Age-related changes in error processing in young children: a school-based investigation

Anxiety Symptoms in Young Children Are Associated With a Maladaptive Neurobehavioral Profile of Error Responding

BACKGROUND

Childhood anxiety symptoms have been linked to alterations in cognitive control and error processing, but the diverse findings on neural markers of anxiety in young children, which vary by severity and developmental stage, suggest the need for a wider perspective. Integrating new neural markers with established ones, such as the error-related negativity, the error positivity, and frontal theta, could clarify this association. Error-related alpha suppression (ERAS) is a recently proposed index of post-error attentional engagement that has not yet been explored in children with anxiety.

METHODS

To identify neurobehavioral profiles of anxiety in young children by integrating ERAS with the error-related negativity, error positivity, frontal theta, and post-error performance indicators, we employed K-means clustering as an unsupervised multimetric approach. For this, we first aimed to confirm the presence and scalp distribution of ERAS in young children. We performed event-related potentials and spectral analysis of electroencephalogram data collected during a Go/NoGo task (Zoo Task) completed by 181 children (ages 4-7 years; 103 female) who were sampled from across the clinical-to-nonclinical range of anxiety severity using the Child Behavior Checklist.

RESULTS

Results confirmed ERAS, showing lower post-error alpha power, maximal suppression at occipital sites, and less ERAS in younger children. K-means clustering revealed that high anxiety and younger age were associated with reduction in ERAS and frontal theta, less negative error-related negativity, enlarged error positivity, more post-error slowing, and reduced post-error accuracy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate a link between ERAS, maladaptive neural mechanisms of attention elicited by errors, and anxiety in young children, suggesting that anxiety may arise from or interfere with attention and error processing.

Incorporating Evidence-Based Gamification and Machine Learning to Assess Preschool Executive Function: A Feasibility Study

Computerized assessments and digital games have become more prevalent in childhood, necessitating a systematic investigation of the effects of gamified executive function assessments on performance and engagement. This study examined the feasibility of incorporating gamification and a machine learning algorithm that adapts task difficulty to individual children's performance into a traditional executive function task (i.e., Flanker Task) with children ages 3-5. The results demonstrated that performance on a gamified version of the Flanker Task was associated with performance on the traditional version of the task and standardized academic achievement outcomes. Furthermore, gamification grounded in learning science and developmental psychology theories applied to a traditional executive function measure increased children's task enjoyment while preserving psychometric properties of the Flanker Task. Overall, this feasibility study indicates that gamification and adaptive machine learning algorithms can be successfully incorporated into executive function assessments with young children to increase enjoyment and reduce data loss with developmentally appropriate and intentional practices.

Magnitude representation of preschool children with autism spectrum condition

LAY ABSTRACT

The mathematical abilities of children with autism spectrum condition have been understudied. Magnitude representation (e.g. presenting the number of a collection of objects) is a fundamental numerical ability presented since early infancy and is correlated with children's later learning of formal mathematics. It remains unclear about whether children with autism spectrum condition differ from their peers without autism spectrum condition in precision of magnitude representations. This study compared preschool children with and without autism spectrum condition in their precision of magnitude representation with an approximate number comparison task, in which children compared two sets of dots without counting and chose the set with more dots. Children with autism spectrum condition exhibited the lower numerical comparison accuracy (i.e. the weaker magnitude representation) than their peers without autism spectrum condition. This difference existed even when multiple general cognitive abilities (working memory, inhibitory control, and nonverbal intelligence) and language abilities were statistically controlled. Moreover, the individual difference of the numerical comparison accuracy was larger in children with autism spectrum condition than without autism spectrum condition. These findings suggest that children with autism spectrum condition are at risk of weaker magnitude representation from an early age, emphasizing the need for specialized mathematics education or interventions to support their learning. In addition, the large variance in the precision of their magnitude representation suggests that individualized mathematics interventions are needed for children with autism spectrum condition.

Variation in coupling across neural and cardiac systems of regulation is linked to markers of anxiety risk in preschool

Both cortical and parasympathetic systems are believed to regulate emotional arousal in the service of healthy development. Systemic coordination, or coupling, between putative regulatory functions begins in early childhood. Yet the degree of coupling between cortical and parasympathetic systems in young children remains unclear, particularly in relation to the development of typical or atypical emotion function. We tested whether cortical (ERN) and parasympathetic (respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) markers of regulation were coupled during cognitive challenge in preschoolers (N = 121). We found no main effect of RSA predicting ERN. We then tested children's typical and atypical emotion behavior (context-appropriate/context-inappropriate fear, anxiety symptoms, neuroendocrine reactivity) as moderators of early coupling in an effort to link patterns of coupling to adaptive emotional development. Negative coupling (i.e., smaller ERN, more RSA suppression or larger ERN, less RSA suppression) at age 3 was associated with greater atypical and less typical emotion behaviors, indicative of greater risk. Negative age 3 coupling was also visible for children who had greater Generalized Anxiety Disorder symptoms and blunted cortisol reactivity at age 5. Results suggest that negative coupling may reflect a maladaptive pattern across regulatory systems that is identifiable during the preschool years.

Brain response to errors in children who stutter

PURPOSE

Heightened rates of social anxiety have been reported in adults who stutter (AWS), but it is unclear whether anxiety is heightened also in children who stutter (CWS). Objective neurophysiological responses such as the error-related negativity (ERN) have been associated with anxiety, and ERN was reported to be increased in AWS. In this study, we examined whether ERN and error positivity (Pe) are increased in CWS. We further characterized ERN associations with age and anxiety in CWS relative to children who do not stutter (CWNS).

METHODS

EEG data were recorded from twenty-four CWS and twenty-four matched CWNS aged 3-9 years as they performed a Go/No-Go task. Parent-reported anxiety, and child-reported speech-associated attitude measures were collected. Linear regression models tested the effects of age, group, and their interaction, and the effects of anxiety, group, and their interaction on ERN and Pe.

RESULTS

Contrary to expectations, no ERN or Pe difference were observed between CWS and CWNS. However, larger ERN amplitudes were associated with older age in CWS but not CWNS, suggesting altered development of the error monitoring system in CWS. Association of Pe with anxiety also differed between groups: smaller Pe amplitudes were associated with higher level of parent-reported child anxiety in CWNS but not in CWS. Neither anxiety nor self-reported communication attitude differed between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Brain responses to errors were overall comparable between CWS and CWNS. However, CWS differed in how error monitoring responses varied with age and with anxiety levels. More research is warranted to examine how these factors contribute to persistent stuttering.

