Infant Electroencephalogram Coherence and Early Childhood Inhibitory Control: Foundations for Social Cognition in Late Childhood

Social cognition is a set of complex processes that mediate much of human behavior. The development of these skills is related to and interdependent on other cognitive processes, particularly inhibitory control. Brain regions associated with inhibitory control and social cognition overlap functionally and structurally, especially with respect to frontal brain areas. We proposed that the neural foundations of inhibitory control and social cognition are measurable in infancy. We used structural equation modeling and showed that 10-month frontotemporal neuroconnectivity measured using electroencephalogram coherence predicts social cognition at 9 years of age through age-4 inhibitory control. These findings provide insight into the neurodevelopmental trajectory of cognition and suggest that connectivity from frontal regions to other parts of the brain is a foundation for the development of these skills.

Automated summary

Social cognition and inhibitory control are interrelated, with overlapping brain regions in functionality and structure, especially in frontal brain areas. Measuring frontotemporal neuroconnectivity in infancy can predict the development trajectory of social cognition and inhibitory control.