2-092 - Inequality and Future Directions in Research on the Neuroplasticity of Selective Attention in Children

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Selective attention is a foundational skill related to multiple outcomes impacted by early adversity and inequality, including self-regulation, language, literacy, and math (e.g., Astheimer et al., 2014; Steele et al., 2012; Stevens & Bavalier, 2012). A growing body of literature documents the neuroplasticity of neural systems underlying selective attention, which are both vulnerable and enhanceable in children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) families (e.g. Stevens et al., 2009, Neville et al., 2013). A greater understanding of factors influencing the neuroplasticity of selective attention is critical for reducing multiple disparities associated with inequality.

This symposium focuses on the development, variability, and malleability of neural systems underlying selective attention in young children from lower SES backgrounds, as measured by event-related potentials (ERPs). Paper 1 presents evidence that individual differences in the neural response with attention accounts for variability in specific aspects of cognitive function, including nonverbal IQ, language, and working memory. Paper 2 presents evidence that allelic variations of the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) influence neural systems underlying attention. Paper 3 presents evidence of maturational delay in the development of neural systems for attention in young children from lower compared to higher SES backgrounds. Paper 4 presents evidence that a two-generation intervention targeting selective attention in families from lower SES backgrounds may have broader effects on the home environment. Together these papers highlight important future directions in research on the neuroplasticity of selective attention and underscore the potential for developmental cognitive neuroscience to address disparities related to poverty and inequality.

Sub Unit

• Attention, Learning, Memory

Chairs

• Amanda Hampton Wray, Michigan State University

• Eric Pakulak, University of Oregon

Individual Presentations

• Neural Systems for Selective Attention Differentially Associate with Cognitive Performance in Children from Lower SES Backgrounds - Presenting Author: Amanda Hampton Wray, Michigan State University; Laney Roehl, Michigan State University; Eric Pakulak, University of Oregon; Elif Isbell, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Theodore Bell, University of Oregon; Helen Neville, University of Oregon

• 5-HTTLPR Polymorphism Linked to Neural Mechanisms of Selective Attention in Preschoolers from Lower SES Backgrounds - Presenting Author: Elif Isbell, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Courtney Stevens, Willamette University; Amanda Hampton Wray, Michigan State University; Theodore Bell, University of Oregon; Helen Neville, University of Oregon

• Development of Selective Attention in Children from Lower SES Backgrounds - Presenting Author: Courtney Stevens, Willamette University; Amanda Hampton Wray, Michigan State University; Eric Pakulak, University of Oregon; Elif Isbell, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Theodore Bell, University of Oregon; Helen Neville, University of Oregon

• Broader Effects of a Two-Generation Intervention Targeting Attention and Self-Regulation in Families from Lower SES Backgrounds - Presenting Author: Eric Pakulak, University of Oregon; Theodore Bell, University of Oregon; Ryan J. Giuliano, University of Oregon; Melissa Gomsrud, University of Oregon; Christina M. Karns, University of Oregon; Scott Klein, University of Oregon; Zayra Longoria, University of Oregon; Lauren Vega O'Neil, University of Oregon; Helen Neville, University of Oregon