Neural Perspectives on Cognitive Control Development During Childhood and Adolescence

Since the discovery that patients with damage to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) show similar deficits in cognitive control as young children, the PFC model of cognitive control development has been a popular description of how cognitive control emerges over time. In this review, we show that not only do many studies support this model, but also that more specific models of PFC development can be formulated, according to the functional roles of subregions and by taking into account the distinctions within ventral-dorsal and lateral-medial PFC. We also reveal that the functional development of dorsolateral PFC supports the development of deliberative processes, whereas that of the medial PFC supports the development of internalized decisions. These new conceptualizations may provide better descriptions of the complexity of cognitive control development.