Changes in Functional Brain Activity in School-Age Children 10 Years Later: A Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Objective Children’s cognitive function is undergoing great dynamic changes with age. This study aims to explore the characteristics of changes in children’s cognitive function before and after 10 years, and discover brain areas where brain function has undergone significant changes.Methods In 2008, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were collected from 30 students aged 7–12 from ordinary primary schools in Changzhou. In 2017, fMRI data of 30 primary school students matched for age and sex were collected again on the same MRI machine using the same parameters. Amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and degree centrality (DC) values were calculated respectively for the two sets of data and analyzed by paired t-test.Results The brain areas with ALFF values higher than those of 10 years after 10 years were left posterior cerebellar lobe, right posterior cerebellar lobe, and left middle occipital gyrus; the brain areas with ALFF values lower than those of 10 years after 10 years were left hippocampus, left inferior frontal gyrus, right inferior frontal gyrus, and left medial frontal gyrus. The left superior occipital gyrus was found in the brain area with a higher DC value after 10 years and the left inferior parietal lobe was found in the brain area with a lower DC value after 10 years.Conclusion After 10 years, children’s overall attention, memory, and cognition related brain areas are developing. Some brain areas show improvement in brain function, and some brain areas play a role more efficiently. This study provides a basis for predicting the development of brain function in school-age children.