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Resting brain activity in early childhood predicts IQ at 18 years

Enda Tan1, Alva Tang2, Ranjan Debnath3

  • 1Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park 20740, USA; Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park 20740, USA.

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
|August 2, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Early brain activity, specifically higher resting theta electroencephalogram (EEG) power, predicts lower IQ in adulthood. Institutional rearing and delayed foster care worsen these effects, underscoring the need for early intervention.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychiatry

Background:

  • Resting brain activity is a key indicator of neurodevelopment.
  • Its predictive power for long-term cognitive outcomes remains largely unexplored.
  • Early life experiences, such as institutional rearing, can impact brain development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if early resting brain activity predicts cognitive outcomes at 18 years.
  • To examine the effects of institutional rearing and foster care timing on brain activity and IQ.
  • To establish a link between early neurodevelopmental markers and adult cognitive function.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project.
  • Analyzed resting theta electroencephalogram (EEG) power at 22, 30, and 42 months.
  • Correlated EEG data with full-scale IQ scores at 18 years, considering rearing conditions.

Main Results:

  • Higher resting theta EEG power in early childhood predicted significantly lower full-scale IQ at 18 years.
  • Institutional rearing and later foster care intervention were associated with increased resting theta power.
  • This early brain activity marker served as a predictor of adult cognitive abilities.

Conclusions:

  • Early brain activity patterns, particularly theta EEG power, have a lasting impact on cognitive development into adulthood.
  • Experiential factors like institutionalization and foster care timing influence neurodevelopment and subsequent cognitive function.
  • Early intervention is crucial for mitigating negative impacts on cognitive development in children from disadvantaged environments.

Keywords:
Early adversityIQPsychosocial deprivationResting EEGTheta

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