Greater right frontal EEG asymmetry and nonemphathic behavior are observed in children prenatally exposed to cocaine.
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.
Jones
Nancy Aaron
NA
Florida Atlantic University, John D. MacArthur Campus, 5353 Parkside Dr., Jupiter, FL 33458, USA. njones@fau.edu
Field
Tiffany
T
Davalos
Marisabel
M
Hart
Sybil
S
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
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D003042:Cocaine