The role of experience in adolescent cognitive development: Integration of executive, memory, and mesolimbic systems

Abstract

Adolescence marks a time of unique neurocognitive development, in which executive functions reach adult levels of maturation. While many core facets of executive function may reach maturation in childhood, these processes continue to be refined and stabilized during adolescence. We propose that this is mediated, in part, by interactions between the hippocampus and pre-frontal cortex. Specifically, we propose that development of this circuit refines adolescents’ ability to extract relevant information from prior experience to support task-relevant behavior. In support of this model, we review evidence for protracted structural and functional development both within and across the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. We describe emerging research demonstrating the refinement of adolescents’ ability to integrate prior experiences to support goal-oriented behavior, which parallel hippocampal-prefrontal integration. Finally, we speculate that the development of this circuit is mediated by increases in dopaminergic neuromodulation present in adolescence, which may underlie memory processing, plasticity, and circuit integration. This model provides a novel characterization of how memory and executive systems integrate throughout adolescence to support adaptive behavior.

Memory integration constructs maps of space, time, and concepts

“…It remains to be tested whether these circuits play functionally different roles in memory, with fine-scaled representation supporting decisions about relationships among detailed event elements and integration at broader scales supporting more abstract knowledge about the conceptual relationships among events. The fact that hippocampus and mPFC continue to mature through the third decade of life [85, 86] further suggests that memory integration may have a prolonged developmental timecourse that extends through adolescence, with corresponding impacts on spatial, temporal, and conceptual learning abilities. In reviewing the current state of knowledge on memory integration, we hope to inspire future work on the rich set of questions that remain.…”

Adolescent maturation of the relationship between cortical gyrification and cognitive ability

“…Adolescent maturation is a useful framework to better understand if gyrification causally contributes to cognitive function because both brain structure and cognitive abilities change in characteristic developmental trajectories. Although executive and attention abilities are at near-adult levels by puberty, numerous studies describe they continue to be refined (Nguyen et al, 2016) and improve in various ways until about ages 15 to 17 (Best, 2010; Murty et al, 2016). These developmental trajectories offer a quasi-experimental context wherein one can determine if gyrification-cognition relationships differ across stages of adolescent cognitive development to see if decreasing regional gyrification has a functional impact on cognitive ability.…”

A Family Focused Intervention Influences Hippocampal‐Prefrontal Connectivity Through Gains in Self‐Regulation

“…The limited work examining functional brain interactions is a major limitation, as complex behavioral processes likely arise through multiple brain regions interacting and sharing information with each other (van den Heuvel & Pol, 2010). With the hippocampus and vmPFC, functional interactions between these regions may be important for using previously acquired information in goal-directed behavior (Murty, Calabro, & Luna, 2016). For example, Gluth, Sommer, Rieskamp, and B€ uchel (2015) showed that decision making is limited by memory constraints, and this is associated with functional connectivity between the hippocampus and vmPFC.…”