Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA.
Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
Brain Behav. 2021 Mar;11(3):e02008. doi: 10.1002/brb3.2008. Epub 2020 Dec 22.
The error-related negativity (ERN) is a neural response that reflects error monitoring. Contradictorily, an enlarged (more negative) ERN has been cited as both a risk factor and a protective factor, which hinders its utility as a predictive indicator. The aim of the current study was to examine the associations between ERN measured in early childhood with the development of cognitive control (CC), emotion regulation, and internalizing/externalizing symptoms over 1-2 years.
When children were ages 5-7, EEG was collected during a Go/No-Go task. A subset of the original participants (n = 30) were selected based on their baseline ERN in an extreme-case design: half with high-amplitude ERN, matched by age and sex with another group with low-amplitude ERN.
At follow-up, children in the High-Amplitude group showed better executive function, less self-reported anxiety and depression, less affect dysregulation, more parent-rated CC, less lability/negativity, and fewer parent-reported externalizing problems. Many results held even when accounting for baseline levels. Further, emotion dysregulation mediated the relationship between the ERN and both anxiety and externalizing problems, while CC mediated the ERN's relationship with externalizing problems only.
These results can inform identification and intervention efforts for children at risk for psychopathology.
错误相关负波（ERN）是一种反映错误监控的神经反应。矛盾的是，ERN 幅度增大（更负）被认为是风险因素和保护因素，这阻碍了其作为预测指标的实用性。本研究旨在考察儿童早期测量的 ERN 与认知控制（CC）、情绪调节以及 1-2 年内内化/外化症状的发展之间的关联。
当儿童年龄在 5-7 岁时，在 Go/No-Go 任务中采集 EEG。根据极端情况设计，根据基线 ERN 从原始参与者中选择了一部分（n=30）：一半具有高振幅 ERN，与另一组低振幅 ERN 按年龄和性别匹配。
在随访中，高振幅组的儿童表现出更好的执行功能，自我报告的焦虑和抑郁较少，情绪调节较差，父母评定的 CC 较多，波动性/消极性较小，以及父母报告的外化问题较少。即使考虑到基线水平，许多结果仍然成立。此外，情绪调节中介了 ERN 与焦虑和外化问题之间的关系，而 CC 仅中介了 ERN 与外化问题之间的关系。
这些结果可以为有精神病理学风险的儿童的识别和干预工作提供信息。
