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Li S, Müller BCN, Meinhardt J, Sodian B. Resting-state EEG alpha asymmetry predicts false belief understanding during early childhood: An exploratory longitudinal study. Brain Res 2025; 1853:149523. [PMID: 39986414 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2025.149523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 01/21/2025] [Accepted: 02/18/2025] [Indexed: 02/24/2025]
Abstract
Theory of mind (ToM), the ability to attribute mental states to others, is fundamental to human socio-cognition. In child development, a full or explicit understanding of false beliefs (FB) and their impact on action emerges around the age of 4 years. There is evidence of functional specialization of right hemispheric activity related to FB processing in adults and children. However, it remains unclear whether this specialization is the cause or the consequence of ToM development. The present exploratory study investigates the longitudinal relationship of resting-state electroencephalogram (rsEEG) alpha asymmetry measured in infancy/toddlerhood and behavioral false belief understanding (FBU) at the age of 4 years. Employing a longitudinal design, Study 1 assessed rsEEG alpha asymmetry across frontal and parietal electrode sites (N = 43), implicit FBU at 34 months (N = 38), and explicit FBU at age 4 (N = 22). Study 2 is another independent longitudinal dataset that included rsEEG alpha asymmetry at 14 months (N = 37) and explicit FBU at age 4 (N = 32). We found that superior explicit FBU at age 4 was associated with greater right frontal activity at an earlier age, and better implicit FBU was cross-sectionally related to greater right parietal activity. Given the limited sample size, these results should be viewed as preliminary and warrant replication in future studies. Interpreted cautiously, these findings may suggest that rsEEG alpha asymmetry in frontal regions may serve as an early-appearing neural marker of children's later explicit FBU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuting Li
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany.
| | - Barbara C N Müller
- Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Jörg Meinhardt
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany.
| | - Beate Sodian
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany.
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2
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Amani B, Krzeczkowski JE, Schmidt LA, Van Lieshout RJ. Public health nurse-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for postpartum depression: Assessing the effects of maternal treatment on infant emotion regulation. Dev Psychopathol 2025; 37:259-267. [PMID: 38273706 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579423001566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
The effects of maternal postpartum depression (PPD) on offspring emotion regulation (ER) are particularly deleterious as difficulties with ER predict an increased risk of psychopathology. This study examined the impact of maternal participation in a public health nurse (PHN)-delivered group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention on infant ER. Mothers/birthing parents were ≥ 18 years old with an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score ≥ 10, and infants were < 12 months. Between 2017 and 2020, 141 mother-infant dyads were randomized to experimental or control groups. Infant ER was measured at baseline (T1) and nine weeks later (T2) using two neurophysiological measures (frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) and high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV)), and informant-report of infant temperament. Mothers were a mean of 30.8 years old (SD = 4.7), 92.3% were married/ common-law, and infants were a mean of 5.4 months old (SD = 2.9) and 52.1% were male. A statistically significant group-by-time interaction was found to predict change in HF-HRV between T1 and T2 (F(1,68.3) = 4.04, p = .04), but no significant interaction predicted change in FAA or temperament. Results suggest that PHN-delivered group CBT for PPD may lead to adaptive changes in a neurophysiological marker of infant ER, highlighting the importance of early maternal intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahar Amani
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | | | - Louis A Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Ryan J Van Lieshout
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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3
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Perone S, Vaughan AM. Frontal alpha asymmetry dynamics: A window into active self-regulatory processes. Biol Psychol 2024; 193:108872. [PMID: 39321992 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 08/22/2024] [Accepted: 09/17/2024] [Indexed: 09/27/2024]
Abstract
Frontal Alpha Asymmetry (FAA) has been studied since the late 1970s as a neural correlate of emotion regulation and motivational processes. FAA is often viewed through a dispositional lens reflecting individual differences in positive or negative emotionality and biases toward approach or avoidance motivational processes. However, FAA also shifts in response to context-specific conditions that elicit approach or avoidance responses, indicating FAA reflects active, ongoing self-regulatory processes. Moreover, FAA changes over time, and how it changes over time is affected by context, experience, and development. We propose FAA evolves over four different time scales including the (1) second-to-second, (2) laboratory task, (3) intervention or intensive learning experience, and (4) developmental time scales. We present evidence showing FAA evolves over each of these time scales and highlight influences of individual differences and the developmental context on how FAA changes over time. We emphasize the insights gained by studying change in FAA over each time scale. We concluded with recommendations about future directions and speculate about the nested, bidirectional nature of the four timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sammy Perone
- Department of Human Development, Washington State University, USA.