[Formula: see text] Neural and behavioral indicators of cognitive control in preschoolers with and without prenatal opioid exposure

Prenatal opioid exposure is one consequence of the opioid epidemic, but effects on child development remain poorly understood. There is emerging evidence that children exposed to opioids in utero exhibit elevated emotional and behavioral problems, which may be partially due to alterations in cognitive control. Using multiple methods (i.e., neuropsychological, behavioral, and event-related potential [ERP] assessments), the present study examined differences in emotional, behavioral, and cognitive control difficulties in preschool-aged children with (n = 21) and without (n = 23) prenatal opioid exposure (Mage = 4.30, SD = 0.77 years). Child emotional and behavioral problems were measured with a caregiver questionnaire, indicators of cognitive control were measured using developmentally appropriate behavioral (i.e., delay discounting, Go/No-Go) and neuropsychological (i.e., Statue) tasks, and electroencephalogram was recorded to error and correct responses in a Go/No-Go task. ERP analyses focused on the error-related negativity (ERN), an ERP that reflects error monitoring, and correct-response negativity (CRN), a component reflecting performance monitoring more generally. Opioid exposure was associated with elevated difficulties across domains and a blunted ERN, reflecting altered cognitive control at the neural level, but groups did not significantly differ on behavioral measures of cognitive control. These result replicate prior studies indicating an association between prenatal opioid exposure and behavioral problems in preschool-aged children. Further, our findings suggest these differences may be partially due to children with prenatal opioid exposure exhibiting difficulties with cognitive control at the neural level. The ERN is a potential target for future research and intervention efforts to address the sequelae of prenatal opioid exposure.

Longitudinal Stability of Neural Correlates of Pediatric Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Pilot Study of Event Related Potentials and Electroencephalography

OBJECTIVE

Stability and developmental effects of electroencephalography (EEG) and event related potential (ERP) correlates of ADHD are understudied. This pilot study examined stability and developmental changes in ERP and EEG metrics of interest.

METHODS

Thirty-seven 7 to 11-year-old children with ADHD and 15 typically developing (TD) children completed EEG twice, 11 to 36 months apart. A series of mixed effects linear models were run to examine stability and developmental effects of EEG and ERP metrics.

RESULTS

Stability and developmental effects of EEG and ERP correlates of ADHD varied considerably across metrics. P3 amplitude was stable over time and showed diverging developmental trajectories across groups. Developmental differences were apparent in error related ERPs and resting aperiodic exponent. Theta-beta ratio was stable over time among all children.

CONCLUSIONS

Developmental trajectories of EEG and ERP correlates of ADHD are candidate diagnostic markers. Replication with larger samples is needed.

Component-specific developmental trajectories of ERP indices of cognitive control in early childhood

Early childhood is characterized by robust developmental changes in cognitive control. However, our understanding of intra-individual change in neural indices of cognitive control during this period remains limited. Here, we examined developmental changes in event-related potential (ERP) indices of cognitive control from preschool through first grade, in a large and diverse sample of children (N = 257). We recorded ERPs during a visual Go/No-Go task. N2 and P3b mean amplitudes were extracted from the observed waveforms (Go and No-Go) and the difference wave (No-Go minus Go, or ∆). Latent growth curve modeling revealed that while N2 Go and No-Go amplitudes showed no linear change, P3b Go and No-Go amplitudes displayed linear decreases in magnitude (became less positive) over time. ∆N2 amplitude demonstrated a linear increase in magnitude (became more negative) over time whereas ∆P3b amplitude was more positive in kindergarten compared to preschool. Younger age in preschool predicted greater rates of change in ∆N2 amplitude, and higher maternal education predicted larger initial P3b Go and No-Go amplitudes in preschool. Our findings suggest that observed waveforms and difference waves are not interchangeable for indexing neurodevelopment, and the developmental trajectories of different ERP indices of cognitive control are component-specific in early childhood.

Multimodal study of the neural sources of error monitoring in adolescents and adults

The ability to monitor performance during a goal-directed behavior differs among children and adults in ways that can be measured with several tasks and techniques. As well, recent work has shown that individual differences in error monitoring moderate temperamental risk for anxiety and that this moderation changes with age. We investigated age differences in neural responses linked to performance monitoring using a multimodal approach. The approach combined functional MRI and source localization of event-related potentials (ERPs) in 12-year-old, 15-year-old, and adult participants. Neural generators of two components related to performance and error monitoring, the N2 and ERN, lay within specific areas of fMRI clusters. Whereas correlates of the N2 component appeared similar across age groups, age-related differences manifested in the location of the generators of the ERN component. The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) was the predominant source location for the 12-year-old group; this area manifested posteriorly for the 15-year-old and adult groups. A fMRI-based ROI analysis confirmed this pattern of activity. These results suggest that changes in the underlying neural mechanisms are related to developmental changes in performance monitoring.

Intergenerational transmission of cognitive control capacity among children at risk for depression

A maternal history of major depressive disorder (MDD) is a well-known risk factor for depression in offspring. However, the mechanism through which familial risk is transmitted remains unclear. Cognitive control alterations are common in MDD, and thus, the current study investigated whether altered control capacity is transmitted intergenerationally, and whether it then contributes to the developmental pathways through which depression is passed from mothers to children. We recruited children (N = 65) ages 4-10-years-old, of which 47.7 % (n = 31) reported a maternal history of MDD, and their biological mother (N = 65). Children performed a child-friendly Go/NoGo task while electroencephalography (EEG) data were recorded, and mothers performed a Flanker task. Children exhibited heightened sensitivity to error versus correct responses, which was characterized by an error-related negativity (ERN), error positivity (Pe) as well as prominent delta and frontal midline theta (FMT) oscillations. Interestingly, worse maternal performance on the Flanker task associated with an increased Go/NoGo error rate and a smaller ERN and Pe in children. However, there was no association between maternal or child control indices with child depression symptoms. Our results suggest a familial influence of cognitive control capacity in mother-child dyads, but it remains unclear whether this confers risk for depressive symptoms in children. Further research is necessary to determine whether alterations in cognitive control over time may influence symptom development in at-risk children.

Self-regulation and Psychopathology in Young Children

The current study examined concurrent relationships between children's self-regulation, measured behaviorally and by parent-report, and children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms. The aim was to distinguish which components of self-regulation (attention vs. inhibitory control, "hot" vs. "cool" regulation) best predict dimensional symptomatology and clinical disorders in young children. The participants were 120 children, ages 4-8 years old. Results showed that greater parent-reported attention was associated with fewer internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Behaviorally-measured hot inhibitory control related to fewer internalizing symptoms, whereas parent-reported inhibitory control related to fewer externalizing symptoms. Similar patterns emerged for clinical diagnoses, with parent-rated attention most strongly predicting disorders across domains. Results support prior evidence implicating self-regulatory deficits in externalizing problems, while also demonstrating that components of self-regulation are impaired with internalizing symptoms. Further, different sub-components of self-regulation relate to different dimensions of psychopathology in children. Interventions should target these areas in children at-risk for disorders.

