Schedule of Events | Symposia

Neural oscillations and risk for internalizing problems from infancy to early adolescence: longitudinal insights using spectral parameterization

Poster Session D - Monday, March 31, 2025, 8:00 – 10:00 am EDT, Back Bay Ballroom/Republic Ballroom

Dashiell D. Sacks^1,2 (dashiell.sacks@childrens.harvard.edu), Viviane Valdes^1,2, Carol L. Wilkinson^1,2, April R. Levin^1,2, Charles A. Nelson^1,2, Michelle Bosquet Enlow^1,2; ¹Boston Children's Hospital, ²Harvard Medical School

EEG is a powerful tool for investigating neurobiological markers of developmental psychopathology, given its portability and relative affordability. Traditional methods for analyzing baseline EEG power spectral density may conflate periodic, oscillatory activity with aperiodic activity, and obscure developmental trends in oscillatory activity. In this study, we used spectral parameterization to investigate (a) developmental trajectories of EEG power from infancy to early adolescence before and after isolating periodic activity and (b) associations of these trajectories with internalizing psychopathology. Participants (N=401) were enrolled in a longitudinal study of typical development, with baseline EEG collected in infancy (5, 7, or 12 months) and follow-up assessments including EEG and parent-reported child internalizing symptoms at ages 3, 5, 7, and 11 years. EEG power demonstrated linear decreases beginning at 3 years across delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma frequencies. More nuanced developmental trajectories were observed after isolating periodic activity, with variation across frequencies and non-linear trends. When participants were dichotomized into low and elevated internalizing symptom groups based on scores at each age, significant differences were observed in EEG power trajectories, characterized by reductions across all frequency bands in the elevated group at age 7. Although trends appeared similar, there were no significant differences in any frequency band after isolating periodic activity; differences could be explained by a broad shift in aperiodic offset. Spectral parameterization may yield unique insights into early development of neural oscillations. In this community sample, differences in EEG power in relation to internalizing symptoms appear driven by aperiodic activity.

Topic Area: EMOTION & SOCIAL: Development & aging