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. 2021 Sep;63(6):e22124.
doi: 10.1002/dev.22124. Epub 2021 May 6.

Memory binding and theta EEG during middle childhood

Vinaya Rajan  1 , Kimberly Cuevas  2 , Martha Ann Bell  3
Affiliations

Memory binding and theta EEG during middle childhood

Vinaya Rajan et al. Dev Psychobiol. 2021 Sep.

Abstract

The ability to bind together the contextual details associated with an event undergoes dramatic improvement during childhood. However, few studies have examined the neural correlates of memory binding encoding and retrieval during middle childhood. We examined age-related encoding and retrieval differences using continuous electroencephalogram (EEG) measures in a sample of 6- and 8-year-olds. For the memory binding task, children were tested on memory for individual items (i.e., objects and backgrounds only) and combined object-backgrounds pairings (combination condition). Memory for individual item information was comparable across both age groups. However, younger children experienced greater difficulty (i.e., higher false alarm rate) in the combination condition. Theta (4-7 Hz) neuronal oscillations were analyzed to compare memory encoding and retrieval processes. Widespread retrieval-related increases in theta band EEG power (compared with baseline and encoding-related activation) were evident in both 6- and 8-year-olds. Regression analyses revealed that parietal theta EEG power during retrieval accounted for variability in memory binding performance. These findings suggest that theta rhythms are intricately linked to memory binding processes during middle childhood.

Keywords: EEG power; encoding; memory binding; middle childhood; retrieval.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Example of encoding and test stimuli for the object, background, and combination conditions
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
(a) Mean proportion “yes” responses as a function of age and test item type for hits and false alarms. (b) d’ sensitivity scores as a function of age and test item type. Higher d’ values indicate a better ability to discriminate between old and new items. **p < .01
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Theta EEG power values for baseline, encoding, and retrieval (collapsed across age) during the object condition. ***p < .001
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Theta EEG power values for baseline, encoding, and retrieval (collapsed across age and hemisphere) during the background condition. **p < .005; ***p < .001 [Corrections added on 17th May, 2021 after first online publication: **p < .05 was changed to **p < .005]
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Theta EEG power values for baseline, encoding, and retrieval (collapsed across age and hemisphere) during the combination condition. ***p ≤ .001
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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