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Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience

We investigate both cognitive and brain mechanisms of development using different methodologies (speed and accuracy of responses, questionnaires, eye-tracking, EEG/ERPs, MRI).
Our research focuses on the study of attention and self-regulation from a multifaceted perspective.
We aim at understanding individual and maturational differences in self-regulation and the importance of this capacity for school competence.
We also work on the design and testing of training methods to improve children’s cognitive skills.

Principal Investigators

M. Ángeles Ballesteros
Senior Investigator
Charo Rueda
Senior Investigator

Representative Publications

Abundis-Gutiérrez, A., Checa, P., Castellanos, C., & Rosario Rueda, M. (2014). Electrophysiological correlates of attention networks in childhood and early adulthood. Neuropsychologia, 57, 78-92.

Cómbita, L. M., Voelker, P., Abundis-Gutiérrez, A., Pozuelos, J. P., & Rueda, M. R. (2017) Influence of the SLC6A3-DAT1 gene on multifaceted measures of self-regulation in preschool children. Frontiers in Psychology, 8:26; https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00026

Conejero, A., Guerra, S., Abundis-Gutiérrez, A., & Rueda, M. R. (2018) Frontal theta activation associated with error detection in toddlers: Influence of familial socio-economic status. Developmental Science, 21: e12494; DOI: 10.1111/desc.12494

Conejero, A. & Rueda, M. R. (2018) Infant temperament and family socio-economic status in relation to the emergence of attention regulation. Scientific Reports, 8 (1), 11232; DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28831-x.

Pozuelos, J.P., Cómbita, L.M., Abundis-Gutiérrez, A., Paz-Alonso, P.M., Conejero A., Guerra, S., & Rueda, M. R. (2019) Metacognitive scaffolding boosts cognitive and neural benefits following executive attention training in children. Developmental Science, e12756: 1-15; DOI: 10.1111/desc.12756.

Pozuelos, J. P., Paz-Alonso, P. M., Castillo, A., Fuentes, L. J., & Rueda, M. R. (2014). Development of attention networks and their interactions in childhood.Developmental psychology, 50(10), 2405-2415.

Rueda, M.R. (2018) Attention in the heart of intelligence. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 13: 26-33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tine.2018.11.003

Rueda, M. R., Checa, P. & Cómbita, L. M. (2012) Enhanced efficiency of the executive attention network after training in preschool children: Immediate changes and effects after two months. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 2S: S192-S204

Rueda, M. R., Fan, J., McCandliss, B. D., Halparin, J., Gruber, D., Pappert, L. & Posner, M. I. (2004) Development of attentional networks in childhood. Neuropsycologia, 42: 1029-1040.

Rueda, M. R., Rothbart, M. K., McCandliss, B. D., Saccomanno, L., & Posner, M. I. (2005). Training, maturation, and genetic influences on the development of executive attention. Proceedings of the national Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 102(41), 14931-14936.