| | - Aryn M Vaughan
- Department of Human Development, Washington State University, USA
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4
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Schmidt LA, Poole KL, Krzeczkowski J, Van Lieshout RJ, Saigal S, Mathewson KJ. Long‐term stability of frontal electroencephalogram alpha power and asymmetry at rest in adults born at extremely low or normal birth weight: A 10‐year longitudinal study. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22256. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.22256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Louis A. Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Kristie L. Poole
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - John Krzeczkowski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behaviour Neurosciences McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Ryan J. Van Lieshout
- Department of Psychiatry and Behaviour Neurosciences McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Saroj Saigal
- Department of Pediatrics McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Karen J. Mathewson
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada
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5
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Cannard C, Wahbeh H, Delorme A. Electroencephalography Correlates of Well-Being Using a Low-Cost Wearable System. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:745135. [PMID: 35002651 PMCID: PMC8740323 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.745135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Electroencephalography (EEG) alpha asymmetry is thought to reflect crucial brain processes underlying executive control, motivation, and affect. It has been widely used in psychopathology and, more recently, in novel neuromodulation studies. However, inconsistencies remain in the field due to the lack of consensus in methodological approaches employed and the recurrent use of small samples. Wearable technologies ease the collection of large and diversified EEG datasets that better reflect the general population, allow longitudinal monitoring of individuals, and facilitate real-world experience sampling. We tested the feasibility of using a low-cost wearable headset to collect a relatively large EEG database (N = 230, 22-80 years old, 64.3% female), and an open-source automatic method to preprocess it. We then examined associations between well-being levels and the alpha center of gravity (CoG) as well as trait EEG asymmetries, in the frontal and temporoparietal (TP) areas. Robust linear regression models did not reveal an association between well-being and alpha (8-13 Hz) asymmetry in the frontal regions, nor with the CoG. However, well-being was associated with alpha asymmetry in the TP areas (i.e., corresponding to relatively less left than right TP cortical activity as well-being levels increased). This effect was driven by oscillatory activity in lower alpha frequencies (8-10.5 Hz), reinforcing the importance of dissociating sub-components of the alpha band when investigating alpha asymmetries. Age was correlated with both well-being and alpha asymmetry scores, but gender was not. Finally, EEG asymmetries in the other frequency bands were not associated with well-being, supporting the specific role of alpha asymmetries with the brain mechanisms underlying well-being levels. Interpretations, limitations, and recommendations for future studies are discussed. This paper presents novel methodological, experimental, and theoretical findings that help advance human neurophysiological monitoring techniques using wearable neurotechnologies and increase the feasibility of their implementation into real-world applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Cannard
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CerCo), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France
- Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), Petaluma, CA, United States
| | - Helané Wahbeh
- Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), Petaluma, CA, United States
| | - Arnaud Delorme
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CerCo), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France
- Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), Petaluma, CA, United States
- Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience (SCCN), Institute of Neural Computation (INC), University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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6
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Vincent KM, Xie W, Nelson CA. Using different methods for calculating frontal alpha asymmetry to study its development from infancy to 3 years of age in a large longitudinal sample. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22163. [PMID: 34292586 PMCID: PMC11268489 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Frontal electroencephalography (EEG) alpha asymmetry (FAA), defined as the difference in frontal alpha power observed over the right and left frontal scalp regions, has been widely used in developmental research as a measure of multiple aspects of child behavior, such as temperament. Studies have used different equations to calculate FAA, which renders comparison of results across studies challenging. Furthermore, few studies have examined FAA's longitudinal stability across infancy and early childhood, which is a desirable feature of a temperament measure. We investigated the cross-sectional and the longitudinal correlations of FAA values from four different equations to calculate FAA used in the literature. We used baseline EEG data from a longitudinal sample of 321 infants and 168 3-year-old children (149 of whom had data at both timepoints). Consistent with previous work, FAA values calculated using two commonly used equations were highly correlated with each other cross-sectionally but not with values from a different equation that used log-transformed relative power. The log-transformed relative power FAA values were the only values that showed significant longitudinal stability. These findings suggest that researchers interested in FAA as a trait-like measure in children should consider using the relative power equation that renders stability across ages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M Vincent
