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Development of the EEG from 5 months to 4 years of age
Peter J Marshall1, Yair Bar-Haim, Nathan A Fox
1Department of Human Development, University of Maryland, 3304 Benjamin Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA. peterm@wam.umd.edu
Insights
A 6-9 Hz alpha-range frequency band emerges in infant electroencephalography (EEG) during the first year of life. This central rhythm develops independently and is linked to sensorimotor development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Pediatric Neurology
Background:
- The infant electroencephalogram (EEG) literature has utilized a 6-9 Hz alpha-range frequency band.
- Longitudinal analysis is crucial for understanding developmental changes in brain activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically analyze EEG data longitudinally from infancy into early childhood.
- To empirically confirm the presence and characteristics of a 6-9 Hz alpha-range frequency band in infants.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of EEG data in 1-Hz bins (3-12 Hz) from 29 participants.
- Data collected at multiple time points: 5, 10, 14, 24, and 51 months of age.
Main Results:
- A distinct 6-9 Hz peak emerged in power spectra across multiple scalp regions.
- Individual infant analyses revealed a developmental increase in the frequency of this peak.
- A central 6-9 Hz rhythm, independent of posterior alpha, peaked in amplitude during the second year, coinciding with locomotor development.
Conclusions:
- The 6-9 Hz band is a valid indicator of brain activity from late infancy through early childhood.
- This central rhythm shows potential connections to the adult sensorimotor mu rhythm, highlighting developmental continuity.
Objectives:
This report provides a systematic longitudinal analysis of the EEG from infancy into early childhood. Particular emphasis is placed on the empirical confirmation of a 6-9 Hz alpha-range frequency band that has previously been used in the infant EEG literature.
Methods:
EEG data in 1-Hz bins from 3 to 12 Hz were analyzed from a longitudinal sample of 29 participants at 5, 10, 14, 24, and 51 months of age.
Results:
Inspection of power spectra averaged across the whole sample indicated the emergence of a peak in the 6-9 Hz range across multiple scalp regions. Coding of peaks in the power spectra of individual infants showed a clear developmental increase in the frequency of this peak. A rhythm in the 6-9 Hz emerged at central sites that was independent of the classical alpha rhythm at posterior sites. The relative amplitude of this central rhythm peaked in the second year of life, when major changes are occurring in locomotor behavior.
Conclusions:
The 6-9 Hz band is a useful alpha-range band from the end of the first year of life into early childhood. The findings also complement other research relating the infant central rhythm with the adult sensorimotor mu rhythm.