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Association of chronotype with language and episodic memory processing in children: implications for brain structure
Masatoshi Yamashita1,2, Qiulu Shou1,2, Yoshifumi Mizuno1,2,3
1Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.
Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience
|August 22, 2024
Summary
Children with a late chronotype (evening preference) show poorer language and memory skills. This is linked to smaller brain volumes in key areas like the left precentral gyrus and right posterior cingulate cortex.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Sleep Science
Background:
- Chronotype, an individual's daily cycle preference, is linked to psychiatric conditions.
- While associations between chronotype, cognition, and brain structure are known in adults, research in children is limited.
- Understanding chronotype's impact on child development is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between chronotype and cognitive functions in children.
- To examine the association between chronotype and specific brain region volumes (regions-of-interest).
- To identify potential neural correlates of chronotype-related cognitive differences in youth.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 4,493 children (mean age ~11.9 years) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study.
- Assessed chronotype using the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire, focusing on mid-sleep time.
- Employed linear mixed-effects models to analyze associations between chronotype, cognitive performance, and brain region volumes.
Main Results:
- Late chronotype in children correlated negatively with vocabulary, reading skills, and episodic memory.
- Smaller volumes in the left precentral gyrus and right posterior cingulate cortex were associated with late chronotype.
- These specific brain regions showed positive associations with corresponding cognitive functions (precentral gyrus with language, posterior cingulate with memory).
Conclusions:
- Late chronotype in children is associated with diminished language and episodic memory abilities.
- Specific brain structures, including the left precentral gyrus and right posterior cingulate cortex, are implicated.
- Findings highlight the neurodevelopmental impact of chronotype on cognitive functions in children.
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