RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Child specific activation in left auditory cortex predicts behavioral performance in inhibition tasks JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 2020.04.30.069906 DO 10.1101/2020.04.30.069906 A1 van Bijnen, Sam A1 Parkkonen, Lauri A1 Parviainen, Tiina YR 2021 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/02/22/2020.04.30.069906.abstract AB Sensory processing during development is important for the emerging cognitive skills underlying goal-directed behavior. Yet, it is not known how auditory processing in children is related to their cognitive functions. Here, we utilized combined magneto- and electroencephalographic (M/EEG) measurements to show that child-unique auditory cortical activity at ∼250 ms after auditory stimulation predicts the performance in inhibition tasks. While unaffected by task demands, the amplitude of the left-hemisphere activation pattern was significantly correlated with the variability of behavioral response time. Since this activation pattern is not present in adults, our results suggest divergent brain mechanisms in adults and children for consistent performance in auditory-based cognitive tasks. This difference can be explained as a shift in cortical resources for cognitive control from sensorimotor associations in the auditory cortex of children to top–down regulated control processes involving (pre)frontal and cingulate areas in adults.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.