Abstract
Prospective memory (PM) is an important cognitive function vital for day-to-day functioning. Although there has been extensive research into the decline of PM in older adulthood, little is known about its developmental trajectory throughout adolescence, a time of important brain maturation. In the present study, the development of PM was examined in 85 participants across the following groups: 12 to 13-year-olds (n = 19), 14 to 15-year-olds (n = 21), 16 to 17-year-olds (n = 19), and 18 to 19-year-olds (n = 26). A 30-cue (30 min) event-based PM task (with font-color stimuli as PM cues and a lexical-decision task as the ongoing task) was used while recording Event-Related Potentials (ERPs). The well-established neural correlates of PM, the N300 and parietal positivity, were examined across the age groups. In addition, hierarchical multiple regressions were used to examine the unique contribution of executive functioning measures (viz., the Self-Ordered Pointing Task [SOPT], the Stroop task, and Trail Making Test [TMT]) on the ERP components of PM (after controlling for age). First, the established components of ERPs associated with prospective remembering (i.e., N300 and parietal positivity) were detected for each age group. Second, although there were no significant age- group differences on the amplitude of the N300, the amplitude of the parietal positivity was found to be different between the 12 to 13-year-olds and 18 to 19-year-olds (viz., the 12 to 13-year-olds had the highest amplitude). Third, for the contribution of executive functioning measures on the amplitude of the ERP components of PM, the regression on the N300 was not significant, however, the SOPT beta weights were significant predictors of the amplitude of the parietal positivity. This relationship was found to be specific for the central and right electrode region. These findings are discussed within the context of brain development and executive functioning along with particular task demands, which may contribute to age-related PM differences across adolescence. Moreover, the findings suggest that cognitive processes associated with parietal positivity may continue to develop across adolescence.
Highlights
A fundamental aspect of attaining independence and autonomy from childhood to adulthood is the ability to carryout future intentions at the appropriate moment in time, such as remembering to take one’s lunch to school or remembering to return a library book onThe development of prospective memory time
The aim of the current study was to examine the neural correlates of Prospective memory (PM) across adolescence
If processes underlying the prospective component of PM continue to develop across adolescence, executive functioning may have a greater contribution to the amplitude of the N300, if nonfocal PM tasks place a higher demand on executive control processes needed to detect PM cues (e.g., Ward et al, 2005; Shum et al, 2008; Altgassen et al, 2014)
Summary
A fundamental aspect of attaining independence and autonomy from childhood to adulthood is the ability to carryout future intentions at the appropriate moment in time, such as remembering to take one’s lunch to school or remembering to return a library book onThe development of prospective memory time. One must first form an intention (e.g., bring a signed permission slip to school), hold it in mind while working on other ongoing activities (e.g., household chores or watching TV), monitor the environment for PM cues so to initiate the action at the right time (e.g., see the signed permission slip stuck on the fridge), and execute that previously formed intention, such as placing the slip in one’s schoolbag (Kliegel et al, 2002) These underlying processes have been linked to the prefrontal system (McDaniel et al, 1999; Burgess et al, 2003)
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