Aperiodic EEG and 7T MRSI evidence for maturation of E/I balance supporting the development of working memory through adolescence

Adolescence has been hypothesized to be a critical period for the development of human association cortex and higher-order cognition. A defining feature of critical period development is a shift in the excitation: inhibition (E/I) balance of neural circuitry, however how changes in E/I may enhance cortical circuit function to support maturational improvements in cognitive capacities is not known. Harnessing ultra-high field 7 T MR spectroscopy and EEG in a large, longitudinal cohort of youth (N = 164, ages 10–32 years old, 347 neuroimaging sessions), we delineate biologically specific associations between age-related changes in excitatory glutamate and inhibitory GABA neurotransmitters and EEG-derived measures of aperiodic neural activity reflective of E/I balance in prefrontal association cortex. Specifically, we find that developmental increases in E/I balance reflected in glutamate:GABA balance are linked to changes in E/I balance assessed by the suppression of prefrontal aperiodic activity, which in turn facilitates robust improvements in working memory. These findings indicate a role for E/I-engendered changes in prefrontal signaling mechanisms in the maturation of cognitive maintenance. More broadly, this multi-modal imaging study provides evidence that human association cortex undergoes physiological changes consistent with critical period plasticity during adolescence.