title: Theta- and alpha-band EEG activity in response to eye gaze cues in early infancy.
abstract: In order to elucidate the development of how infants use eye gaze as a referential cue, we investigated theta and alpha oscillations in response to object-directed and object-averted eye gaze in infants aged 2, 4, 5, and 9months. At 2months of age, no difference between conditions was found. In 4- and 9-month-olds, alpha-band activity desynchronized more in response to faces looking at objects compared to faces looking away from objects. Theta activity in 5-month-old infants differed between conditions with more theta synchronization for object-averted eye gaze. Whereas alpha desynchronization might reflect mechanisms of early social object learning, theta is proposed to imply activity in the executive attention network. The interplay between alpha and theta activity represents developmental changes in both kinds of processes during early infancy.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Heidelberg University, Hauptstrasse 47-51, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address: christine.michel@psychologie.uni-heidelberg.de.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th St., Bloomington, IN 47405, USA. Electronic address: mstets@indiana.edu.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stets
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, United Kingdom. Electronic address: eugenioparise@tiscali.it.
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Parise
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, United Kingdom. Electronic address: v.reid@lancaster.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Vincent M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.affiliation: Hunter College, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; The Institute for Education on Health and Research, Milton, MA, USA. Electronic address: tstriano@hunter.cuny.edu.
authors.forename: Tricia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Striano
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Heidelberg University, Hauptstrasse 47-51, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address: stefanie.hoehl@psychologie.uni-heidelberg.de.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hoehl
mesh_terms: D000513:Alpha Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D013826:Theta Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Alpha desynchronization; Eye gaze cues; Infancy; Theta synchronization