In conclusion, this work makes an important contribution to the empirical literature by assessing changes in prefrontal brain organization across an important period of infancy, and by relating these changes to emerging attention and cognitive capacities. The results are consistent with current theoretical perspectives in the field of cognitive development that have suggested that maturation of the PFC during this time plays an important role in the development of attentional control and higher cognition. To our knowledge, this is the first study to directly test these important ideas using EEG coherence, or to test attentional control as a mediator in the relation between changes in neural organization and higher cognitive functioning. The findings underscore the importance of assessing developmental change across multiple levels when attempting to understand how newly emerging capacities unfold.
