COgnitive Dynamics in Early Childhood

Introduction

Cognitive ability, measured through standardized tests, provides a highly predictive measure of lifespan outcomes including academic achievement, job success, as well as mental and physical health. However, these cognitive snapshots omit a crucial aspect of cognitive ability: short-term variability in cognitive performance.

Importance of Variability

Individuals with more variable performance are more likely to be mis-stratified into schools or careers with potential lifelong consequences. They are also more likely to perform at levels that necessitate intervention for periods of time. Moreover, variability reflects a promising early warning marker of adverse outcomes, above and beyond mean performance.

Research Questions

The challenges involved in measuring variability have left crucial questions unanswered:

1. Is variability a single trait, or does it have distinct factors?
2. What are the neural and behavioral determinants of cognitive variability?
3. What is the association between short-term variability and long-term outcomes?

Methodology

In this unique longitudinal design using gamified versions of classic cognitive domains, I will measure variability across a range of tasks at multiple levels of temporal resolution: months, days, occasions, and trials.

Study Population

600 children (200 in the neuroimaging arm) will be measured for a period of three years. Once per year, they will take part in a burst: a week where they will be measured three times a day.

Goals

I will use cutting-edge methodology to understand the behavioral, neural, and environmental mechanisms of variability, as well as the longitudinal consequences of variability on cognitive development and the emergence of mental health symptomatology such as ADHD.

Conclusion

By combining the strengths of deep phenotyping with cutting-edge quantitative modeling, I will be able to test and develop theories of cognitive development, demonstrate the role of brain structure and function in supporting cognitive dynamics, and determine the effect of cognitive variability on developmental outcomes.