Plasticity during childhood and adolescence: innovative approaches to investigating neurocognitive development

• Published in: Developmental science Vol. 16; no. 4; pp. 574 - 583
• Main Authors: Kadosh, Kathrin Cohen, Linden, David E.J., Lau, Jennifer Y.F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.07.2013; Wiley-Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Development; Adolescents; Adult; Behavior; Behavior Modification; Behavioral psychology; Bias; Brain; Brain - anatomy & histology; Brain - growth & development; Brain - physiology; Brain Hemisphere Functions; Brain Mapping; Child; Child Development; Cognition & reasoning; Cognition - physiology; Cognitive Processes; Cognitive Restructuring; Diagnostic Tests; Emotional Development; Emotions; Feedback (Response); Female; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Models, Neurological; Neurological Organization; Neurology; Neuronal Plasticity; Neuropsychology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1363-755X; 1467-7687
• DOI: 10.1111/desc.12054

Adolescence is a period of profound change, which holds substantial developmental milestones, but also unique challenges to the individual. In this opinion paper, we highlight the potential of combining two recently developed behavioural and neural training techniques (cognitive bias modification and functional magnetic neuroimaging‐based neurofeedback) into a research approach that could help make the most of increased levels of plasticity during childhood and adolescence. We discuss how this powerful combination could be used to explore changing brain–behaviour relationships throughout development in the context of emotion processing, a cognitive domain that exhibits continuous development throughout the second decade of life. By targeting both behaviour and brain response, we would also be in an excellent position to define sensible time windows for enhancing plasticity, thereby allowing for targeted intervention approaches that can help improve emotion processing in both typically and atypically developing populations. Adolescence is a period of profound change, which holds substantial developmental milestones, but also unique challenges to the individual. In this opinion paper, we highlight the potential of combining two recently developed behavioural and neural training techniques (cognitive bias modification and functional magnetic neuroimaging‐based neurofeedback) into a research approach that could help make the most of increased levels of plasticity during childhood and adolescence. We discuss how this powerful combination could be used to explore changing brain–behaviour relationships throughout development in the context of emotion processing, a cognitive domain that exhibits continuous development throughout the second decade of life. Figure reprinted with permission from Cohen Kadosh et al. (2012a).