Episodic memory in middle childhood: Age, brain electrical activity, and self-reported attention

Abstract

Middle childhood is a transitional period for episodic memory (EM) performance, as a result of improvements in strategies that are used to encode and retrieve memories. EM is also a skill continually assessed for testing in the school setting. The purpose of this study was to examine EM performance during middle childhood and its relation to individual differences in attentional abilities and in neurophysiological functioning. We examined self-reports of attention at 6, 7 and 8-years of age as well as parietal EEG recorded during baseline, memory task encoding, and memory task retrieval. Results indicate that child self-reports of attention predicted EM performance. Additionally, the difference from baseline to retrieval-related EEG activation contributed variance to EM performance. Results replicate other middle childhood studies showing a positive association between EM performance and attention while also suggesting that parietal EEG yields critical information regarding memory performance.

Memory binding and theta EEG during middle childhood

“…While we did not have specific hypotheses about laterality effects, we found that only left parietal theta activation during retrieval predicted memory binding performance. In a study examining EEG correlates of item recognition memory in middle childhood, Diaz et al (2018) report similar findings; only posterior parietal EEG in the left hemisphere was associated with individual differences in performance. The question of laterality effects needs to be further explored.…”

“…In a study examining EEG correlates of item recognition memory in middle childhood, Diaz et al. (2018) report similar findings; only posterior parietal EEG in the left hemisphere was associated with individual differences in performance. The question of laterality effects needs to be further explored.…”

Modern research on primary school children brain functioning in the learning process: Review

“…The works devoted to the study of memory and attention turned out to be quite numerous. There are no found correlation between age and attention levels in children of 6-8 ages by A. Diaz et al [6], but the memorization and retrieval skills of older children were higher. The difference in skills of active controlled retrieval between children and adults was noted by F. Simard and G. Cadoret [7]: in the process of solving the active controlled retrieval task, a lower level of memorization and retrieval skills was revealed in children compared to adults.…”

Developmental neuroscience of memory: research status and future prospect

“…), while implicit retrieval also involves the motor system regions. The early development of memory is mainly related to the development of the medial temporal lobe in early-life, while the late development of memory is related to the development of the frontoparietal control network in adolescence 的激活程度和情景记忆表现呈正相关 [47] . 一项ERP (event-related potential)研究发现, 不同于成年人群体 中新旧效应主要包括早期的前额中区成分和晚期的顶 区成分 [78] , 儿童群体只有顶区的新旧效应, 且儿童比 成年人有更长的潜伏期 [79] .…”