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Frontal preparatory neural oscillations associated with cognitive control: A developmental study comparing young adults and adolescents
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Frontal preparatory neural oscillations associated with cognitive control: A developmental study comparing young adults and adolescents

Kai Hwang, Avniel S Ghuman, Dara S Manoach, Stephanie R Jones and Beatriz Luna
NeuroImage (Orlando, Fla.), Vol.136, pp.139-148
08/01/2016
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.05.017
PMCID: PMC4914451
PMID: 27173759
url
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.05.017View
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Abstract

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies suggest that age-related changes in the frontal cortex may underlie developmental improvements in cognitive control. In the present study we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to identify frontal oscillatory neurodynamics that support age-related improvements in cognitive control during adolescence. We characterized the differences in neural oscillations in adolescents and adults during the preparation to suppress a prepotent saccade (antisaccade trials—AS) compared to preparing to generate a more automatic saccade (prosaccade trials—PS). We found that for adults, AS were associated with increased beta-band (16–38Hz) power in the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), enhanced alpha- to low beta-band (10–18Hz) power in the frontal eye field (FEF) that predicted performance, and increased cross-frequency alpha-beta (10–26Hz) amplitude coupling between the DLPFC and the FEF. Developmental comparisons between adults and adolescents revealed similar engagement of DLPFC beta-band power but weaker FEF alpha-band power, and lower cross-frequency coupling between the DLPFC and the FEF in adolescents. These results suggest that lateral prefrontal neural activity associated with cognitive control is adult-like by adolescence; the development of cognitive control from adolescence to adulthood is instead associated with increases in frontal connectivity and strengthening of inhibition signaling for suppressing task-incompatible processes. •Antisaccades increased beta-band power in DLPFC and alpha-band power in FEF.•Prestimulus FEF alpha-band power predicted performance on the antisaccade task.•Adolescents showed weaker alpha-band power in FEF.•Adolescents showed reduced beta-alpha amplitude coupling between DPLFC and FEF.
Neural oscillations Adolescence Inhibitory control Antisaccade Frontal cortex

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