Prefrontal cortex intrinsic functional connectivity and executive function in early childhood and early adulthood using fNIRS
Executive function (EF) is crucial for goal-directed behavior and predicts overall wellbeing, academic and interpersonal success. Intrinsic (i.e., non-evoked) resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) during naturalistic paradigms offers insight into neural mechanisms underlying EF. However, few...
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Elsevier
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929325000659 |
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| author | Cassondra M. Eng Roberto J. Vargas Howard L. Fung Selena R. Niemi Melissa Pocsai Anna V. Fisher Erik D. Thiessen |
| author_facet | Cassondra M. Eng Roberto J. Vargas Howard L. Fung Selena R. Niemi Melissa Pocsai Anna V. Fisher Erik D. Thiessen |
| author_sort | Cassondra M. Eng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Executive function (EF) is crucial for goal-directed behavior and predicts overall wellbeing, academic and interpersonal success. Intrinsic (i.e., non-evoked) resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) during naturalistic paradigms offers insight into neural mechanisms underlying EF. However, few studies have explored EF-rsFC associations using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) across age groups. This cross-sectional study validates a naturalistic viewing paradigm (Inscapes) using fNIRS and examines the link between rsFC in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and EF in children ages 4–5 and in young adults ages 18–22. Adults were presented with two rsFC paradigms in a counterbalanced within-subjects design: a traditional static crosshair and Inscapes. Representational similarity analysis revealed robustly similar rsFC patterns between the crosshair and Inscapes conditions, and both were associated with EF (Stroop performance). Children were presented with Inscapes to assess rsFC, and exhibited high compliance using fNIRS. Importantly, rsFC assessed with Inscapes in children was associated with EF (Stroop-like Day-Night Task performance). Age-related differences showed intrinsic functional connections within the PFC strengthening over development. This study uses child-friendly, noninvasive optical neuroimaging and a publicly available rsFC paradigm to elucidate the role of the PFC in EF development, illuminating practical methodological approaches to study the developmental trajectory and neural underpinnings of EF. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-53ba05c2ab2b40348d084818982edd9f |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1878-9293 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj-art-53ba05c2ab2b40348d084818982edd9f2025-08-20T02:04:49ZengElsevierDevelopmental Cognitive Neuroscience1878-92932025-08-017410157010.1016/j.dcn.2025.101570Prefrontal cortex intrinsic functional connectivity and executive function in early childhood and early adulthood using fNIRSCassondra M. Eng0Roberto J. Vargas1Howard L. Fung2Selena R. Niemi3Melissa Pocsai4Anna V. Fisher5Erik D. Thiessen6Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, 1520 Page Mill Road, Stanford, CA 94304, USA; Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Corresponding author at: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, 1520 Page Mill, Office 160, Stanford, CA 94304, USA.Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USADepartment of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, 1520 Page Mill Road, Stanford, CA 94304, USA; Department of Psychology, Trinity College, 300 Summit Street, Hartford, CT 06106, USADepartment of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, 1520 Page Mill Road, Stanford, CA 94304, USA; Department of Human Biology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Building 20, Stanford, CA 94305, USADepartment of Psychology, The Graduate Center & Queens College, City University of New York, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY 10016, USADepartment of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USADepartment of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Corresponding author.Executive function (EF) is crucial for goal-directed behavior and predicts overall wellbeing, academic and interpersonal success. Intrinsic (i.e., non-evoked) resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) during naturalistic paradigms offers insight into neural mechanisms underlying EF. However, few studies have explored EF-rsFC associations using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) across age groups. This cross-sectional study validates a naturalistic viewing paradigm (Inscapes) using fNIRS and examines the link between rsFC in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and EF in children ages 4–5 and in young adults ages 18–22. Adults were presented with two rsFC paradigms in a counterbalanced within-subjects design: a traditional static crosshair and Inscapes. Representational similarity analysis revealed robustly similar rsFC patterns between the crosshair and Inscapes conditions, and both were associated with EF (Stroop performance). Children were presented with Inscapes to assess rsFC, and exhibited high compliance using fNIRS. Importantly, rsFC assessed with Inscapes in children was associated with EF (Stroop-like Day-Night Task performance). Age-related differences showed intrinsic functional connections within the PFC strengthening over development. This study uses child-friendly, noninvasive optical neuroimaging and a publicly available rsFC paradigm to elucidate the role of the PFC in EF development, illuminating practical methodological approaches to study the developmental trajectory and neural underpinnings of EF.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929325000659fNIRSPrefrontal cortexExecutive functionResting stateFunctional connectivity |
| spellingShingle | Cassondra M. Eng Roberto J. Vargas Howard L. Fung Selena R. Niemi Melissa Pocsai Anna V. Fisher Erik D. Thiessen Prefrontal cortex intrinsic functional connectivity and executive function in early childhood and early adulthood using fNIRS Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience fNIRS Prefrontal cortex Executive function Resting state Functional connectivity |
| title | Prefrontal cortex intrinsic functional connectivity and executive function in early childhood and early adulthood using fNIRS |
| title_full | Prefrontal cortex intrinsic functional connectivity and executive function in early childhood and early adulthood using fNIRS |
| title_fullStr | Prefrontal cortex intrinsic functional connectivity and executive function in early childhood and early adulthood using fNIRS |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prefrontal cortex intrinsic functional connectivity and executive function in early childhood and early adulthood using fNIRS |
| title_short | Prefrontal cortex intrinsic functional connectivity and executive function in early childhood and early adulthood using fNIRS |
| title_sort | prefrontal cortex intrinsic functional connectivity and executive function in early childhood and early adulthood using fnirs |
| topic | fNIRS Prefrontal cortex Executive function Resting state Functional connectivity |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929325000659 |
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