Development of memory for spatial context: Hippocampal and cortical contributions

The goal of the present study was to examine age-related differences in hippocampal and cortical contribution to episodic retrieval of spatial context in 3 age groups. Children ages 8-9 and 10-11 years old, and adults ages 18-25 (N=48) encoded black and white line drawings appearing either on the right side or the left side of a screen. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were acquired while participants attempted to recall where each studied drawing had originally appeared. Correct recall of spatial source indicated successful episodic retrieval of spatial context. Activity in head and body of the hippocampus was associated with episodic retrieval in adults, but not in children. In children, individual differences in hippocampal activation for recognition predicted rates of correct spatial recall. Developmental differences were also found in regions in posterior parietal cortex, anterior prefrontal cortex, and insula. Overall, these results support the view that the development of episodic memory is supported by functional changes in the hippocampus as well as cortical regions.