Resting-State EEG Spectral Power in Children with Experience of Early Deprivation

Abstract

Children left without parental care and placed in institutional settings represent a particularly vulnerable group. In the absence of sufficient social interaction, children with experience of early deprivation demonstrate neural, social, and emotional deficits. In the present study, we use electroencephalographic (EEG) techniques to examine the functioning of the central nervous system in a sample of children living in institutions in a large city in Russia. The study involved 11 children with experience of institutional care and 11 matched children from biological families. Participants with experience of early deprivation demonstrated a decrease of spectral power in the theta and alpha bands compared to the comparison group. The decrease of spectral power in the delta, theta and alpha bands, which are closely related to cognitive and emotional processes, may reflect brain developmental patterns associated with early deprivation.