Abnormally Enhanced Midfrontal Theta Activity During Response Monitoring in Youths With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

BACKGROUND

Response monitoring, as reflected in electroencephalogram recordings after commission of errors, has been consistently shown to be abnormally enhanced in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This has traditionally been quantified as error-related negativity (ERN) and may reflect abnormal neurophysiological mechanisms underlying OCD. However, the ERN reflects the increase in phase-locked activities, particularly in the theta-band (4-8 Hz), and does not reflect non-phase-locked activities. To more broadly investigate midfrontal theta activity in a brain region that is essential for complex cognition, this study investigated theta abnormalities during response monitoring in participants with OCD to acheive a better understanding of the mechanism underlying the ERN.

METHODS

Electroencephalogram data were recorded from 99 participants with pediatric OCD and 99 sex- and age-matched healthy control participants while they completed the arrow flanker task. Effects of group (OCD, healthy control) and response type (error, correct) on postresponse theta total power and intertrial phase coherence (ITPC) were examined using mixed analysis of covariance and Bayesian analyses controlling for sex and accuracy.

RESULTS

Theta total power was larger on error than on correct trials and larger in OCD than healthy control participants, but there was no effect of response type between groups. Theta ITPC was larger on error than correct trials, but there was no group difference or response type difference between the groups. Correlations of theta total power and ITPC with clinical measures were overall small.

CONCLUSIONS

Abnormally enhanced midfrontal theta total power, but not ITPC, may reflect ineffective heightened response monitoring or compensatory activity in pediatric OCD.

Development of auditory change-detection and attentional capture, and their relation to inhibitory control

EEG methods offer a promising approach to study the development of attention or attention-related processes such as change-detection and attentional capture. However, the development of these attention processes from early to middle childhood is not well understood. In the current study, we utilized a passive three-stimulus oddball paradigm to examine age-related changes in auditory change-detection and attentional capture in a large sample of children across childhood (N = 475; 249 female, 226 male; Mage  = 6.71; SDage  = 2.22; Rangeage  = 4.01-11.5 years). Conventional ERP analyses revealed no age-related changes in change detection (mismatch negativity) and attentional capture (P3a) components, but we observed age-related reductions in late automatic processing of auditory change (late discriminative negativity). However, when utilizing time-frequency analyses, we observed developmental increases in frontocentral signal strength (power) and consistency (inter-trial phase synchrony) in delta and theta bands in response to novel sounds. Such frontocentral delta/theta responses have been linked in prior work to cognitive control. To further examine this possibility, we examined relations with inhibitory control. Results revealed that increased consistency in theta in response to novel sounds was related to improved inhibitory control. Together, our results advance our understanding of the development of attention in childhood. Moreover, they demonstrate the contributions of time-frequency approaches to studying neurocognitive development. Finally, our results highlight the utility of neuroimaging paradigms that have low cognitive and motor demands to study the development of psychological processes.

EEG Dynamics of Error Processing and Associated Behavioral Adjustments in Preschool Children

Preschool children show neural responses and make behavioral adjustments immediately following an error. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding how neural responses to error predict subsequent behavioral adjustments during childhood. The aim of our study was to explore the neural dynamics of error processing and associated behavioral adjustments in preschool children from unsatisfied basic needs (UBN) homes. Using EEG recordings during a go/no-go task, we examined within-subject associations between the error-related negativity (ERN), frontal theta power, post-error slowing, and post-error accuracy. Post-error accuracy increased linearly with post-error slowing, and there was no association between the neural activity of error processing and post-error accuracy. However, during successful error recovery, the frontal theta power, but not the ERN amplitude, was associated positively with post-error slowing. These findings indicated that preschool children from UBN homes adjusted their behavior following an error in an adaptive form and that the error-related theta activity may be associated with the adaptive forms of post-error behavior. Furthermore, our data support the adaptive theory of post-error slowing and point to some degree of separation between the neural mechanisms represented by the ERN and theta.

Targeting cognitive control to reduce anxiety in very young children: A proof of concept study

OBJECTIVE

Underdeveloped cognitive control (CC)-the capacity to flexibly adjust to changing environments-may predispose some children to early onset anxiety disorders and represents a promising intervention target. The current study established and pilot-tested "Camp Kidpower"-a novel group-based, interactive CC training intervention-and assessed its impacts on behavioral and neurophysiological indices of CC among preschool children with elevated anxiety symptoms.

METHODS

Forty-four anxious children (4-6 years) were enrolled in Camp Kidpower, delivered in four sessions over 10 days. Before and after camp, children's capacity for CC was measured using well-validated, non-trained behavioral tasks and error-related negativity (ERN). Child anxiety symptoms were measured by parent report on the Spence Preschool Anxiety Scale.

RESULTS

Thirty-two children completed the study, as defined by completion of pre- and follow-up assessments and at least three camp sessions. From baseline to after camp, performance on behavioral tests of CC improved, ERN amplitude increased, and anxiety symptoms decreased.

CONCLUSION

Results provide initial evidence that play-based cognitive training targeted to behavioral and brain markers of CC reduces anxiety in preschoolers.

Neural indices of performance monitoring are associated with daily emotional functioning in youth with anxiety disorders: An ERP and EMA study

Excessive monitoring of one's performance is a characteristic of anxiety disorders that has been linked to alterations in implicit emotion regulation (ER), including elevations in neural measures of performance monitoring (i.e., error- and correct-related negativity; ERN and CRN). Elevations in ERN and CRN amplitudes have been reported consistently in anxiety disorders, suggesting that an overactive performance monitoring system is linked to ER difficulties in anxiety. Yet, the relevance of these lab-based neural measures for day-to-day emotional functioning remains poorly understood. This study examined the degree to which ERN and CRN amplitudes are associated with measures of daily ER difficulties in youth with anxiety disorders. Youth (N = 100, Mage = 11.14, SDage = 1.46) completed a computerized flanker task assessing the ERN and CRN. They then completed a 5-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol assessing their daily ER (i.e., intensity of momentary and peak negative affect, intensity of worry, reliance on maladaptive ER strategies). Results showed that more negative mean CRN amplitudes were associated with higher levels of negative emotional reactivity and more intense worries. There were no significant associations between ERN amplitude and EMA measures. Furthermore, elevations in CRN were linked to more frequent use of maladaptive ER strategies (i.e., rumination, physiological reactivity, avoidance). Together, results indicate that among youth with anxiety, individual differences in CRN, but not ERN, amplitudes are related to daily ER difficulties. Findings highlight the clinical utility of a lab-based neural measure of ER, suggesting that the CRN, rather than the ERN, reflects individual ER differences in the context of daily life among youth with pediatric anxiety disorders. As such, the CRN might serve as an important dimensional index of a treatment target that can be tracked with a validated, multi-method measure.

