Speeding-up while growing-up: Synchronous functional development of motor and non-motor processes across childhood and adolescence

PLoS One. 2021 Sep 15;16(9):e0255892. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255892. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Describing the maturation of information processing in children is fundamental for developmental science. Although non-linear changes in reaction times have been well-documented, direct measurement of the development of the different processing components is lacking. In this study, electromyography was used to quantify the maturation of premotor and motor processes on a sample of 114 children (6-14 years-old) and 15 adults. Using a model-based approach, we show that the development of these two components is well-described by an exponential decrease in duration, with the decay rate being equal for the two components. These findings provide the first unbiased evidence in favour of the common developmental rate of nonmotor and motor processes by directly confronting rates of development of different processing components within the same task. This common developmental rate contrasts with the differential physical maturation of region-specific cerebral gray and white matter. Tentative paths of interpretation are proposed in the discussion.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Child Development*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Gray Matter / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Motor Activity / physiology*
  • Reaction Time / physiology*
  • White Matter / physiology*

Grants and funding

This work was supported by French Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-15-CE28-0008, DOPCONTROL) awarded to A.B and B.B. https://anr.fr. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.