title: Greater right frontal EEG asymmetry and nonemphathic behavior are observed in children prenatally exposed to cocaine.
abstract: Responses to emotion-inducing stimuli were examined in 27, 3- to 6-year-old children, who were prenatally exposed to cocaine, and 27 unexposed controls. Children were monitored for EEG activity and their affect during an infant crying, simulated maternal distress, and a mildly frustrating task. Multivariate analyses indicated that the cocaine-exposed children had greater right frontal EEG asymmetry, showed fewer empathic reactions to a crying infant as well as to their own mothers, and they were less proficient in completing a cooperative task. These findings highlight the need for continued longitudinal research on the effects of early drug exposure for later socioemotional development.
authors.affiliation: Florida Atlantic University, John D. MacArthur Campus, 5353 Parkside Dr., Jupiter, FL 33458, USA. njones@fau.edu
authors.forename: Nancy Aaron
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Tiffany
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Field
authors.forename: Marisabel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Davalos
authors.forename: Sybil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hart
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000633:toxicity; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003042:Cocaine / Q000633:toxicity*; D003448:Crying / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects*; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects*; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D003042:Cocaine