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Poster #217 - Infant Temperament Predictors of EEG Frontal Activation Post-Still Face Task: Electrophysiology Behind Regulation

Sat, March 23, 2:30 to 3:45pm, Baltimore Convention Center, Floor: Level 1, Exhibit Hall B

Integrative Statement

The frontal electroencephalography (EEG) asymmetry reflects individual dispositional differences, with greater right hemisphere activation linked to withdrawal behaviors/emotions and greater left asymmetry associated with approach. This literature is based primarily on studies examining baseline asymmetry values, thought to represent trait aspects of emotional reactivity. Although responses in the context of experimental manipulations are commonly described as state-related fluctuations in frontal activation, the latter have been reframed in the context of the Capability Model (Coan, John, Allen, & McKnight, 2006). According to Caon et al. (2006), meaningful individual differences in frontal EEG asymmetry are most optimally construed as interactions between the emotional demands of specific situations and the emotion-regulatory abilities individuals bring to those situations. Thus, experimental contexts that requires a child to lower his/her level of arousal are optimal for obtaining markers of regulation. One experimental manipulation has been considered a hallmark in eliciting regulatory responses in infants: The Still Face task, during which the caregiver disengages from the infant emotionally, physically, and verbally (Tronick et al., 1978), with the post-Still Face recovery episode particularly informative with respect to self-regulation (Mesman et al., 2009). EEG recording has not been attempted during this episode and will be considered herein.

In this study, we aimed to identify unique contributions of different aspects of parenting stress (e.g., competence, dysphoria), linked with temperament development in prior studies (Gartstein et al., 2010; Gartstein & Hancock, in press) to the frontal EEG asymmetry values obtained during baseline and post-Still Face task. It was hypothesized that indicators of stress in the parental role would be associated with asymmetry indicators obtained post-Still Face, during a segment which requires children to regulate arousal/distress, but not in the baseline condition.

Infants 6-12 months of age (N=37) participated in a 1-hour laboratory visit during which EEG signals were recorded and their mothers responded to the Parenting Stress Inventory (PSI; Abidin, 1995), providing indicators of Competence, Attachment (to the child), Dysphoria and Restriction (i.e., how parenthood interferes with personal freedoms) in the parental role, and Relationship (partner) satisfaction. For the purposes of this study, the post-Still Face task EEG recording was processed and analyzed according to standard procedures (Bell & Cuevas, 2012), with EEG left frontal (F3) and right frontal (F4) power values natural log (ln) transformed to normalize the distribution. Frontal EEG asymmetry was computed by subtracting ln power at left frontal (F3) from ln power at right frontal (F4). A negative frontal EEG asymmetry score reflects greater right frontal activation; a positive asymmetry score reflects greater left frontal activation.

Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed no significant relations with baseline EEG asymmetry as the dependent variable (Table 1). However, maternal competence in the parental role and satisfaction with partner/relationship emerged as predictive of post-Still Face asymmetry scores (Table 2), even after controlling for baseline EEG asymmetry values.

This pattern of results is consistent with the Capability Model of frontal EEG asymmetry, suggesting that self-regulation is required in the aftermath of a social stressor, and should be examined further in future research.

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