University of Bristol Launches £4.5 Million Study on Brain and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood

University of Bristol Launches £4.5 Million Study on Brain and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood

(IN BRIEF) A University of Bristol-led research project will investigate why some children struggle when starting school while others flourish by examining the development of their brains during the first five years of life. Funded with nearly £4.5 million from Wellcome, the BLOCCS study will explore how early experiences contribute to cognitive abilities such as language, attention, comprehension, and behavioral adaptation. Researchers will follow 300 children from the Children of the 90s cohort, assessing them at seven key developmental stages—from 6 months to 5 years—and conducting MRI scans at 6 months, 3 years, and 5 years. Through collaborations with Cardiff University, Radboud University Medical Centre, and the Donders Institute, the study seeks to uncover how brain and cognitive development interrelate, offering insights that may explain why early academic and social challenges persist into later life. The generated data will be shared with the broader scientific community, promoting further research into early childhood development. Recruitment targets families from the established Children of the 90s cohort, enriching the study with long-term background data and underscoring its potential impact on early intervention strategies.

(PRESS RELEASE) BRISTOL, 13-Apr-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — A pioneering research initiative led by the University of Bristol will explore why some children excel when beginning school while others face challenges. This innovative study, funded by Wellcome with nearly £4.5 million, aims to examine the intricate development of a child’s brain during the crucial early years. It will investigate how experiences in the first five years of life shape a child’s ability to learn, focusing on changes in brain structure and function alongside emerging cognitive skills—all within the same group of children under controlled laboratory conditions for the first time.

The BLOCCS study (Bristol Longitudinal study Of Childhood Cognition from infancy to School) plans to delve into important cognitive capacities such as language development, attention, rapid comprehension, and adaptive behavioral changes. In collaboration with Cardiff University, Radboud University Medical Centre, and the Donders Institute in the Netherlands, the project will follow 300 children recruited from Bristol’s famous Children of the 90s study. The children will be systematically evaluated at seven key developmental stages—6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, and 5 years—with MRI scans scheduled at 6 months, 3 years, and 5 years to observe the interplay between brain maturation and cognitive growth.

Dr Karla Holmboe, Associate Professor in Developmental Science at the University of Bristol and Director of the Bristol University Baby Lab, leads this ground-breaking investigation. She explains her enthusiasm: “This study offers a unique window into the evolution of children’s brains during their earliest and most formative years while correlating these developments with their language, thinking, and concentration skills.” Holmboe emphasizes that early childhood represents a period of rapid growth and skill acquisition, setting the stage for future academic and social achievements—or, conversely, early struggles that can persist throughout life.

Co-investigator Professor Rogier Kievit of the Donders Institute/RadboudUMC highlighted the study’s design as a means to track not only individual differences among children but also the dynamic interaction between brain and cognitive functions over time. Additionally, Professor Mara Cercignani from Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, who will lead MRI data collection and analysis, commented on the profound potential of the neuroimaging data to link structural brain changes with cognitive achievements.

The outcomes of the study are expected to provide valuable insights into the origins of individual differences in core cognitive abilities and brain development during one of the most influential periods in human life. Moreover, the comprehensive dataset generated will be made accessible to the wider research community, paving the way for future explorations into early childhood development. The project welcomes participation from families already engaged in the Children of the 90s cohort, now in their 30s and ready to contribute to this landmark 8-year research effort titled “Building blocks of cognition: The co-development of brain function and cognition across the first 5 years of life.” Interested participants can reach out via info@childrenofthe90s.ac.uk, as the study is set to commence on 1 April 2026 under the support of a Wellcome Discovery Award.

About Wellcome
Wellcome supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. We support discovery research into life, health and wellbeing, and we’re taking on three worldwide health challenges: mental health, infectious disease and climate and health.

About Children of the 90s
Based at the University of Bristol, Children of the 90s, also known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), is a long-term health research project that enrolled more than 14,500 pregnant women in 1991 and 1992. It has been following the health and development of the parents, their children and now their grandchildren in detail ever since. It receives core funding from the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust and the University of Bristol.

About cohort studies
Cohort studies are a type of longitudinal research that follow the same group of people throughout their lives, charting health and social changes and untangling the reasons behind them. The UK has more birth cohort studies than any other country in the world and they play a pivotal role in measuring the health and wellbeing of society.

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SOURCE: University of Bristol