Imaging the developing brain: what have we learned about cognitive development?

Publication Type	Review
Authors	Casey B, Tottenham N, Liston C, Durston S
Journal	Trends Cogn Sci
Volume	9
Issue	3
Pagination	104-10
Date Published	03/01/2005
ISSN	1364-6613
Keywords	Brain, Child Development, Cognition, Diagnostic Imaging
Abstract	The human brain undergoes significant changes in both its structural architecture and functional organization across the life span. Advances in neuroimaging techniques over the past decade have allowed us to track these changes safely in the human in vivo. We review the imaging literature on the neurobiology of cognitive development, focusing specifically on cognitive task-dependent changes observed in brain physiology and anatomy across childhood and adolescence. The findings suggest that cortical function becomes fine-tuned with development. Brain regions associated with more basic functions such as sensory and motor processes mature first, followed by association areas involved in top-down control of behavior.
DOI	10.1016/j.tics.2005.01.011
PubMed ID	15737818