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Wanze Xie
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, China; and PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, China
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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7
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Anaya B, Ostlund B, LoBue V, Buss K, Pérez-Edgar K. Psychometric properties of infant electroencephalography: Developmental stability, reliability, and construct validity of frontal alpha asymmetry and delta-beta coupling. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22178. [PMID: 34423429 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) provides developmental neuroscientists a noninvasive view into the neural underpinnings of cognition and emotion. Recently, the psychometric properties of two widely used neural measures in early childhood-frontal alpha asymmetry and delta-beta coupling-have come under scrutiny. Despite their growing use, additional work examining how the psychometric properties of these neural signatures may change across infancy is needed. The current study examined the developmental stability, split-half reliability, and construct validity of infant frontal alpha asymmetry and delta-beta coupling. Infants provided resting-state EEG data at 8, 12, and 18 months of age (N = 213). Frontal alpha asymmetry and delta-beta coupling showed significant developmental change from 8 to 18 months. Reliability for alpha asymmetry, and alpha, delta, and beta power, individually, was generally good. In contrast, the reliability of delta-beta coupling scores was poor. Associations between frontal alpha asymmetry and approach tendencies generally emerged, whereas stronger (over-coupled) delta-beta coupling scores were associated with profiles of dysregulation and low inhibition. However, the individual associations varied across time and specific measures of interest. We discuss these findings with a developmental lens, highlighting the importance of repeated measures to better understand links between neural signatures and typical and atypical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berenice Anaya
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Brendan Ostlund
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Vanessa LoBue
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Kristin Buss
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Koraly Pérez-Edgar
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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8
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Blaisdell KN, Barker TV, Giuliano RJ, Fisher PA. Alpha electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry among toddlers in foster care. Dev Psychopathol 2020; 32:1743-1753. [PMID: 33427181 PMCID: PMC8966577 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420001212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The majority of children living in foster care in the United States have a history of maltreatment and/or disrupted caregiving. Maltreatment in early childhood adversely affects development at many levels, including neurobiology and behavior. One neurobiological measure associated with maltreatment is alpha electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry. Prior research has found greater right frontal asymmetry among children with a history of maltreatment. However, little research has been extended developmentally downward to examine alpha asymmetry and its behavioral correlates among toddlers in foster care; this was the purpose of the present study. Differences in EEG asymmetry were examined between a sample of foster toddlers (mean age = 3.21 years, n = 38) and a community comparison, low-income sample without a history of foster care (mean age = 3.04 years, n = 16). The toddlers in the foster care group exhibited greater right alpha asymmetry, primarily driven by differences in parietal asymmetry. Neither frontal nor parietal asymmetry were clearly related to internalizing or externalizing behaviors, measured concurrently or at previous time points. These findings reveal differences in alpha EEG asymmetry among toddlers in foster care, and highlight the need to better understand associations between neurobiological and behavioral functioning following early adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ryan J. Giuliano
- University of Manitoba, Department of Psychology. Winnipeg, Canada
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9
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Positive and Negative Emotionality at Age 3 Predicts Change in Frontal EEG Asymmetry across Early Childhood. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 47:209-219. [PMID: 29687430 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-018-0433-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Depression is characterized by low positive emotionality (PE) and high negative emotionality (NE), as well as asymmetries in resting electroencephalography (EEG) alpha power. Moreover, frontal asymmetry has itself been linked to PE, NE, and related constructs. However, little is known about associations of temperamental PE and NE with resting EEG asymmetries in young children and whether this association changes as a function of development. In a longitudinal study of 254 three-year old children, we assessed PE and NE at age 3 using a standard laboratory observation procedure. Frontal EEG asymmetries were assessed at age 3 and three years later at age 6. We observed a significant three-way interaction of preschool PE and NE and age at assessment for asymmetry at F3-F4 electrode sites, such that children with both low PE and high NE developed a pattern of increasingly lower relative left-frontal cortical activity over time. In addition, F7-F8 asymmetry was predicted by a PE by time interaction, such that the frontal asymmetry in children with high PE virtually disappeared by age 6. Overall, these findings suggest that early temperament is associated with developmental changes in frontal asymmetry, and that the combination of low PE and high NE predicts the development of the pattern of frontal symmetry that is associated with depression.
