Brain network coupling associated with cognitive performance varies as a function of a child's environment in the
Monica E Ellwood-Lowe1, Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli2, Silvia A Bunge3,4
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA. mellwoodlowe@berkeley.edu.
Nature Communications
|December 11, 2021
Summary
Cognitive performance in children is linked to brain network connectivity. Findings differ based on socioeconomic status, with poverty-level children showing reversed associations between brain network coupling and cognitive function.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Prior research links lower functional connectivity between the lateral frontoparietal network (LFPN) and default mode network (DMN) to cognitive performance.
- This research often uses non-representative samples from higher socioeconomic backgrounds.
- Studies with diverse socioeconomic representation are needed to understand child cognitive development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between LFPN-DMN functional connectivity and cognitive test performance in a large, diverse sample of children.
- To examine if socioeconomic status modifies the association between brain network coupling and cognition.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of resting-state fMRI data from 6839 children aged 9-10 years from the ABCD dataset.
- Pre-registered study design to ensure rigorous methodology.
- Comparison of LFPN-DMN coupling and cognitive performance between children above and below poverty thresholds.
Main Results:
- Replication of prior findings in children above poverty: weaker LFPN-DMN coupling correlated with better cognitive performance.
- Reversed association in children below poverty: stronger LFPN-DMN coupling trended with better cognitive performance, with significant variability.
- Environmental factors like school type and neighborhood safety influenced the association in children below poverty.
Conclusions:
- Socioeconomic status significantly modulates the relationship between LFPN-DMN functional connectivity and cognitive performance in children.
- Findings underscore the necessity of representative samples in developmental neuroscience research.
- Environmental factors play a crucial role in shaping brain-cognition relationships within socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.
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