Learning in the developing mind and brain: understanding memory systems and environmental influences

在发育中的心智和大脑中学习：理解记忆系统和环境影响

• 批准号: RGPIN-2016-05600
• 负责人: Finn, Amy
• 金额: $ 1.82万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=615798
• 关键词: Learning; developing; mind; brain; understanding

The long-term goal of the proposed research is to understand how the slow, asynchronous but highly orchestrated development of neural systems limits and enables learning and memory. This question is fundamental to understanding the nature of learning during childhood and to knowing why there are age-related limits on learning (i.e., sensitive periods). Two short-term objects are proposed. Objective 1 is to characterize how the interplay between memory systems changes with cognitive and brain development, asking first if there are asynchronies in the development of classic memory systems and their component processes (gating information into and out of memory), and second if the interplay between systems changes with development. Objective 2 is to understand which patterns of cognitive and neural development are associated with the best outcomes in learning and memory and how this is shaped by the environment. To achieve these objectives, children ages 8 to 18 years will be invited to the lab to complete a series of behavioral experiments and an MRI scan. The behavioral tasks that children will complete are designed to measure developmental changes in memory systems as well as their interactions; the MRI scan will measure children’s brain function and structure. Changes in ability will be related to changes in brain function and structure across children, answering foundational questions about how changes in the brain support changes in these core memory systems. To approach this same question more causally and link brain changes to learning outcomes, a large group of additional 8 year olds will be recruited to follow-up with at 2 year intervals; this longitudinal sample of children will be asked to complete an additional series of learning studies; half of the longitudinal sample will be from high or middle socioeconomic backgrounds and half will be from lower-income backgrounds. This design will allow the comparison of age-related changes in groups from different environments, answering questions about the applicably of science to children from diverse environments and informing notions about the duration of openness to environmental input (or plasticity) in different environments. This research can be transformed into recommendations about how information should be structured for successful learning by Canadian children of different ages. It will moreover inform directional hypothesis about which brain changes are associated with gains in ability. This will provide insight into mechanisms of plasticity, illuminating whether delayed or accelerated maturation of certain brain regions (and behavioral abilities) is associated with greater success in learning. This work will moreover unveil the role of environment in shaping these relationships and indicate whether developmental patterns that are identified in convenient samples also apply to disadvantaged children.

这项研究的长期目标是了解神经系统的缓慢、异步但高度协调的发展如何限制和实现学习和记忆。这个问题对于理解儿童期学习的本质和了解为什么学习会受到年龄的限制（即，敏感期）。提出了两个短期目标。目标1是描述记忆系统之间的相互作用如何随着认知和大脑的发育而变化，首先询问经典记忆系统及其组成过程（门控信息进入和离开记忆）的发育是否存在差异，其次询问系统之间的相互作用是否随着发育而变化。目标2是了解哪些认知和神经发育模式与学习和记忆的最佳结果相关，以及环境如何塑造这一结果。 为了实现这些目标，8至18岁的儿童将被邀请到实验室完成一系列行为实验和MRI扫描。儿童将完成的行为任务旨在测量记忆系统的发展变化以及它们之间的相互作用; MRI扫描将测量儿童的大脑功能和结构。能力的变化将与儿童大脑功能和结构的变化有关，回答有关大脑变化如何支持这些核心记忆系统变化的基本问题。为了更有因果关系地处理这个问题，并将大脑变化与学习成果联系起来，将招募一大批额外的8岁奥尔兹，每隔2年进行一次随访;将要求这些纵向样本儿童完成一系列额外的学习研究;一半的纵向样本将来自高或中等社会经济背景，一半来自低收入背景。这种设计将允许比较来自不同环境的群体中与年龄相关的变化，回答有关科学对来自不同环境的儿童的适用性的问题，并提供有关不同环境中对环境输入（或可塑性）的开放持续时间的概念。 这项研究可以转化为关于如何信息应该被结构化的不同年龄的加拿大儿童成功学习的建议。此外，它还将告知方向假说，哪些大脑变化与能力的提高有关。这将提供对可塑性机制的深入了解，阐明某些大脑区域（和行为能力）的延迟或加速成熟是否与学习的更大成功有关。这项工作还将揭示环境在塑造这些关系中的作用，并表明在方便的样本中确定的发展模式是否也适用于弱势儿童。