Modeling longitudinal changes in hippocampal subfields and relations with memory from early- to mid-childhood

• Published in: Developmental cognitive neuroscience 2021-04, Vol.48, p.100947-100947, Article 100947
• Main Authors: Canada, Kelsey L., Hancock, Gregory R., Riggins, Tracy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Child; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Development; Head; Hippocampal subfields; Hippocampus; Humans; Longitudinal; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Original Research; Structural equation modeling; Volumetric changes
• ISSN: 1878-9293; 1878-9307
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100947

•During early- to mid-childhood, subfield development differs along the longitudinal axis of the hippocampus.•CA1 subfield volume increases between 4−5 years in hippocampal head.•CA2-4/DG and subiculum volume increases between 5−6 years in hippocampal body.•Changes in CA1 and subiculum between 4−5 years relate to memory between 4−5 years. The hippocampus has been suggested to show protracted postnatal developmental growth across childhood. Most previous studies during this developmental period have been cross-sectional in nature and have focused on age-related differences in either hippocampal subregions or subfields, but not both, potentially missing localized changes. This study capitalized on a latent structural equation modeling approach to examine the longitudinal development of hippocampal subfields (cornu ammonis (CA) 2-4/dentate gyrus (DG), CA1, subiculum) in both the head and the body of the hippocampus, separately, in 165 typically developing 4- to 8-year-old children. Our findings document differential development of subfields within hippocampal head and body. Specifically, within hippocampal head, CA1 volume increased between 4−5 years and within hippocampal body, CA2-4/DG and subiculum volume increased between 5−6 years. Additionally, changes in CA1 volume in the head and changes in subiculum in the body between 4−5 years related to improvements in memory between 4−5 years. These findings demonstrate the protracted development of subfields in vivo during early- to mid-childhood, illustrate the importance of considering subfields separately in the head and body of the hippocampus, document co-occurring development of brain and behavior, and highlight the strength of longitudinal data and latent modeling when examining brain development.