The neurodevelopmental mechanisms linking environmental experience and executive function

项目摘要 社会经济地位（SES）与执行功能（EF）和前额叶皮层（PFC）相关 发展然而，了解影响EF发展的SES的具体方面， PFC仍然有限。幼儿期的EF与最初的入学准备，学业成功， 以及成年后的各种结果。确定早期环境经验如何塑造EF 发展是至关重要的，以确定战略，以支持这些技能的发展，以促进健康 整个生命周期的结果。只有在干预措施到位的情况下， 发展是由一个原则性的和生物学上合理的理解的发展 环境经验影响全氟化学品和相关环境要素发展的机制。这 该提案认为，在照顾者互动的背景下发生的认知刺激支持 腹侧视觉流（VVS）和PFC之间的连接的发展，奠定了基础 用于EF所需的复杂计算。该提案将测试环境（认知） 刺激）和神经发育（VVS-PFC连接）机制解释SES相关差异 EF和学术成就。研究1（K99期）使用创新的观察方法来评估 6 - 7岁上学儿童的家庭环境、认知和学业评估，以及 功能和结构MRI检查认知刺激是否是环境机制 解释与SES相关的EF差异（目标1）。研究1还将评估早期认知刺激是否 调节VVS和PFC之间结构、功能和连接性的SES相关差异（目的2）。 研究2（R00阶段）是一项对4 - 5岁儿童（时间1）的纵向研究， 第二阶段（过渡到学校）。本研究将评估VVS早期的结构和功能， 使用多模式神经成像，发展先于并预测PFC的结构和功能（目标3） 技术（功能近红外光谱，功能和结构MRI）。最后，研究2将测试 认知刺激是否可以解释VVS和PFC结构和功能中SES相关的差异， EF的个体差异，并评估这些途径是否最终解释了学术差异 目标4（Aim 4）这些研究的结果将提供深入了解环境和神经 解释SES相关EF和学业成绩差异的机制。这些研究有 为帮助缩小收入-成就差距的干预措施提供信息的潜力。该奖项将提供 候选人，在成人认知神经科学方面有很强的背景，受过发展神经科学方面的培训。 方法和发展认知神经科学，以促进她过渡到一个独立的研究 事业

PROJECT SUMMARY Socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with executive function (EF) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) development. However, understanding of the specific aspects of SES that influence development of EF and the PFC remains limited. EF in early childhood is associated with initial school readiness, academic success, and a wide range of outcomes in adulthood. Determining how early environmental experiences shape EF development is critical to identify strategies to support the development of these skills to promote healthy outcomes across the life span. Accelerated progress in this effort can be made only when intervention development is informed by a principled and biologically plausible understanding of the developmental mechanisms by which environmental experience shapes the development of the PFC and associated EF. This proposal argues that cognitive stimulation that occurs in the context of caregiver interactions supports development of connectivity between the ventral visual stream (VVS) and the PFC, which lays the groundwork for the complex computations necessary for EF. The proposal will test both environmental (cognitive stimulation) and neurodevelopmental (VVS-PFC connectivity) mechanisms explaining SES-related differences in EF and academic achievement. Study 1 (K99 phase) uses innovative observational methods to assess the home environment of school-attending children aged 6-7 years, cognitive and academic assessments, and functional and structural MRI to examine whether cognitive stimulation is an environmental mechanism explaining SES-related differences in EF (Aim 1). Study 1 will also evaluate whether early cognitive stimulation mediates SES-related differences in structure, function, and connectivity between the VVS and PFC (Aim 2). Study 2 (R00 phase) is a longitudinal study of children 4-5 years (Time 1) followed as they make the important transition to school (Time 2). This study will evaluate whether structure and function of the VVS early in development precedes and predicts structure and function of the PFC (Aim 3) using multimodal neuroimaging techniques (functional near infrared spectroscopy, functional and structural MRI). Finally, Study 2 will test whether cognitive stimulation explains SES-related differences in VVS and PFC structure and function and individual differences in EF, and evaluate whether these pathways ultimately explain disparities in academic achievement (Aim 4). The results of these studies will provide insight into the environmental and neural mechanisms explaining SES-related differences in EF and academic achievement. These studies have the potential to inform interventions to help close the income-achievement gap. This award will provide the candidate, who has a strong background in cognitive neuroscience in adults, with training in developmental methods and developmental cognitive neuroscience to facilitate her transition to an independent research career.