Development of Neuroconnectivity and Inhibitory Control: Relation to Social Cognition in Late Childhood

Social cognition is a set of complex processes that mediate much of human behavior. The development of these skills is related to and interdependent on other cognitive processes, particularly inhibitory control, which allows for willful suppression of dominant responses. Many aspects of social behavior rely on inhibitory control to moderate impulsive or socially inappropriate behaviors and process complex perspective-taking. Furthermore, the brain regions associated with inhibitory control and social cognition overlap functionally and structurally. I review neurodevelopmental literature to suggest that social cognition is developmentally dependent on inhibitory control and that the neural foundations of both these skills are measurable in infancy. I tested this model using growth curve and structural equation modeling and show that 10-month, but not 5-month, frontotemporal coherence predicts social cognition in late childhood through preschool inhibitory control. These findings provide insight into the neurodevelopmental trajectory of cognition and suggest that connectivity from frontal regions to other parts of the brain is a foundation for the development of these skills.