AUTHOR=Yang Jinfeng , Wu Dandan , Luo Jiutong , Xie Sha , Chang Chunqi , Li Hui 

TITLE=Neural Correlates of Mental Rotation in Preschoolers With High or Low Working Memory Capacity: An fNIRS Study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.568382

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2020.568382

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<p>This study explored the differentiated neural correlates of mental rotation (MR) in preschoolers with high and low working memory capacity using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Altogether 38 Chinese preschoolers (<italic>M</italic> = 5.0 years, <italic>SD</italic> = 0.69 years) completed the <italic>Working Memory Capacity</italic> (WMC) test, the <italic>Mental Rotation</italic> (MR), and its Control tasks (without MR). They were divided into High-WMC (<italic>N<sub>1</sub></italic> = 9) and Low-WMC (<italic>N</italic><sub>2</sub> = 18) groups based on the WMC scores. The behavioral and fNIRS results indicated that: (1) there were no significant differences in MR task performance between the High-WMC (<italic>M</italic><sub><italic>mr</italic></sub> = 23.44, <italic>SD</italic> = 0.88) and Low-WMC group (<italic>M<sub><italic>mr</italic></sub></italic> = 23.67, <italic>SD</italic> = 0.59); (2) the Low-WMC group activated BA6, BA8, BA 9, and BA 44, whereas the High-WMC group activated BA8, BA10 and BA 44 during mental rotation; (3) significant differences were found in the activation of BA44 and BA9 between the High-WMC and Low-WMC groups during mental rotation; and (4) the High-WMC and Low-WMC groups differed significantly in the activation of BA 9 and BA10 during the control tasks, indicating that both areas might be responsible for the group differences in working memory.</p>