Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) develops from birth through late adolescence. This extended developmental trajectory provides many opportunities for experience to shape the structure and function of the PFC. To date, a few studies have reported links between parental socioeconomic status (SES) and prefrontal function in childhood, raising the possibility that aspects of environment associated with SES impact prefrontal function. Considering that behavioral measures of prefrontal function are associated with learning across multiple domains, this is an important area of investigation. In this study, we used fMRI to replicate previous findings, demonstrating an association between parental SES and PFC function during childhood. In addition, we present two hypothetical mechanisms by which SES could come to affect PFC function of this association: language environment and stress reactivity. We measured language use in the home environment and change in salivary cortisol before and after fMRI scanning. Complexity of family language, but not the child's own language use, was associated with both parental SES and PFC activation. Change in salivary cortisol was also associated with both SES and PFC activation. These observed associations emphasize the importance of both enrichment and adversity-reduction interventions in creating good developmental environments for all children.
Highlights
It is well known that experience plays a central role in brain development
This analysis revealed that both higher SES families (HSES) and lower SES families (LSES) children improved in their performance on the novel SR mappings during the first 5 blocks
We present data demonstrating a negative association between family socioeconomic status (SES) and (a) errors in acquiring a novel stimulus response association and (b) activation of the right middle frontal gyrus (RMFG) in the context of learning for children aged 8–12 years
Summary
It is well known that experience plays a central role in brain development One example of this is the role that light exposure plays in columnar organization of the primary visual cortex [1]. At this time, it is not well understood what kinds of experiences are important in the development of higher-order association cortex or how fundamental aspects of plasticity play out in humans. The prefrontal cortex (PFC), one higher-order area, shows change in grey-matter volume from birth through late adolescence [2] This extended developmental trajectory may provide opportunities for experience to shape the function of the PFC. We examined the association between one variable, parental socioeconomic status (SES), which is a marker for differences in environmental exposure, and prefrontal cortex function in children in middle childhood
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