Event-related potentials data quality in young children: Standardized measurement error of ERN and Pe

Most methods used to quantify event-related potential (ERP) data were developed for use with typical adult populations. Questions regarding how these methods apply to child ERP data remain. Here, we focused on two widely used ERP scoring methods, namely, time-window mean amplitude and peak amplitude measures, for two ERP error monitoring components, the error-related negativity (ERN) and the error positivity (Pe), collected from Kindergarteners during a child-friendly cognitive control task (N = 170). We first established the presence of error-related ERPs and examined the relations between ERP scores and children's behavioral task performance. We then assessed the data quality (precision) of mean and peak ERP amplitude scores at the level of individual participants using the standardized measurement error of ERPs. We also compared the effects of choosing baseline correction periods that were relatively distal versus proximal to responses on data quality. Across each of these analyses, we found that time-window mean amplitude scoring was comparable to, and in some cases outperformed, peak amplitude scoring. In addition, the proximal baseline provided higher data quality than the distal baseline. We conclude with specific recommendations regarding the scoring and baseline correction for ERP data collected from young children.

Associations Among Food Delay of Gratification, Cognitive Measures, and Environment in a Community Preschool Sample

Much of the work on the development of appetite self-regulation in early childhood employs tasks assessing Delay of Gratification (DoG). While this skill is thought to rely on "cool" cognitive processes like effortful control, executive functioning, and self-regulation, demonstration of how laboratory measures of food DoG relate to common assessments of those cognitive processes in community samples of children is needed. This study presents secondary data investigating the associations between two laboratory tasks of food DoG, the Snack Delay and Tongue Tasks, and an array of laboratory and parent-report cognitive measures in a sample of 88 children ages 3-6 (M age = 4.05, SD = 0.76), as well as how four measures of the child's environment were associated with food DoG. Results indicated that both measures of food DoG were positively correlated with performance on the cognitive tasks, with stronger associations observed for the Tongue Task. Family income was positively associated with food DoG as measured by the Tongue Task, and child negative life events in the past year were negatively correlated with food DoG as measured by the Snack Delay Task. These findings present the pattern of associations between cognitive tasks and food DoG, the development of which may be meaningfully affected by specific aspects of family environment.

Time-frequency dynamics of error monitoring in childhood: An EEG study

Error monitoring allows individuals to monitor and adapt their behavior by detecting errors. Error monitoring is thought to develop throughout childhood and adolescence. However, most of this evidence comes from studies in late childhood and adolescence utilizing event-related potentials (ERPs). The current study utilizes time-frequency (TF) and connectivity analyses to provide a comprehensive examination of age-related changes in error-monitoring processes across early childhood (N = 326; 50.9% females; 4-9 years). ERP analyses indicated the presence of the error-related negativity (ERN) and error positivity (Pe) across all ages. Results showed no error-specific age-related changes in the ERN and the Pe. However, TF analyses suggested error-related frontocentral responses in delta and theta signal strength (power), delta consistency (intertrial phase synchrony), and delta synchrony (interchannel phase synchrony) between frontrocentral and frontolateral clusters-all of which increased with age. Additionally, the current study examines the reliability and effect size estimates of the ERP and TF measures. For most measures, more trials were needed to achieve acceptable reliability than what is commonly used in the psychophysiological literature. Resources to facilitate the measurement and reporting of reliability are provided. Overall, findings highlight the utility of TF analyses and provide useful information for future studies examining the development of error monitoring.

Predictors of Post-Exercise Energy Intake in Adolescents Ranging in Weight Status from Overweight to Severe Obesity

Exercise may sensitize individuals with overweight and obesity to appetitive signals (e.g., hunger and fullness cues), overriding trait eating behaviors that contribute to overeating and obesity, such as uncontrolled eating. The objective of the current study was to measure predictors of objective ad libitum energy intake at a laboratory-based, post-exercise test-meal in adolescents ranging in weight status from overweight to severe obesity. We hypothesized that appetitive states, rather than appetitive traits, would be the strongest predictors of energy intake at a post-exercise test-meal, after controlling for body size. At Baseline, 30 adolescents (ages 10-16 years, 50% female (F), 43% non-Hispanic white (NHW), 83% with obesity (OB)) completed state and trait appetite measures and an ad libitum dinner meal following intensive exercise. Nineteen of those participants (47% F, 32% NHW, 79% OB) completed identical assessments two years later (Year 2). Energy intake (kcal) at each time point was adjusted for fat-free mass index (i.e., body size). Adjusted energy intake was reliable from Baseline to Year 2 (ICC = 0.84). Multiple pre-meal appetite ratings were associated with test-meal energy intake. In stepwise linear regression models, pre-meal prospective food consumption was the strongest and only significant predictor of test-meal energy intake at both Baseline (R2 = 0.25, p = 0.005) and Year 2 (R2 = 0.41, p = 0.003). Baseline post-exercise energy intake was associated with weight change over two years (R2 = 0.24, p = 0.04), but not with change in fat mass (p = 0.11). Appetitive traits were not associated with weight or body composition change (p > 0.22). State appetite cues were the strongest predictors of post-exercise energy intake, independent of body size. Future studies should examine whether long-term exercise programs enhance responsiveness to homeostatic appetite signals in youth with overweight and obesity, with a goal to reduce excess energy intake and risk for weight gain over time.

Disentangling age and schooling effects on inhibitory control development: An fNIRS investigation

Children show marked improvements in executive functioning (EF) between 4 and 7 years of age. In many societies, this time period coincides with the start of formal school education, in which children are required to follow rules in a structured environment, drawing heavily on EF processes such as inhibitory control. This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal development of two aspects of inhibitory control, namely response inhibition and response monitoring and their neural correlates. Specifically, we examined how their longitudinal development may differ by schooling experience, and their potential significance in predicting academic outcomes. Longitudinal data were collected in two groups of children at their homes. At T1, all children were roughly 4.5 years of age and neither group had attended formal schooling. One year later at T2, one group (P1, n = 40) had completed one full year of schooling while the other group (KG, n = 40) had stayed in kindergarten. Behavioural and brain activation data (measured with functional near-infrared spectroscopy, fNIRS) in response to a Go/No-Go task and measures of academic achievement were collected. We found that P1 children, compared to KG children, showed a greater change over time in activation related to response monitoring in the bilateral frontal cortex. The change in left frontal activation difference showed a small positive association with math performance. Overall, the school environment is important in shaping the development of the brain functions underlying the monitoring of one own's performance.

Opportunities and Limitations of Mobile Neuroimaging Technologies in Educational Neuroscience

As the field of educational neuroscience continues to grow, questions have emerged regarding the ecological validity and applicability of this research to educational practice. Recent advances in mobile neuroimaging technologies have made it possible to conduct neuroscientific studies directly in naturalistic learning environments. We propose that embedding mobile neuroimaging research in a cycle (Matusz, Dikker, Huth, & Perrodin, 2019), involving lab-based, seminaturalistic, and fully naturalistic experiments, is well suited for addressing educational questions. With this review, we take a cautious approach, by discussing the valuable insights that can be gained from mobile neuroimaging technology, including electroencephalography and functional near-infrared spectroscopy, as well as the challenges posed by bringing neuroscientific methods into the classroom. Research paradigms used alongside mobile neuroimaging technology vary considerably. To illustrate this point, studies are discussed with increasingly naturalistic designs. We conclude with several ethical considerations that should be taken into account in this unique area of research.

Conducting EEG research in clinically anxious preschoolers: A pilot study and preliminary recommendations

Electroencephalography (EEG) data collection can be challenging in preschoolers with anxiety who are often debilitated by fear of the unknown. Thus, we iteratively refined techniques for EEG collection in three cohorts of children with anxiety enrolled in our study of a novel intervention. Techniques involved directing child attention away from the EEG setup (Cohort 1, N = 18), open discussion of equipment and processes during setup (Cohort 2, N = 21), and a preparatory EEG-exposure session prior to data collection (Cohort 3, N = 6). Children (N = 45, 4-7 years) attempted a Time 1 EEG before intervention, and those who completed intervention (N = 28) were invited to a Time 2 EEG. The percentages who provided analyzable EEGs were assessed by cohort. Cohort 3 provided more Time 1 EEGs (83.3%) than Cohorts 1 or 2 (66.7% each), suggesting that the preparatory session supported first-time EEG collection. More children provided Time 2 EEG data across successive cohorts (Cohort 1: 66.7%, Cohort 2: 82%, Cohort 3: 100%), suggesting that more open communication facilitated repeat EEG collection. Ultimately, increased EEG exposure and child-friendly communication about procedures improved data acquisition in this sample of clinically anxious preschoolers. Detailed study procedures are shared to support future EEG research in young children with anxiety.

Developmental changes in external and internal performance monitoring across middle childhood: An ERP study

Performance monitoring is critical for learning and behavioral adaption and is supported by both externally and internally sourced information. Cross-sectional studies indicate an increase in internal error processing across childhood, suggesting a potential developmental transition from reliance on external information to reliance on internally developed models. However, little research has examined the association between these constructs longitudinally. Data from 339 children assessed annually from kindergarten to 2nd grade were examined to determine the developmental trajectory of ERP indices of performance monitoring, and whether the association between these indices changes across time. EEG data were recorded during an incentivized Go/No-Go task and ERP component amplitudes were extracted as peak measures at Fz. Despite small increases in magnitude, no significant changes were observed in any of the ERPs. Multi-level regression analyses indicated that in kindergarten a more negative feedback-related negativity (FRN) was associated with a more negative error-related negativity (ERN) and a more negative error positivity (Pe). Further, the association between the FRN and Pe changed over time, such that in 2nd grade the FRN and Pe decoupled from one another and were no longer associated. These results suggest that the development of performance monitoring through middle childhood may be a phasic process. More specifically, matured external feedback monitoring processes may first facilitate the development of conscious error recognition, and then the development of internal error monitoring processes. Once internal models of error monitoring are well-established, children may then reduce their utilization of external feedback.

Children's inhibitory control abilities in the presence of rewards are related to weight status and eating in the absence of hunger

The Reflective-Impulsive Dual Processes Model suggests that overeating occurs when the temptation to consume food overrides inhibitory control processes. However, how rewards interact with inhibitory control and their relation to children's weight status and food intake is not understood. Here, 7-to-11-year-old children (n = 66; 32 overweight/obese) completed two versions (baseline [i.e., non-reward incentivized/control] and reward incentivized [food, money, no reward]) of a Go/Nogo task. Intake of palatable foods in the absence of hunger (i.e., eating in the absence of hunger-EAH) was measured following a standardized meal. A drift diffusion model was used to characterize children's performance parameters on the Go/Nogo. On the baseline Go/Nogo, children with higher weight status responded more cautiously, but on reward trials for food/money children were more cautions and made more false alarms relative to the no reward condition. Energy intake during EAH positively correlated with FA errors for food and money vs. no reward, but sex moderated this effect such that FA positively associated with EAH in girls but not boys. Independent of sex, FA for money vs. no reward and food vs. money were both positively associated with energy consumed during EAH. These results suggest that the presence of food and money rewards impair inhibitory control processing, especially in children with higher weight status. Further, increased inhibitory control impairment in response to food rewards, specifically, may be a risk factor for disinhibited eating in girls. Though preliminary, results may be useful in the development of targeted treatments to help moderate excess consumption in children.

Intergenerational transmission of appetite self-regulation

Parents and other primary caregivers affect the development of children's self-regulation in myriad ways, including via the parent's own self-regulation abilities. Ample evidence supports the association between mother and child self-regulation, yet this has never been experimentally assessed with regard to appetite self-regulation, the self-regulation of food intake. This study sought to explicitly test the associations between mother and child self-regulation across 3 domains: (1) appetite, (2) attentional control, and (3) inhibitory control. A community sample of 88 mother-preschooler dyads (ages 3-5) participated in this cross-sectional, experimental study. Results demonstrated that maternal self-regulation was significantly positively associated with child self-regulation in the appetite domain, b = 0.52, t(63.54) = 2.39, p = .020, but not for attentional or inhibitory control. These results add to the literature on parental influences on self-regulation development in early childhood and suggest that patterns of mother-child associations may vary across domains of self-regulation.

Association between EEG asymmetry and the error-related negativity across middle childhood

Resting frontal EEG alpha asymmetry has been extensively examined as a marker of motivational disposition. Recent research has examined how this trait-level marker of motivation influences an individual's internal error monitoring (indexed by the error-related negativity; ERN), with mixed findings as to whether more negative ERNs are associated with greater left or right alpha power. Data from 339 children who completed an incentivized Go/No-Go task annually from Kindergarten through 2nd grade were examined for an association between ERN amplitude and EEG asymmetry, and for whether the association was developmentally stable. Results indicate an association between left-dominant activation and a more negative amplitude in Kindergarten, with an inversion of this association emerging by 2nd grade, such that a more negative ERNs were associated with right-dominant activation. We suggest that the association between EEG asymmetry and ERN amplitude is likely modulated by task condition (e.g., incentivization) and experience over time (e.g., habituation).

Collectivism is Associated with Enhanced Neural Response to Socially-Salient Errors among Adolescents

The perceived salience of errors can be influenced by individual-level motivational factors. Specifically, those who endorse a high degree of collectivism, a cultural value that emphasizes prioritization of interpersonal relationships, may find errors occurring in a social context to be more aversive than individuals who endorse collectivism to a lesser degree, resulting in upregulation of a neural correlate of error-monitoring, the error-related negativity (ERN). This study aimed to identify cultural variation in neural response to errors occurring in a social context in a sample of diverse adolescents. It was predicted that greater collectivism would be associated with enhanced neural response to errors occurring as part of a team. Participants were 95 Latinx (n = 35), Asian American (n = 20), and non-Latinx White (n = 40) adolescents (ages 13-17) who completed a go/no-go task while continuous electroencephalogram was recorded. The task included social (team) and non-social (individual) conditions. ERN was quantified using mean amplitude measures. Regression models demonstrated that collectivism modulated neural response to errors occurring in a social context, an effect that was most robust for Latinx adolescents. Understanding cultural variation in neural sensitivity to social context could inform understanding of both normative and maladaptive processes associated with self-regulation.

Learning With and Without Feedback in Children With Developmental Language Disorder

Purpose Intervention provided to school-age children with developmental language disorder often relies on the provision of performance feedback, yet it is unclear whether children with this disorder benefit from feedback-based learning. The study evaluates the effect of performance feedback on learning in children with developmental language disorder. Method Thirteen 8- to 12-year-old children with developmental language disorder and 14 age- and gender-matched children with typical language development completed two learning tasks whose objective was to pair nonword novel names with novel objects. The two tasks differed in the presence of performance feedback to guide learning. Learning outcomes on immediate and follow-up tests were compared between the feedback-based and feedback-free tasks. Additionally, an electrophysiological marker of feedback processing was compared between children with and without developmental language disorder. Results Children with developmental language disorder demonstrated poorer learning outcomes on both tasks when compared with their peers, but both groups achieved better accuracy on the feedback-free task when compared with the feedback-based task. Within the feedback-based task, children were more likely to repeat a correct response than to change it after positive feedback but were as likely to repeat an error as they were to correct it after receiving negative feedback. While children with typical language elicited a feedback-related negativity with greater amplitude to negative feedback, this event-related potential had no amplitude differences between positive and negative feedback in children with developmental language disorder. Conclusions Findings indicate that 8- to 12-year-old children benefit more from a feedback-free learning environment and that negative feedback is not as effective as positive feedback in facilitating learning in children. The behavioral and electrophysiological data provide evidence that feedback processing is impaired in children with developmental language disorders. Future research should evaluate feedback-based learning in children with this disorder using other learning paradigms.

Targeted self-regulation interventions in low-income children: Clinical trial results and implications for health behavior change

Self-regulation, known as the ability to harness cognitive, emotional, and motivational resources to achieve goals, is hypothesized to contribute to health behaviors across the lifespan. Enhancing self-regulation early in life may increase positive health outcomes. During pre-adolescence, children assume increased autonomy in health behaviors (e.g., eating; physical activity), many of which involve self-regulation. This article presents results from a clinical trial (NCT03060863) that used a factorial design to test behavioral interventions designed to enhance self-regulation, specifically targeting executive functioning, emotion regulation, future-oriented thinking, and approach biases. Participants were 118 children (9-12 years of age, M = 10.2 years) who had a history of living in poverty. They were randomized to receive up to four interventions that were delivered via home visits. Self-regulation was assayed using behavioral tasks, observations, interviews, and parent- and child-report surveys. Results were that self-regulation targets were reliably assessed and that interventions were delivered with high fidelity. Intervention effect sizes were very small to moderate (d range = .02-.65, median = .14), and most were not statistically significant. Intercorrelation analyses indicated that associations between measures within each target varied based on the self-regulation target evaluated. Results are discussed with regard to the role of self-regulation-focused interventions in child health promotion. Implications of findings are reviewed for informing next steps in behavioral self-regulation interventions among children from low-income backgrounds.

Associations among response inhibition, motivational beliefs, and task persistence in early elementary school

Task persistence is an important learning-related behavior associated with academic success. Although persistence has been related to motivational beliefs and cognitive skills, these constructs are typically studied independently, limiting our understanding of relations among them. The current investigation was designed to understand how these concepts are related in early elementary school, a developmental period characterized by high motivational beliefs, growth in cognitive control, and the transition to school. Interest, perceived competence, and response inhibition were evaluated as predictors of children's (N = 73, M_age = 6.91 years) likelihood to demonstrate high persistence on a challenging puzzle task. Results provided evidence that motivational constructs are not sufficient for understanding differences in persistent behavior during this developmental period. Specifically, relations between interest and perceived competence and task persistence were present only for children with moderate to high response inhibition skills. Moreover, gender differences in task persistence emerged, indicating that although interest and perceived competence motivated all students to exhibit persistence, girls were still more likely to demonstrate task persistence than boys. Overall, findings suggest that task persistence in elementary school is a complex behavior that requires both cognitive control skills to support engagement and the motivation to continue engaging as task difficulty increases.

Atypical Mediofrontal Theta Oscillations Underlying Cognitive Control in Kindergarteners With Autism Spectrum Disorder

BACKGROUND

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit deficits in cognitive control. Neuroimaging approaches have implicated disruptions to mediofrontal cortex structure and function. However, previous work is limited in testing whether young children with ASD exhibit disruptions to task-related theta oscillations thought to arise from the mediofrontal cortex.

METHODS

Children with ASD (n = 43) and age- and sex-matched typically developing peers (n = 24) at kindergarten entry performed a child-friendly Go/NoGo task while 64-channel electroencephalography was recorded. Time-frequency approaches were employed to assess the magnitude of mediofrontal theta oscillations immediately after error (vs. correct) responses (early theta) as well as later emerging theta oscillations (late theta). We tested whether error-related mediofrontal theta oscillations differed as a function of diagnosis (ASD/typical) and timing (early/late theta). In addition, links to social and academic outcomes were tested.

RESULTS

Overall, children showed increased theta power after error versus correct responses. Compared with typically developing children, children with ASD exhibited a selective reduction in error-related mediofrontal theta power during the late time window. There were no significant group differences for early theta power. Moreover, reduced error-related theta power during the late, but not early, time window significantly predicted poorer academic and social skills.

CONCLUSIONS

Kindergarteners with ASD demonstrated a selective reduction in error-related mediofrontal theta power during a relatively late time window, which is consistent with impairments in specific cognitive processes that recruit top-down control. Targeting these particular cognitive control processes via intervention prior to school entry may promote more successful functional outcomes for children with ASD.

Cognitive Control in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive and Anxiety Disorders: Brain-Behavioral Targets for Early Intervention

The DSM provides distinct criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and various types of anxiety disorders, but phenomenological overlap, high rates of comorbidity, and early onset suggest common underlying mechanisms. This notion is further supported by use of the same treatments-cognitive behavioral therapy and serotonin reuptake inhibitor medication-for managing both OCD and non-OCD anxiety disorders in clinical settings. While early intervention with these gold standard treatments is recommended for pediatric OCD and anxiety disorders, young patients often remain symptomatic even after treatment. To guide the development of novel, mechanistically targeted treatments to better resolve OCD and anxiety symptoms, the identification of neural circuits underlying psychological constructs with relevance across disorders has been recommended. One construct that may be relevant for understanding pediatric OCD and anxiety disorders is cognitive control, given the difficulty that young patients experience in dismissing obsessions, compulsions, and worry despite recognition that these symptoms are excessive and unreasonable. In this review, we examine findings from a growing body of literature implicating brain-behavioral markers of cognitive control in pediatric OCD and anxiety disorders, including before and after treatment. We conclude by suggesting that interventions designed to enhance the functioning of the task control circuits underlying cognitive control may facilitate brain maturation to help affected youth overcome symptoms.

