Prefrontal-Parietal Correlation during Performance of a Visuospatial Working Memory Task in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults

Abstract

Development of the prefrontal cortex and its connectivity with different cortical areas has strong implications for the improvement of working memory. The aim of this research was to character-ize the interhemispheric (INTER) prefrontal and hemispheric (INTRA) frontopolar-dorsolateral prefrontal and dorsolateral prefrontal-parietal correlation (r) in children, adolescents and adults during performance of a visuospatial working memory task (VSWM). INTERr and INTRAr of 36 different aged male participants (11 -13, 18 -20 and 26 -30 years old) were calculated during performance of the Corsi Block-Tapping task, which assessed VSWM. On this task, children showed lower correct responses than adolescents and adults. Adults also showed lower total execution times than children and adolescents, with a more efficient performance. On the EEGs, the older groups showed both higher interfrontal correlations and left and right prefronto-parietal correla-tions than children. According to our results, the progressive efficiency in VSWM is related to dif-ferences in EEG patterns among children, adolescents and adults.