How to capture developmental brain dynamics: gaps and solutions

npj Science of Learning, vol. 6, pp. 10

Abstract

Understanding how children develop and learn is of tremendous importance not only for preventing and remediating disorders, but also to inform education practices and parenting guidelines. However, capturing developmental and learning-induced dynamics is extremely challenging. In April 2019, theoretical and methodological advances to address this challenge and remaining gaps and solutions were explored in the workshop “Capturing Developmental Brain Dynamics” at the NIAS-Lorentz center in Leiden, the Netherlands. The workshop consisted of an alternation between keynote presentations to provide the state-of-the art in different topics (see Table 1 ), and interactive elements (such as an Open Space event, working group break-out sessions), in which participants from different disciplines interacted to define gaps and solutions. One defining characteristic of brain development that recurred throughout the entire workshop, is the enormous extent of continuous interactions not only occurring across levels (e.g., across genetic and brain levels 1 ), but also across the different emerging functions (e.g., language, reading, math, executive function 2 ). In Fig. 1 , we illustrate these two dimensions of interactivity: (1) interacting levels in the entire range from micro- to macro: genes, brain function and structure, behavior, cognition and, (social) environment and (2) interacting functions, where the neural and cognitive correlates of each function are first characterized by wide networks with overlapping nodes between the functions and showing a gradual specialization to more focused networks over time. In Table 1 , we provide an overview of how the work of the different workshop presenters relates to the different levels and functions of Fig. 1 .

Authors 4

1. Nienke van Atteveldt corresponding

   Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

   Affiliation as printed

   Dept. of Clinical Developmental Psychology & Institute Learn!, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. n.m.van.atteveldt@vu.nl

   Dept. of Clinical Developmental Psychology & Institute Learn!, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2. Maaike Vandermosten

   KU Leuven

   Affiliation as printed

   Dept. of Neuroscience, and Leuven Brain Institute, Experimental ORL, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

3. Wouter D. Weeda Aachen Department of Methodology and Statistics

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Dept. of Methodology & Statistics, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

4. Milene L. Bonte

   Maastricht University

   Affiliation as printed

   Dept. of Cognitive Neuroscience, and Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands