Understanding the dynamics of neurocognitive development using theory-based models

Abstract

Developmental cognitive neuroscience can only be as rich as the data we have available to us. In this talk I will show how new datasets with increasing temporal richness and novel quantitative approaches allow us to study neurocognitive development in entirely new ways. In the first half of the talk I will propose a new definition of cortical maturity. Leveraging a unique, 12-wave longitudinal neuroimaging sample, the HUBU cohort (N = 90, aged 7 - 21 years), I show how we can chart cortical thickness changes between childhood and late adolescence. We develop a novel, quantitative definition of cortical maturation: the midpoint of cortical thinning (MCT), and demonstrate that it differences between people and between brain regions. In the second half of the talk I will discuss cognitive fluctuation. Individual differences in cognitive abilities are almost universally conceptualized as traits­ – Stable, relatively unchanging properties of individuals. However, this perspective ignores cognitive fluctuations – Short term changes in cognitive performance within persons. I will argue this is an overlooked yet crucial aspect of cognitive performance, with distinct neural and psychological mechanisms. In this talk I will demonstrate how Dynamic SEM can be used to quantify and tease apart distinct components of cognitive variability