Resting gamma power during the postnatal critical period for GABAergic system development is modulated by infant diet
R T Pivik1, Aline Andres1, Kevin B Tennal1
1Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, 15 Children's Way, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham St., Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
Insights
Resting gamma power, crucial for brain function, gradually increases in infants from 2 to 6 months. Factors like gestation, head circumference, and infant diet significantly influence this brain development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Gamma band activity (30-50 Hz) is vital for brain development and function.
- Early postnatal development and influencing factors of gamma activity are not well-documented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To document the development of resting gamma power in infants from 2 to 6 months.
- To identify subject and environmental factors influencing gamma power development.
Main Methods:
- High-density EEG recordings from 518 healthy infants (2-6 months).
- Analysis of resting gamma power across 44 brain sites.
- Adjustments for background neurodevelopmental variables.
Main Results:
- Gamma power shows a gradual increase from 2 to 6 months.
- Development varies topographically and is influenced by gestation, head circumference, and infant diet-sex interactions.
- Emerging, but fluctuating, relationships between gamma power and behavioral development.
Conclusions:
- The findings reflect critical postnatal organizational changes in the GABAergic system.
- These changes likely influence future gamma-related behavioral and neurocognitive functions.
- Highlights the importance of early environmental and subject factors in brain development.
Abstract:
Gamma band activity (30-50 Hz) plays an essential role in brain development and function, but neither the early postnatal development nor subject and environmental factors influencing this development have been reported. We documented the development of resting gamma power using high density EEG recordings obtained each month from postnatal month 2 to 6 in 518 healthy infants who were breast-fed (170; 85 boys), fed milk formula (186; 97 boys), or fed soy formula (162; 90 boys). Gamma power was determined for 44 sites distributed over major brain regions and analyses were adjusted for background variables relevant to neurodevelopment. The results show gamma power follows a gradually increasing function across this time period that varies in topographic magnitude and is differentially influenced by subject and environmental variables-among which gestation, head circumference, and infant diet-sex interactions figure most prominently. Relationships between gamma power and standardized measures of infant behavioral development appear to be emerging but are in flux during this time. Since this postnatal period is considered critical in the development of the GABAergic system underlying the generation of gamma activity, the observed findings may reflect organizational changes that will influence the future development of gamma-related behavioral and neurocognitive functions.
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