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Review
. 2016 Sep 15:10:464.
doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00464. eCollection 2016.

Contribution of Neuroimaging Studies to Understanding Development of Human Cognitive Brain Functions

Tomoyo Morita  1 , Minoru Asada  2 , Eiichi Naito  3
Affiliations
Review

Contribution of Neuroimaging Studies to Understanding Development of Human Cognitive Brain Functions

Tomoyo Morita et al. Front Hum Neurosci. .

Abstract

Humans experience significant physical and mental changes from birth to adulthood, and a variety of perceptual, cognitive and motor functions mature over the course of approximately 20 years following birth. To deeply understand such developmental processes, merely studying behavioral changes is not sufficient; simultaneous investigation of the development of the brain may lead us to a more comprehensive understanding. Recent advances in noninvasive neuroimaging technologies largely contribute to this understanding. Here, it is very important to consider the development of the brain from the perspectives of "structure" and "function" because both structure and function of the human brain mature slowly. In this review, we first discuss the process of structural brain development, i.e., how the structure of the brain, which is crucial when discussing functional brain development, changes with age. Second, we introduce some representative studies and the latest studies related to the functional development of the brain, particularly for visual, facial recognition, and social cognition functions, all of which are important for humans. Finally, we summarize how brain science can contribute to developmental study and discuss the challenges that neuroimaging should address in the future.

Keywords: development; functional MRI; human brain; neuroimaging; social cognition; structure.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A schema of two different dynamics of structural development: inverted U-shaped change and linear change. The former is represented by the change in gray matter containing cell bodies that process information. The latter is represented by the change in white matter containing nerve fibers that transmit information.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Time course of adjusted blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal changes for the visual cortex (A) and lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN; B) within each group. The mean values at each scanning time point were obtained for the younger group (open triangles, n = 8) and the older group (closed circles, n = 8).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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