title: Alpha asymmetry in infants at risk for autism spectrum disorders.
abstract: An emerging focus of research on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) targets the identification of early-developing ASD endophenotypes using infant siblings of affected children. One potential neural endophenotype is resting frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) alpha asymmetry, a metric of hemispheric organization. Here, we examined the development of frontal EEG alpha asymmetry in ASD high-risk and low-risk infant populations. Our findings demonstrate that low and high-risk infants show different patterns of alpha asymmetry at 6 months of age and opposite growth trajectories in asymmetry over the following 12 months. These results support the candidacy of alpha asymmetry as an early neural ASD endophenotype.
authors.affiliation: Harvard College, Cambridge, MA, 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Laurel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gabard-Durnam
authors.forename: Adrienne L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Tierney
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vogel-Farley
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tager-Flusberg
authors.forename: Charles A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000513:Alpha Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D058068:Endophenotypes; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D062706:Prodromal Symptoms; D035781:Siblings / Q000523:psychology