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. 2023 Feb:70:101807.
doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2022.101807. Epub 2023 Jan 10.

Neurophysiology of sustained attention in early infancy: Investigating longitudinal relations with recognition memory outcomes

Annie Brandes-Aitken  1 , Maya Metser  2 , Stephen H Braren  2 , Sarah C Vogel  2 , Natalie H Brito  2
Affiliations

Neurophysiology of sustained attention in early infancy: Investigating longitudinal relations with recognition memory outcomes

Annie Brandes-Aitken et al. Infant Behav Dev. 2023 Feb.

Abstract

The ability to sustain attention is a critical cognitive domain that emerges in infancy and is predictive of a multitude of cognitive processes. Here, we used a heart rate (HR) defined measure of sustained attention to assess corresponding changes in frontal electroencephalography (EEG) power at 3 months of age. Second, we examined how the neural underpinnings of HR-defined sustained attention were associated with sustained attention engagement. Third, we evaluated if neural or behavioral sustained attention measures at 3-months predicted subsequent recognition memory scores at 9 months of age. Seventy-five infants were included at 3 months of age and provided usable attention and EEG data and 25 infants returned to the lab at 9 months and provided usable recognition memory data. The current study focuses on oscillatory power in the theta (4-6 Hz) frequency band during phases of HR-defined sustained attention and inattention phases. Results revealed that theta power was significantly higher during phases of sustained attention. Second, higher theta power during sustained attention was positively associated with proportion of time in sustained attention. Third, longitudinal analyses indicated a significant positive association between theta power during sustained attention on 9-month visual paired comparison scores such that higher theta power predicted higher visual paired comparison scores at 9-months. These results highlight the interrelation of the attention and arousal systems which have longitudinal implications for subsequent recognition memory processes.

Keywords: Development; EEG; Infant Attention; Recognition Memory.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
VPC Stimuli. Visual Paired Comparison Stimuli. The top panel depicts the familiarization block and the bottom panel depicts the first novelty preference block.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Schematic of the analytic strategy for characterizing phases of inattention and sustained attention.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Violin plots of IBI during attention phases. Violin plot representing the means and distribution of infant inter-beat interval (IBI) during HR-defined sustained attention (SA) and HR-defined inattention (inattention) phases.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
Topoplots of Theta and alpha power in sustained attention. Topoplots of change in theta and alpha from HR-defined inattention (inattention) to HR-defined sustained attention (SA). Values were derived by subtracted log10 absolute values of HR-defined sustained attention from HR-defined inattention.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 5.
Topoplots of theta power for infants with high vs. low attention engagement. Topoplot of change in theta from HR-defined inattention (inattention) to HR-defined sustained attention (SA) for infants with high proportion of time in sustained attention compared to infants with low proportion of time in sustained attention. High and low average proportion of time in sustained attention were designated using a median split.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 6.
Scatterplot of 3-month HR-defined sustained attention theta power change score on 9-month visual paired comparison (VPC) scores.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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