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10
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Bulgarelli C, de Klerk CCJM, Richards JE, Southgate V, Hamilton A, Blasi A. The developmental trajectory of fronto-temporoparietal connectivity as a proxy of the default mode network: a longitudinal fNIRS investigation. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:2717-2740. [PMID: 32128946 PMCID: PMC7294062 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The default mode network (DMN) is a network of brain regions that is activated while we are not engaged in any particular task. While there is a large volume of research documenting functional connectivity within the DMN in adults, knowledge of the development of this network is still limited. There is some evidence for a gradual increase in the functional connections within the DMN during the first 2 years of life, in contrast to other functional resting‐state networks that support primary sensorimotor functions, which are online from very early in life. Previous studies that investigated the development of the DMN acquired data from sleeping infants using fMRI. However, sleep stages are known to affect functional connectivity. In the current longitudinal study, fNIRS was used to measure spontaneous fluctuations in connectivity within fronto‐temporoparietal areas—as a proxy for the DMN—in awake participants every 6 months from 11 months till 36 months. This study validates a method for recording resting‐state data from awake infants, and presents a data analysis pipeline for the investigation of functional connections with infant fNIRS data, which will be beneficial for researchers in this field. A gradual development of fronto‐temporoparietal connectivity was found, supporting the idea that the DMN develops over the first years of life. Functional connectivity reached its maximum peak at about 24 months, which is consistent with previous findings showing that, by 2 years of age, DMN connectivity is similar to that observed in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Bulgarelli
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK.,Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK
| | - Carina C J M de Klerk
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| | - John E Richards
- Institute for Mind and Brain, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
| | | | - Antonia Hamilton
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Anna Blasi
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
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Bulgarelli C, Blasi A, de Klerk CCJM, Richards JE, Hamilton A, Southgate V. Fronto-temporoparietal connectivity and self-awareness in 18-month-olds: A resting state fNIRS study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 38:100676. [PMID: 31299480 PMCID: PMC6969340 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
How and when a concept of the 'self' emerges has been the topic of much interest in developmental psychology. Self-awareness has been proposed to emerge at around 18 months, when toddlers start to show evidence of physical self-recognition. However, to what extent physical self-recognition is a valid indicator of being able to think about oneself, is debated. Research in adult cognitive neuroscience has suggested that a common network of brain regions called Default Mode Network (DMN), including the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), is recruited when we are reflecting on the self. We hypothesized that if mirror self-recognition involves self-awareness, toddlers who exhibit mirror self-recognition might show increased functional connectivity between frontal and temporoparietal regions of the brain, relative to those toddlers who do not yet show mirror self-recognition. Using fNIRS, we collected resting-state data from 18 Recognizers and 22 Non-Recognizers at 18 months of age. We found significantly stronger fronto-temporoparietal connectivity in Recognizers compared to Non-Recognizers, a finding which might support the hypothesized relationship between mirror-self recognition and self-awareness in infancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Bulgarelli
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK; Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, University College London, UK.
