title: Electroencephalogram and heart rate measures of working memory at 5 and 10 months of age.
abstract: We recorded electroencephalogram (EEG; 6-9 Hz) and heart rate (HR) from infants at 5 and 10 months of age during baseline and performance on the looking A-not-B task of infant working memory (WM). Longitudinal baseline-to-task comparisons revealed WM-related increases in EEG power (all electrodes) and EEG coherence (medial frontal-occipital electrode pairs) at both ages. WM-related decreases in HR were only present at 5 months, and WM-related increases in EEG coherence became more localized by 10 months. Regression analyses revealed that baseline-to-task changes in psychophysiology accounted for variability in WM performance at 10 but not 5 months. HR and EEG power (medial frontal and lateral frontal electrodes) were unique predictors of variability in 10-month WM performance. These findings are discussed in relation to frontal lobe development and represent the first comprehensive longitudinal analysis of age-related changes in the behavioral and psychophysiological correlates of WM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. kcuevas@vt.edu
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cuevas
authors.forename: Martha Ann
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marcovitch
authors.forename: Susan D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Calkins
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D058256:Brain Waves / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis