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Zerrouk M, Ann Bell M. Examining Conduct Problems in a Community Sample during Middle Childhood: The Role of Frontal EEG Asymmetry, Temperament, and Working Memory. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2024; 52:1119-1133. [PMID: 38502403 PMCID: PMC11217093 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-024-01191-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Previous literature shows that aspects of temperament, executive functioning, and EEG frontal asymmetry are related to externalizing behaviors in children. We examined whether frontal EEG asymmetry measured at age 6 would moderate the impact of negative affectivity, attentional control, and working memory at age 6 on conduct problems at age 9. Behavioral tasks were given to assess children's attentional control and working memory. Parents completed questionnaires about their children's negative affectivity and conduct problems. Results showed that greater negative affectivity reported at age 6 predicted for more conduct problems reported at age 9, regardless of EEG frontal asymmetry. Lower levels of attentional control and working memory at age 6 predicted for more conduct problems reported at age 9 when children also exhibited greater left EEG frontal asymmetry, which has been linked to approach motivation. These findings illustrate the importance of assessing multiple intrinsic factors, both independent and interactive, that contribute to children's conduct problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Zerrouk
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, 890 Drillfield Dr., Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA.
| | - Martha Ann Bell
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, 890 Drillfield Dr., Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA
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Wang L, Sheng J, Duan S, Lin S, Li Y, Li Z, Li S, Sataer Y, Chen J. How Society Anxiety Influences Attention Control in College Students: The Moderated Mediation Effect of Cognitive Flexibility and Resting-state Electroencephalography Activity. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:327-339. [PMID: 38060259 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Social anxiety is a prevalent issue among college students, adversely affecting their overall well-being. Drawing from the cognitive model of social anxiety and attention control theory, heightened levels of social anxiety may correspond to poorer attention control ability. However, little is known about the underlying cognitive mechanisms of the relationship between social anxiety and attention control. To address this research gap, the current study recruited a sample of 156 college students (56 women) who underwent self-report measures of social anxiety, cognitive flexibility, and attention control, followed by a resting-state EEG recording. The results revealed a significant negative predictive effect of social anxiety on attention control, with cognitive flexibility partially mediating this relationship. Furthermore, resting-state theta power emerged as a significant moderator, accentuating the negative impact of social anxiety on cognitive flexibility among individuals with lower theta power. In addition, frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) demonstrated a moderating effect, with lower FAA intensifying the predictive influence of cognitive flexibility on attention control. Taken together, these results suggested that social anxiety can predict attention control either directly or indirectly via the mediating role of cognitive flexibility, and lower theta power and FAA has a risk amplification effect, which provide novel insights into the treatment and prevention of social anxiety and its negative impact on college students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- South China Normal University
| | | | | | | | | | - Zhe Li
- South China Normal University
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Liu R, Bell MA. Fearful temperament in middle childhood predicts adolescent attention bias and anxiety symptoms: The moderating role of frontal EEG asymmetry. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:1335-1345. [PMID: 34895372 PMCID: PMC9189245 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The current study provided first analyses of the moderating effect of baseline-to-task frontal EEG asymmetry on the associations between 9-year fearful temperament and adolescent attention bias to threat as well as anxiety symptoms. Participants include a community sample of 122 children (60 boys, 62 girls; Mage = 14.66 years; Range = 11.82-18.13 years). Baseline-to-task frontal EEG asymmetry at age 9 moderated the relation between fearful temperament at age 9 and adolescent anxiety symptoms. Specifically, fearful temperament predicted adolescent anxiety symptoms when children showed greater right activation from baseline to an executive function task, but not greater left activation. Baseline-to-task frontal EEG asymmetry moderated the association between fearful temperament and sustained (i.e., stimulus onset asynchrony is 1250 ms) but not automatic attention bias (i.e., stimulus onset asynchrony is 500 ms). Children with greater left frontal activation from baseline to task more efficiently direct attention away from threat. Adolescent automatic attention bias to threat was related to concurrent anxiety symptoms. These findings illustrate the importance of considering frontal EEG asymmetry to shape how fearful children process threat and to influence their behavioral problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Liu
- The Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA
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Liu R, Pagliaccio D, Herbstman JB, Fox NA, Margolis AE. Prenatal exposure to air pollution and childhood internalizing problems: roles of shyness and anterior cingulate cortex activity. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2023; 64:1037-1044. [PMID: 36789477 PMCID: PMC10272087 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to air pollution increases the risk for psychiatric disorders characterized by internalizing problems. In this study, we examined the roles of shyness and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activity in the association between prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and children's internalizing problems at 7-9 years old. METHODS Participants include 53 children (31 girls, 22 boys). Personal air monitoring was conducted over 48 continuous hours during the third trimester of pregnancy to measure 8 PAHs. Mothers reported children's shyness (Emotionality Activity Sociability Temperament Survey) at age 5 and internalizing problems (Child Behavior Checklist) at ages 7-9. ACC activity was measured by fMRI during the Simon Spatial Incompatibility task at ages 7-9. RESULTS Shyness mediated the association between prenatal PAH exposure and internalizing problems. Higher prenatal PAH exposure predicted increased shyness, which in turn predicted greater internalizing problems. Moreover, left ACC activity during the Simon task moderated the association between prenatal PAH exposure and internalizing problems. Prenatal PAH exposure predicted increased risk for internalizing problems only when children showed heightened left ACC activity during the resolution of cognitive conflict. CONCLUSIONS Our study innovatively synthesizes the fields of developmental psychology and environmental health science to offer new insights into the risk factors for anxiety disorders. Facilitating the development of healthy reactive and regulatory processes may improve the developmental outcomes for children highly exposed to air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Liu
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - David Pagliaccio
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Julie B. Herbstman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nathan A. Fox
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
| | - Amy E. Margolis
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Young G. Psychotherapeutic Change Mechanisms and Causal Psychotherapy: Applications to Child Abuse and Trauma. JOURNAL OF CHILD & ADOLESCENT TRAUMA 2022; 15:911-923. [PMID: 35958715 PMCID: PMC9360301 DOI: 10.1007/s40653-022-00438-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The study of change mechanisms in psychotherapy needs to be integrated with the causality of behavior, which leads to the concept of causal psychotherapy. Causal psychotherapy is posited as a useful adjunct to standard, evidence based psychotherapies for child and youth victims of abuse and trauma. The article illustrates six processes that could be involved in causal psychotherapy in this context, from the distal to the proximal. They include the distal mechanism of activation-inhibition coordination. The most proximal one relates to executive function. The intermediate levels include ones related to co-regulation (e.g., self control), analysis-synthesis, objectivity-subjectivity, and psychological reserve, which is a new concept in the domain of psychological change mechanisms. Each of the variables can vary from high to low, with the low end being more problematic. Psychotherapy can aim to bring the patient toward adaptive levels. The literature review focuses on psychotherapeutic change mechanisms, and standard psychotherapies for child/youth abuse/trauma, especially trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy (TF-CBT). Then, it considers causal aspects of child/youth abuse and trauma, including PTSD. The discussion relates causal therapy to the question of unifying psychology and psychotherapy under the rubric of causality as a core integrative mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald Young
- Glendon College, York University, Toronto, Canada
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Mulligan DJ, Palopoli AC, van den Heuvel MI, Thomason ME, Trentacosta CJ. Frontal Alpha Asymmetry in Response to Stressor Moderates the Relation Between Parenting Hassles and Child Externalizing Problems. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:917300. [PMID: 35864992 PMCID: PMC9294442 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.917300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Inequitable urban environments are associated with toxic stress and altered neural social stress processing that threatens the development of self-regulation. Some children in these environments struggle with early onset externalizing problems that are associated with a variety of negative long-term outcomes. While previous research has linked parenting daily hassles to child externalizing problems, the role of frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) as a potential modifier of this relationship has scarcely been explored. The present study examined mother-child dyads, most of whom were living in low socioeconomic status households in an urban environment and self-identified as members of racial minority groups. Analyses focused on frustration task electroencephalography (EEG) data from 67 children (mean age = 59.0 months, SD = 2.6). Mothers reported the frequency of their daily parenting hassles and their child's externalizing problems. Frustration task FAA moderated the relationship between parenting daily hassles and child externalizing problems, but resting FAA did not. More specifically, children with left frontal asymmetry had more externalizing problems as their mothers perceived more hassles in their parenting role, but parenting hassles and externalizing problems were not associated among children with right frontal asymmetry. These findings lend support to the motivational direction hypothesis and capability model of FAA. More generally, this study reveals how individual differences in lateralization of cortical activity in response to a stressor may confer differential susceptibility to child behavioral problems with approach motivation (i.e., left frontal asymmetry) predicting externalizing problems under conditions of parental stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Mulligan
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Ava C. Palopoli
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | | | - Moriah E. Thomason
- Department of Population Health, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
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Norton ES, Manning BL, Harriott EM, Nikolaeva JI, Nyabingi OS, Fredian KM, Page JM, McWeeny S, Krogh-Jespersen S, MacNeill LA, Roberts MY, Wakschlag LS. Social EEG: A novel neurodevelopmental approach to studying brain-behavior links and brain-to-brain synchrony during naturalistic toddler-parent interactions. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22240. [PMID: 35312062 PMCID: PMC9867891 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Despite increasing emphasis on emergent brain-behavior patterns supporting language, cognitive, and socioemotional development in toddlerhood, methodologic challenges impede their characterization. Toddlers are notoriously difficult to engage in brain research, leaving a developmental window in which neural processes are understudied. Further, electroencephalography (EEG) and event-related potential paradigms at this age typically employ structured, experimental tasks that rarely reflect formative naturalistic interactions with caregivers. Here, we introduce and provide proof of concept for a new "Social EEG" paradigm, in which parent-toddler dyads interact naturally during EEG recording. Parents and toddlers sit at a table together and engage in different activities, such as book sharing or watching a movie. EEG is time locked to the video recording of their interaction. Offline, behavioral data are microcoded with mutually exclusive engagement state codes. From 216 sessions to date with 2- and 3-year-old toddlers and their parents, 72% of dyads successfully completed the full Social EEG paradigm, suggesting that it is possible to collect dual EEG from parents and toddlers during naturalistic interactions. In addition to providing naturalistic information about child neural development within the caregiving context, this paradigm holds promise for examination of emerging constructs such as brain-to-brain synchrony in parents and children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth S. Norton
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Department of Medical Social Sciences and Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Brittany L. Manning
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Emily M. Harriott
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Julia I. Nikolaeva
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Olufemi S. Nyabingi
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Kaitlyn M. Fredian
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Jessica M. Page
- Department of Medical Social Sciences and Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Sean McWeeny
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Sheila Krogh-Jespersen
- Department of Medical Social Sciences and Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Leigha A. MacNeill
- Department of Medical Social Sciences and Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Megan Y. Roberts
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Department of Medical Social Sciences and Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Lauren S. Wakschlag
- Department of Medical Social Sciences and Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Liu R, Phillips JJ, Ji F, Shi D, Bell MA. Temperamental Shyness and Anger/Frustration in Childhood: Normative Development, Individual Differences, and the Impacts of Maternal Intrusiveness and Frontal Electroencephalogram Asymmetry. Child Dev 2021; 92:2529-2545. [PMID: 34196961 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
This study used latent growth curve modeling to identify normative development and individual differences in the developmental patterns of shyness and anger/frustration across childhood. This study also examined the impacts of maternal intrusiveness and frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry at age 4 on the developmental patterns of shyness and anger/frustration. 180 children (92 boys, 88 girls; Mage = 4.07 years at baseline; 75.6% White, 18.3% Black, 6.1% multiracial/other) participated in the study. Normative development included significant linear decreases in shyness and anger/frustration. Individual variation existed in the developmental patterns. Children with left frontal EEG asymmetry showed a faster decreasing pattern of shyness. Children who experienced higher maternal intrusiveness and had left frontal EEG asymmetry showed a slower decreasing pattern of anger/frustration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Feng Ji
- University of California, Berkeley
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