| | - Anna Blasi
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK; Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, University College London, UK
| | - Carina C J M de Klerk
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK; Department of Psychology, University of Essex, UK
| | - John E Richards
- University of South Carolina, Institute for Mind and Brain, Department of Psychology, United States
| | - Antonia Hamilton
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK
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DiStefano C, Dickinson A, Baker E, Jeste SS. EEG Data Collection in Children with ASD: The Role of State in Data Quality and Spectral Power. RESEARCH IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS 2019; 57:132-144. [PMID: 31223334 PMCID: PMC6585985 DOI: 10.1016/j.rasd.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Electroencephalography can elucidate neurobiological mechanisms underlying heterogeneity in ASD. Studying the full range of children with ASD introduces methodological challenges stemming from participants' difficulties tolerating the data collection process, leading to diminished EEGdataretentionandincreasedvariabilityin participant 'state' during the recording. Quantifying state will improve data collection methods and aide in interpreting results. OBJECTIVES Observationally quantify participant state during the EEG recording; examine its relationship to child characteristics, data retention and spectral power. METHODS Participants included 5-11 year-old children with D (N=39) and age-matched TD children (N=16). Participants were acclimated to the EEG environment using behavioral strategies. EEG was recorded while participants watched a video of bubbles. Participant 'state' was rated using a Likert scale (Perceived State Rating: PSR). RESULTS Participants with ASD had more elevated PSR than TD participants. Less EEG data were retained in participants with higher PSR scores, but this was not related to age or IQ. TD participants had higher alpha power compared with the ASD group. Within the ASD group, participants with high PSR had decreased frontal alpha power. CONCLUSIONS Given supportive strategies, EEG data was collected from children with ASD across cognitive levels. Participant state influenced both EEG data retention and alpha spectral power. Alpha suppression is linked to attention and vigilance, suggesting that these participants were less 'at rest'. This highlights the importance of considering state when conducting EEG studies with challenging participants, both to increase data retention rates and to quantify the influence of state on EEG variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte DiStefano
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Abigail Dickinson
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Elizabeth Baker
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Shafali Spurling Jeste
- Department of Pediatrics, Department of Neurology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience,University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
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Abstract
The prenatal period is increasingly considered as a crucial target for the primary prevention of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Understanding their pathophysiological mechanisms remains a great challenge. Our review reveals new insights from prenatal brain development research, involving (epi)genetic research, neuroscience, recent imaging techniques, physical modeling, and computational simulation studies. Studies examining the effect of prenatal exposure to maternal distress on offspring brain development, using brain imaging techniques, reveal effects at birth and up into adulthood. Structural and functional changes are observed in several brain regions including the prefrontal, parietal, and temporal lobes, as well as the cerebellum, hippocampus, and amygdala. Furthermore, alterations are seen in functional connectivity of amygdalar-thalamus networks and in intrinsic brain networks, including default mode and attentional networks. The observed changes underlie offspring behavioral, cognitive, emotional development, and susceptibility to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. It is concluded that used brain measures have not yet been validated with regard to sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, or robustness in predicting neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Therefore, more prospective long-term longitudinal follow-up studies starting early in pregnancy should be carried out, in order to examine brain developmental measures as mediators in mediating the link between prenatal stress and offspring behavioral, cognitive, and emotional problems and susceptibility for disorders.
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Poole KL, Santesso DL, Van Lieshout RJ, Schmidt LA. Trajectories of frontal brain activity and socio-emotional development in children. Dev Psychobiol 2018; 60:353-363. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristie L. Poole
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour; McMaster University; Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Diane L. Santesso
- Department of Psychology; University of Winnipeg; Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
| | - Ryan J. Van Lieshout
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences; McMaster University; Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Louis A. Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour; McMaster University; Hamilton Ontario Canada
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15
