Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA.
Dev Psychobiol. 2022 May;64(4):e22249. doi: 10.1002/dev.22249.
This study investigated middle childhood resting electroencephalography (EEG) and behavioral adjustment in 35 internationally adopted children removed from early caregiving adversity between 6 and 29 months of age. Older age of adoption was associated with more immature or atypical profiles of middle childhood cortical function, based on higher relative theta power (4-6 Hz), lower relative alpha power (7-12 Hz), lower peak alpha frequency, and lower absolute beta (13-20 Hz) and gamma (21-50 Hz) power. More immature or atypical EEG spectral power indirectly linked older age of adoption with increased risk for externalizing problems in middle childhood. The findings add to existing evidence linking duration of early adverse exposures with lasting effects on brain function and behavioral regulation even years after living in a stable adoptive family setting. Findings underscore the need to minimize and prevent children's exposures to early caregiving adversity, especially in the first years of life. They call for innovative interventions to support neurotypical development in internationally adopted children at elevated risk.
本研究调查了 35 名在 6 至 29 个月大时脱离早期养育逆境的国际收养儿童的儿童中期静息脑电图 (EEG) 和行为调整。根据较高的相对θ功率 (4-6 Hz)、较低的相对α功率 (7-12 Hz)、较低的峰值α频率以及较低的绝对β (13-20 Hz) 和γ (21-50 Hz) 功率，较高的收养年龄与儿童中期皮质功能更为不成熟或非典型的特征相关。更为不成熟或非典型的 EEG 频谱功率间接将收养年龄较大与儿童中期出现外化问题的风险增加联系起来。这些发现增加了现有证据，即早期不良暴露的持续时间与即使在生活在稳定的收养家庭环境多年后大脑功能和行为调节的持久影响有关。这些发现强调了需要尽量减少和预防儿童在生命早期遭受养育逆境的影响。它们呼吁采取创新干预措施，为处于高风险的国际收养儿童提供支持以促进其神经发育正常。
