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Associations between EEG aperiodic slope, infant temperament, and maternal anxiety/depression symptoms in infancy
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  • Dashiell Sacks,
  • April Levin,
  • Charles Nelson,
  • Michelle Bosquet Enlow
Dashiell Sacks
Boston Children's Hospital Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Corresponding Author:dashiell.sacks@childrens.harvard.edu

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April Levin
Boston Children's Hospital Department of Neurology
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Charles Nelson
Boston Children's Hospital Department of Pediatrics
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Michelle Bosquet Enlow
Boston Children's Hospital
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Abstract

The aperiodic slope of the EEG power spectrum (characterized by a 1/fx distribution in which power decreases as frequency increases) is hypothesized to index the excitatory-inhibitory balance and has been associated with various neurodevelopmental outcomes in older children and adults. However, the dearth of research early in development led us to investigate associations among EEG aperiodic slope, temperament, and maternal internalizing (anxiety and depression) symptoms in a large cohort of typically developing infants. Steeper slope was associated with higher scores on the temperament domains of orienting/regulation and surgency but was not associated with negative affectivity. Maternal symptoms did not appear to be directly associated with slope, but slope moderated the association between maternal symptoms and temperament. Specifically, steeper slope was associated with a stronger negative association between maternal internalizing symptoms and infant orienting/regulation. These results demonstrate associations between slope and behavior as early as infancy, which may reflect early differences in the development of global inhibitory networks. Longitudinal research in early childhood is necessary to better understand the nature of these relations during development and their potential impact on later socioemotional outcomes.
25 Jul 2024Submitted to Psychophysiology
25 Jul 2024Submission Checks Completed
25 Jul 2024Assigned to Editor
25 Jul 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
25 Jul 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
19 Aug 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
08 Sep 20241st Revision Received
09 Sep 2024Submission Checks Completed
09 Sep 2024Assigned to Editor
09 Sep 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
10 Sep 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned