A longitudinal study of emotion regulation and anxiety in middle childhood: Associations with frontal EEG asymmetry in early childhood |
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| Authors: | Dagmar Kr Hannesdóttir Jacquelyn Doxie Martha Ann Bell Thomas H Ollendick Christy D Wolfe |
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| Institution: | 1. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia;2. Centre for Child Development and Behaviour, Reykjavík, Iceland;3. De Paul University, Chicago, Illinois;4. Bellarmine University Louisville, Kentucky |
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| Abstract: | We investigated whether brain electrical activity during early childhood was associated with anxiety symptoms and emotion regulation during a stressful situation during middle childhood. Frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetries were measured during baseline and during a cognitive control task at 4 ½ years. Anxiety and emotion regulation were assessed during a stressful situation at age 9 (speech task), along with measures of heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV). Questionnaires were also used to assess anxiety and emotion regulation at age 9. Results from this longitudinal study indicated that children who exhibited right frontal asymmetry in early childhood experienced more physiological arousal (increased HR, decreased HRV) during the speech task at age 9 and less ability to regulate their emotions as reported by their parents. Findings are discussed in light of the associations between temperament and development of anxiety disorders. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 52:197–204, 2010 |
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| Keywords: | anxiety children EEG asymmetry emotion regulation cardiovascular arousal |
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