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Infants of depressed mothers exhibit atypical frontal electrical brain activity during interactions with mother and with a familiar, nondepressed adult.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Dawson, G; Frey, K; Panagiotides, H; Yamada, E; Hessl, D; Osterling, J
Published in: Child Dev
1999

Previous studies have shown that infants of depressed mothers exhibit atypical frontal brain electrical activity when they are interacting with their mothers. Whereas typically developing infants exhibit greater left versus right frontal brain activity, infants of depressed mothers have been found to exhibit reduced relative left frontal activity. The left frontal brain region has been associated with the expression of positive emotions. In the present study, the question of whether the atypical pattern of brain activity found in infants of depressed mothers generalizes to situations not involving mother was addressed. Brain electrical activity was recorded from 13- to 15-month-old infants of depressed (N = 59) versus nondepressed (N = 40) mothers during a baseline condition, and during several social conditions that included a playful social interaction with a familiar experiments. Infants of depressed mothers exhibited reduced left relative to right frontal activity during the baseline condition, and during interactions with their mothers and with the familiar experimenter. The present results suggest that the atypical pattern of electrical brain activity found in infants of depressed mothers generalizes to a variety of situations, including positive interactions with nondepressed adults.

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Published In

Child Dev

DOI

ISSN

0009-3920

Publication Date

1999

Volume

70

Issue

5

Start / End Page

1058 / 1066

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Play and Playthings
  • Parietal Lobe
  • Mothers
  • Mother-Child Relations
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Frontal Lobe
  • Female
 

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Dawson, G., Frey, K., Panagiotides, H., Yamada, E., Hessl, D., & Osterling, J. (1999). Infants of depressed mothers exhibit atypical frontal electrical brain activity during interactions with mother and with a familiar, nondepressed adult. Child Dev, 70(5), 1058–1066. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00078
Dawson, G., K. Frey, H. Panagiotides, E. Yamada, D. Hessl, and J. Osterling. “Infants of depressed mothers exhibit atypical frontal electrical brain activity during interactions with mother and with a familiar, nondepressed adult.Child Dev 70, no. 5 (1999): 1058–66. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00078.
Dawson, G., et al. “Infants of depressed mothers exhibit atypical frontal electrical brain activity during interactions with mother and with a familiar, nondepressed adult.Child Dev, vol. 70, no. 5, 1999, pp. 1058–66. Pubmed, doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00078.
Journal cover image

Published In

Child Dev

DOI

ISSN

0009-3920

Publication Date

1999

Volume

70

Issue

5

Start / End Page

1058 / 1066

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Play and Playthings
  • Parietal Lobe
  • Mothers
  • Mother-Child Relations
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Frontal Lobe
  • Female