Michelle A O'Reilly1, Joe Bathelt2, Elena Sakkalou1, Hanna Sakki1, Alison Salt3, Naomi J Dale4, Michelle de Haan5. 1. Clinical Neurosciences Section, Developmental Neurosciences Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. 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. Electronic address: n.dale@ucl.ac.uk. 5. Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychiatry Section, Developmental Neurosciences Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, UK.
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.
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.
Authors: Richard J Davidson; David A Lewis; Lauren B Alloy; David G Amaral; George Bush; Jonathan D Cohen; Wayne C Drevets; Martha J Farah; Jerome Kagan; Jay L McClelland; Susan Nolen-Hoeksema; Bradley S Peterson Journal: Biol Psychiatry Date: 2002-09-15 Impact factor: 13.382