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O'Reilly MA, Bathelt J, Sakkalou E, Sakki H, Salt A, Dale NJ, de Haan M. Frontal EEG asymmetry and later behavior vulnerability in infants with congenital visual impairment. Clin Neurophysiol 2017; 128:2191-2199. [PMID: 28950152 PMCID: PMC6609275 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2017.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Revised: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Young children with congenital visual impairment (VI) are at increased risk of behavioral vulnerabilities. Studies on 'at risk' populations suggest that frontal EEG asymmetry may be associated with behavioral risk. We investigated frontal asymmetry at 1year (Time 1), behavior at 2years (Time 2) and their longitudinal associations within a sample of infants with VI. Frontal asymmetry in the VI sample at 1year was also compared cross-sectionally to an age-matched typically sighted (TS) group. METHODS At Time 1, 22 infants with VI and 10 TS infants underwent 128-channel EEG recording. Frontal asymmetry ratios were calculated from power spectral density values in the alpha frequency band. At Time 2, Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist data was obtained for the VI sample. RESULTS 63.6% of the VI sample and 50% of the TS sample showed left frontal asymmetry; no significant difference in frontal asymmetry was found between the two groups. 22.7% of the VI sample had subclinical to clinical range 'internalizing' behavior difficulties. Greater left frontal asymmetry at one year was significantly associated with greater emotionally reactive scores at two years within the VI sample (r=0.50, p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS Left frontal asymmetry correlates with later behavior risk within this vulnerable population. SIGNIFICANCE These findings make an important first contribution regarding the utility of frontal EEG asymmetry as a method to investigate risk in infants with VI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle A O'Reilly
- Clinical Neurosciences Section, Developmental Neurosciences Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Joe Bathelt
- MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, UK; Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychiatry Section, Developmental Neurosciences Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, UK
| | - Elena Sakkalou
- Clinical Neurosciences Section, Developmental Neurosciences Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Hanna Sakki
- Clinical Neurosciences Section, Developmental Neurosciences Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Alison Salt
- Clinical Neurosciences Section, Developmental Neurosciences Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK; Developmental Vision Service, Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Naomi J Dale
- Clinical Neurosciences Section, Developmental Neurosciences Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK; Developmental Vision Service, Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
| | - Michelle de Haan
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychiatry Section, Developmental Neurosciences Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, UK
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Schneider M, Chau L, Mohamadpour M, Stephens N, Arya K, Grant A. EEG asymmetry and BIS/BAS among healthy adolescents. Biol Psychol 2016; 120:142-148. [PMID: 27702583 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2016.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Asymmetry in frontal alpha activation (FAA) has been associated with specific behavior patterns. Greater activation in the left frontal cortex is related to "approach" motivation, while greater activation in the right cortex is associated with "withdrawal" motivation. Moreover, resting FAA is stable over time among adults. This stability has not been demonstrated among adolescents, and the correspondence between resting FAA and personality has been inconsistently observed. The present study examined stability of FAA and the association between resting FAA and behavioral activation among adolescents. At baseline and 4 months, 99 adolescents completed a resting electroencephalogram (EEG) and a pencil-and-paper measure of personality (BIS/BAS). FAA showed good stability over time (Intra-class correlation coefficient=0.65, p<0.001), but there was no correlation between FAA and personality. Results are interpreted in light of a capability model of FAA; namely, that asymmetry may emerge under conditions of stimulation and recede during resting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Nakita Stephens
- State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, United States
| | - Kapil Arya
- State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, United States
| | - Arthur Grant
- State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, United States
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17
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Goldstein BL, Shankman SA, Kujawa A, Torpey-Newman DC, Olino TM, Klein DN. Developmental changes in electroencephalographic frontal asymmetry in young children at risk for depression. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2016; 57:1075-82. [PMID: 27138464 PMCID: PMC4990483 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A number of studies have reported that depression is associated with lower relative left frontal activity in the alpha band (i.e. frontal asymmetry, or FA), as measured by electroencephalogram. FA has also been hypothesized to be a vulnerability marker for depression. If this is the case, FA should be evident in offspring of depressed mothers, a group at elevated risk for depression. However, the results of previous offspring studies have been inconsistent and none of these studies has considered whether the relationship between FA and risk changes over development in children. METHOD We assessed FA twice, at ages 3 and 6, in 253 never depressed children from a community sample. Maternal history of depressive disorders was determined by a diagnostic interview completed by the mothers at the first assessment. RESULTS There was a significant interaction between maternal depression and offspring age at assessment, indicating that FA exhibits different developmental trajectories depending on level of familial risk for depression. Offspring of depressed mothers exhibited a decreasing relative left FA over the course of early childhood, while offspring of nondepressed mothers exhibited relatively similar, symmetrical, levels of frontal alpha activity at both assessment points. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that changes in FA from early to middle childhood distinguish those at risk for depression and that cross-sectional assessment of FA may have limited value in understanding risk. These results highlight the importance of considering development in understanding the role of FA in depression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Autumn Kujawa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL
| | | | - Thomas M. Olino
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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