Brain, interrupted: alpha/delta EEG ratio in survivors of pre- and post-natal adversity. (10th December 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hassan, Raha; MacMillan, Harriet L.; Saigal, Saroj; Schmidt, Louis A.
• Is Part Of: International journal of neuroscience. Volume 132:Number 1(2022)
• Page Start: 31
• Page End: 37
• Publication Date: 2021-12-10
• Subjects: Development -- EEG -- Maltreatment -- ELBW; Nervous system -- Periodicals; 612.805
• DOI: 10.1080/00207454.2020.1797724
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0020-7454

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: Does exposure to prenatal and postnatal adversity have the same long-term effects on brain development in humans? Methods: We examined whether these two types of exposures differed from their demographically matched controls on a frontal EEG alpha/delta ratio score, a proxy of brain maturation. Results: Young adults born at extremely low birth weight (prenatal adversity; N = 64, M age = 23.14 years, SD age = 1.26 years) had a lower alpha/delta ratio score compared to normal birth weight controls ( N = 76, M age = 23.60 years, SD age = 1.09 years), while youth exposed to child maltreatment (postnatal adversity; N = 39, M age = 16.18 years, SD age = 1.15) had a higher alpha/delta ratio compared to controls ( N = 23, M age = 16.00 years, SD age = 1.50 years). Conclusions: Our results suggest that being exposed to pre- and post-natal adversity may have different long-term consequences on brain development. We speculate that these differences might be associated with some of the different functional outcomes known to characterize each type of adverse experience.