Delay of Gratification Predicts Eating in the Absence of Hunger in Preschool-Aged Children

Poor ability to regulate one's own food intake based on hunger cues may encourage children to eat beyond satiety, leading to increased risk of diet-related diseases. Self-regulation has multiple forms, yet no one has directly measured the degree to which different domains of self-regulation predict overeating in young children. The present study investigated how three domains of self-regulation (i.e., appetitive self-regulation, inhibitory control, and attentional control) predicted eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) in a community sample of 47 preschool-aged children (M age = 4.93, SD = 0.86). Appetitive self-regulation, as measured using a delay of gratification task, was significantly and negatively associated with EAH 1 year later (p < 0.5). Measures of inhibitory and attentional control did not significantly predict EAH. These results suggest that food-related self-regulation may be a better predictor of overeating behaviors than general measures of self-regulation.

Anticipation to Social and Nonsocial Dynamic Cues in Preschool-Age Children

The ability to learn from expectations is foundational to social and nonsocial learning in children. However, we know little about the brain basis of reward expectation in development. Here, 3- to 4-year-olds (N = 26) were shown a passive associative learning paradigm with dynamic stimuli. Anticipation for reward-related stimuli was measured via the stimulus preceding negativity (SPN). To our knowledge, this is the first study to measure an SPN in children younger than age 6. Our findings reveal distinct anticipatory neural signatures for social versus nonsocial stimuli, consistent with previous research in older children. This study suggests an SPN can be elicited in preschoolers and is larger for social than nonsocial stimuli.

The error-related negativity as a neuromarker of risk or resilience in young children

INTRODUCTION

The error-related negativity (ERN) is a neural response that reflects error monitoring. Contradictorily, an enlarged (more negative) ERN has been cited as both a risk factor and a protective factor, which hinders its utility as a predictive indicator. The aim of the current study was to examine the associations between ERN measured in early childhood with the development of cognitive control (CC), emotion regulation, and internalizing/externalizing symptoms over 1-2 years.

METHODS

When children were ages 5-7, EEG was collected during a Go/No-Go task. A subset of the original participants (n = 30) were selected based on their baseline ERN in an extreme-case design: half with high-amplitude ERN, matched by age and sex with another group with low-amplitude ERN.

RESULTS

At follow-up, children in the High-Amplitude group showed better executive function, less self-reported anxiety and depression, less affect dysregulation, more parent-rated CC, less lability/negativity, and fewer parent-reported externalizing problems. Many results held even when accounting for baseline levels. Further, emotion dysregulation mediated the relationship between the ERN and both anxiety and externalizing problems, while CC mediated the ERN's relationship with externalizing problems only.

CONCLUSIONS

These results can inform identification and intervention efforts for children at risk for psychopathology.

The influence of monetary reward on proactive and reactive control in adolescent males

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Reward reduced RT interference during reactive control, but increased RT interference during proactive control in male adolescents.

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Increased reward-related cue-locked theta power was associated with increased RT interference on proactive trials.

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Increased reward-related stimulus-locked theta inter-channel phase synchrony was related to facilitated performance on proactive trials.

Adolescence is marked by increased reward-seeking, which can alter cognitive control abilities. Previous research found that rewards actually improve cognitive control in children, adolescents, and adults, but these studies only investigated reactive control. The goal of the current study was to elucidate reward’s influence on both proactive and reactive control during adolescence. To this end, 68 (Mean age = 13.61, SD = 2.52) male adolescents completed a rewarded cued flanker paradigm while electroencephalogram (EEG) was collected. Theta power and inter-channel phase synchrony, both implicated in cognitive control, were quantified after cues and stimuli to understand their role during reward-cognitive control interactions. The data suggest that reward reduced interference during reactive control; however, reward increased interference during proactive control in this sample of adolescent males. Reward-related increases in cue-locked theta power predicted more reward-related RT interference on proactive trials. In contrast, increases in stimulus-locked theta ICPS were associated with better performance on rewarded proactive trials. The pattern of results show that reward differentially impacted proactive and reactive control in adolescence, which may have implications for the increased risk-taking behaviors observed during adolescence.

Neurocognitive predictors of treatment completion and daytime activities at follow-up in multiproblem young adults

Previous research has shown an association between cognitive control deficits and problematic behavior such as antisocial behavior and substance use, but little is known about the predictive value of cognitive control for treatment outcome. The current study tests whether selected markers of baseline cognitive control predict (1) treatment completion of a day treatment program involving a combination of approaches for multiproblem young adults and (2) daytime activities a year after the start of treatment, over and above psychological, social, and criminal characteristics. We assessed individual, neurobiological, and neurobehavioral measures, including functional brain activity during an inhibition task and two electroencephalographic measures of error processing in 127 male multiproblem young adults (age 18-27 years). We performed two hierarchical regression models to test the predictive power of cognitive control for treatment completion and daytime activities at follow-up. The overall models did not significantly predict treatment completion or daytime activities at follow-up. However, activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) during response inhibition, years of regular alcohol use, internalizing problems, and ethnicity were all significant individual predictors of daytime activity at follow-up. In conclusion, cognitive control could not predict treatment completion or daytime activities a year after the start of treatment over and above individual characteristics. However, results indicate a direct association between brain activity during response inhibition and participation in daytime activities, such as work or school, after treatment. As adequate baseline inhibitory control is associated with a positive outcome at follow-up, this suggests interventions targeting cognitive control might result in better outcomes at follow-up.

An fMRI study of error monitoring in Montessori and traditionally-schooled children

The development of error monitoring is central to learning and academic achievement. However, few studies exist on the neural correlates of children's error monitoring, and no studies have examined its susceptibility to educational influences. Pedagogical methods differ on how they teach children to learn from errors. Here, 32 students (aged 8-12 years) from high-quality Swiss traditional or Montessori schools performed a math task with feedback during fMRI. Although the groups' accuracies were similar, Montessori students skipped fewer trials, responded faster and showed more neural activity in right parietal and frontal regions involved in math processing. While traditionally-schooled students showed greater functional connectivity between the ACC, involved in error monitoring, and hippocampus following correct trials, Montessori students showed greater functional connectivity between the ACC and frontal regions following incorrect trials. The findings suggest that pedagogical experience influences the development of error monitoring and its neural correlates, with implications for neurodevelopment and education.

