School of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
Center of Network and Modern Educational Technology, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
J Clin Neurosci. 2019 Dec;70:214-220. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2019.07.070. Epub 2019 Sep 20.
Previous task-related imaging studies in adults have demonstrated that there is a frontoparietal mirror neuron system (MNS) that preferentially engages in self-recognition. However, the development of the MNS during preschool (age 3-5 years) has not been thoroughly examined. In this study, we investigated the development of the MNS by examining the correlations in spontaneous fluctuations of the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal in healthy, 3-5-year-old preschool children (n = 30, 15 in each group). Using a ROI-based (inferior frontal gyrus) functional connectivity analysis, we identified a right lateralized MNS during rest in both groups with a positive correlation between the inferior frontal gyrus and inferior parietal lobule. A significant increase in the functional connectivity of the MNS was observed in the older group. Our results suggest that the spontaneous functional connectivity of the MNS is shaped at as early as 3 years of age and undergoes age-related development within the preschool period.
先前针对成年人的任务相关成像研究表明，存在一个优先参与自我识别的额顶叶镜像神经元系统 (MNS)。然而，学龄前儿童 (3-5 岁) 期间 MNS 的发展尚未得到彻底研究。在这项研究中，我们通过检查健康的 3-5 岁学龄前儿童 (n=30，每组 15 名) 的功能磁共振成像 (fMRI) 血氧水平依赖 (BOLD) 信号自发波动的相关性来研究 MNS 的发展。使用基于 ROI (下额前回) 的功能连接分析，我们在两组中均识别出静息状态下右侧偏侧的 MNS，下额前回和下顶叶小叶之间存在正相关。在年长组中观察到 MNS 的功能连接显著增加。我们的结果表明，MNS 的自发功能连接早在 3 岁时就已形成，并在学龄前期间经历与年龄相关的发展。
