The neural correlates of inhibitory control in 10-month-old infants: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study

Abigail Fiske, Carina de Klerk, Katie Y.K. Lui, Liam Collins-Jones, Alexandra Hendry, Isobel Greenhalgh, Anna Hall, Gaia Scerif, Henrik Dvergsdal, Karla Holmboe

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

Inhibitory control, a core executive function, emerges in infancy and develops rapidly across childhood. Methodological limitations have meant that studies investigating the neural correlates underlying inhibitory control in infancy are rare. Employing functional near-infrared spectroscopy alongside a novel touchscreen task that measures response inhibition, this study aimed to uncover the neural underpinnings of inhibitory control in 10-month-old infants (N = 135). We found that when inhibition was required, the right prefrontal and parietal cortices were more activated than when there was no inhibitory demand. This demonstrates that inhibitory control in infants as young as 10 months of age is supported by similar brain areas as in older children and adults. With this study we have lowered the age-boundary for localising the neural substrates of response inhibition to the first year of life.

Original languageEnglish
Article number119241
JournalNeuroImage
Volume257
Early online date7 May 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Aug 2022
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Executive function
  • Functional near-infrared spectroscopy
  • Infancy
  • Parietal cortex
  • Prefrontal cortex
  • Response inhibition

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Neurology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience

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