Training, maturation, and genetic influences on the development of executive attention

Posner, Michael · 2005 · OpenAlex

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0506897102

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Summary

This study investigates the development of the executive attention network in children, specifically examining the relative contributions of maturation, genetic factors, and targeted educational intervention. The executive attention network, involving the anterior cingulate and lateral prefrontal areas, undergoes significant development between ages 3 and 7. While previous research established that this network’s efficiency is highly heritable and linked to dopamine-related genes, this study aimed to determine if specific training could influence its development and whether such effects differed by age or genotype. The researchers conducted three experiments involving 49 children (4- and 6-year-olds) recruited from Oregon. Participants were randomly assigned to experimental (training) or control groups. The experimental group underwent five days of computer-based attention training over two to three weeks, focusing on tracking, anticipation, stimulus discrimination, and conflict resolution tasks. Control groups either received no intervention or watched children’s videos to control for session exposure. Assessments included the Child Attention Network Test (Child ANT), the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT), parent-reported temperament questionnaires, and electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings. Additionally, cheek swabs from 6-year-olds were genotyped for the dopamine transporter type 1 (DAT1) gene. Results indicated strong developmental improvements in executive attention and intelligence from age 4 to 6. Crucially, both 4- and 6-year-olds in the trained groups demonstrated more mature performance than their respective control groups. Behavioral data showed that trained children had reduced conflict reaction times and improved scores on the matrices subscale of the intelligence test, which measures fluid reasoning. Electrophysiological data supported these findings: trained 4-year-olds exhibited prefrontal ERP patterns similar to untrained 6-year-olds, while trained 6-year-olds showed ERP patterns resembling adults, specifically in the frontoparietal N2 component associated with the anterior cingulate. Genetic analysis revealed that children with the homozygous long allele of the DAT1 gene had lower conflict scores and higher effortful control than those with heterozygous alleles, confirming the gene’s role in individual differences. The study concludes that while the executive attention network develops under strong genetic control, it remains plastic and responsive to educational interventions during early childhood. The training effects, though smaller than natural developmental changes, moved performance in an adult-like direction and generalized to remote cognitive measures like intelligence. These findings suggest that brief, targeted attention training can enhance cognitive control in normally developing children, offering potential applications for preschool curricula and interventions for attentional deficits.

Key finding

A five-day attention training program improved executive attention and intelligence scores in 4- and 6-year-old children, producing behavioral and electrophysiological changes that mimicked the effects of two years of natural maturation.

Methodology

lab_experiment

Sample size: 73

Provenance

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Topics

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• cognitive capacity variation