Evaluating Preschool Visual Attentional Selective-Set: Preliminary ERP Modeling and Simulation of Target Enhancement Homology

We reanalyzed, modeled and simulated Event-Related Potential (ERP) data from 13 healthy children (Mean age = 5.12, Standard Deviation = 0.75) during a computerized visual sustained target detection task. Extending an ERP-based ACT–R (Adaptive Control of Thought–Rational) neurocognitive modeling approach, we tested whether visual sustained selective-set attention in preschool children involves the enhancement of neural response to targets, and it shows key adult-like features (neurofunctional homology). Blinded automatic peaks analysis was conducted on vincentized binned grand ERP averages. Time-course and distribution of scalp activity were detailed through topographic mapping and paths analysis. Reaction times and accuracy were also measured. Adult Magnetic Resonance Imaging-based mapping using ACT–R dipole source modeling and electric-field spiking simulation provided very good fit with the actual ERP data (R² > 0.70). In most electrodes, between 50 and 400 ms, ERPs concurrent with target presentation were enhanced relative to distractor, without manual response confounds. Triangulation of peak analysis, ACT–R modeling and simulation for the entire ERP epochs up to the moment of manual response (~700 ms, on average) suggested converging evidence of distinct but interacting processes of enhancement and planning for response release/inhibition, respectively. The latter involved functions and structures consistent with adult ERP activity which might correspond to a large-scale network, implicating Dorsal and Ventral Attentional Networks, corticostriatal loops, and subcortical hubs connected to prefrontal cortex top-down working memory executive control. Although preliminary, the present approach suggests novel directions for further tests and falsifiable hypotheses on the origins and development of visual selective attention and their ERP correlates.

The Overcontrol in Youth Checklist (OCYC): Behavioral and Neural Validation of a Parent-Report of Child Overcontrol in Early Childhood

Self-control is protective against psychopathology in childhood. However, too much self-control, namely overcontrol, potentiates risk. Overcontrol is a constellation of child characteristics related to high need for control, perfectionism, inflexibility, social comparison, and performance monitoring and is a transdiagnostic risk factor associated with psychiatric disorders across the lifespan. However, there are no quick and developmentally appropriate screeners to identify overcontrol in early childhood, when overcontrol purportedly becomes stable. The current study validated the Overcontrol in Youth Checklist (OCYC) in 4-7 year old children and examined relationships with cognitive, social, and psychiatric, neural and behavioral indicators. The OCYC demonstrated good psychometrics and was associated with deficits in cognitive shifting, social functioning, and preschool psychopathology. Higher OCYC scores were associated with a blunted ΔERN, an indicator of performance monitoring in preschoolers. Findings demonstrate the OCYC to be a developmentally valid measure of overcontrol that identifies this transdiagnostic risk factor early in development.

Inhibiting errors while they are produced: Direct evidence for error monitoring and inhibitory control in children

The maturation of processes involved in performance monitoring, crucial for adaptive behavior, is a core aspect of developmental changes. Monitoring processes are often studied through the analysis of error processing. Previous developmental studies generally focused on post-error slowing and error-related EEG activities. Instead, the present study aims at collecting indicators of error monitoring processes occurring within trials that is, before the erroneous response is produced. Electromyographic (EMG) activity and force produced during responding were registered in 6 to 14-year-olds performing a choice-response task. As already reported in adults, force produced was weaker, EMG bursts were smaller, and motor times (interval between EMG onsets and responses) were longer during errors compared to correct responses. In contrast, the rising part of EMG burst, reflecting the initial motor command, was the same for both response outcomes. This suggests that error inhibition was applied online after the response was triggered but before the actual key was pressed. This error correction was already present in children as young as 6 years old. The effects of reduced EMG and force amplitudes remained stable across childhood. However, the prolonged motor times in young children suggests that they need more time to implement motor inhibition than their older peers.

Study Protocol: The Coaching Alternative Parenting Strategies (CAPS) Study of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy in Child Welfare Families

BACKGROUND

Child maltreatment (CM) constitutes a serious public health problem in the United States with parents implicated in a majority of physical abuse and neglect cases. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an intensive intervention for CM families that uses innovative "bug-in-ear" coaching to improve parenting and child outcomes, and reduce CM recidivism; however, the mechanisms underlying its effects are little understood. The Coaching Alternative Parenting Strategies (CAPS) study aims to clarify the behavioral, neural, and physiological mechanisms of action in PCIT that support positive changes in parenting, improve parent and child self-regulation and social perceptions, and reduce CM in child welfare-involved families.

METHODS

The CAPS study includes 204 child welfare-involved parent-child dyads recruited from Oregon Department of Human Services to participate in a randomized controlled trial of PCIT versus a services-as-usual control condition (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02684903). Children ages 3-8 years at study entry and their parents complete a pre-treatment assessment prior to randomization and a post-treatment assessment 9-12 months post study entry. Dyads randomized to PCIT complete an additional, abbreviated assessment at mid-treatment. Each assessment includes individual and joint measures of parents' and children's cardiac physiology at rest, during experimental tasks, and in recovery; observational coding of parent-child interactions; and individual electroencephalogram (EEG) sessions including attentional and cognitive control tasks. In addition, parents and children complete an emotion regulation task and parents report on their own and their child's adverse childhood experiences and socio-cognitive processes, while children complete a cognitive screen and a behavioral measure of inhibitory control. Parents and children also provide anthropometric measures of allostatic load and 4-5 whole blood spots to assess inflammation and immune markers. CM recidivism is assessed for all study families at 6-month follow-up. Post-treatment and follow-up assessments are currently underway.

DISCUSSION

Knowledge gained from this study will clarify PCIT effects on neurobehavioral target mechanisms of change in predicting CM risk reduction, positive, responsive parenting, and children's outcomes. This knowledge can help to guide efforts to tailor and adapt PCIT to vary in dosage and cost on the basis of individual differences in CM-risk factors.

Neural dynamics of executive function in cognitively able kindergarteners with autism spectrum disorders as predictors of concurrent academic achievement

Although electrophysiological (electroencephalography) measures of executive functions (e.g. error monitoring) have been used to predict academic achievement in typically developing children, work investigating a link between error monitoring and academic skills in children with autism spectrum disorder is limited. In this study, we employed traditional electrophysiological and advanced time-frequency methods, combined with principal component analyses, to extract neural activity related to error monitoring and tested their relations to academic achievement in cognitively able kindergarteners with autism spectrum disorder. In total, 35 cognitively able kindergarteners with autism spectrum disorder completed academic assessments and the child-friendly "Zoo Game" Go/No-go task at school entry. The Go/No-go task successfully elicited an error-related negativity and error positivity in children with autism spectrum disorder as young as 5 years at fronto-central and posterior electrode sites, respectively. We also observed increased response-related theta power during errors relative to correct trials at fronto-central sites. Both larger error positivity and theta power significantly predicted concurrent academic achievement after controlling for behavioral performance on the Zoo Game and intelligence quotient. These results suggest that the use of time-frequency electroencephalography analyses, combined with traditional event-related potential measures, may provide new opportunities to investigate neurobiological mechanisms of executive function and academic achievement in young children with autism spectrum disorder.