in children.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Development

Background:

  • Socioeconomic disadvantage poses risks to children's academic, cognitive, and behavioral development.
  • Childhood adversities, common in low socioeconomic environments, impact brain development and contribute to disparities.
  • Previous research primarily focused on older children and adolescents, leaving a gap in understanding early childhood brain alterations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neural underpinnings of socioeconomic disparities in early childhood.
  • To examine functional brain activation during a working memory task in young children exposed to varying levels of socioeconomic risk.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure brain activity in children aged 4-7 years.
  • Assessed socioeconomic risk using income-to-needs ratio and Hollingshead index.
  • Administered a working memory task and collected parent-reported executive functioning data.

Main Results:

  • Children with higher socioeconomic disadvantage showed reduced lateral prefrontal cortex activation during the working memory task.
  • Variability in prefrontal cortex activation correlated with poorer parent-reported executive functioning.
  • Behavioral performance on the working memory task did not differ significantly based on socioeconomic status.

Conclusions:

  • Early life socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with altered neural development in the prefrontal cortex.
  • These early brain changes may represent a foundational mechanism contributing to cognitive and social disparities.
  • Findings highlight the importance of understanding early childhood brain development in the context of socioeconomic risk.

Keywords:
functional near-infrared-spectroscopy (fNIRS)prefrontal cortexpreschoolerssocioeconomic riskworking memory

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