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Family Nurture Intervention in preterm infants alters frontal cortical functional connectivity assessed by EEG coherence
Author(s) -
Myers MM,
Grieve PG,
Stark RI,
Isler JR,
Hofer MA,
Yang J,
Ludwig RJ,
Welch MG
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.13007
Subject(s) - electroencephalography , nature versus nurture , brain function , medicine , coherence (philosophical gambling strategy) , developmental psychology , pediatrics , audiology , psychology , neuroscience , psychiatry , biology , genetics , physics , quantum mechanics
Aim To assess the impact of Family Nurture Intervention ( FNI ) on cortical function in preterm infants at term age. Methods Family Nurture Intervention is a NICU ‐based intervention designed to establish emotional connection between mothers and preterm infants. Infants born at 26–34 weeks postmenstrual age ( PMA ) were divided into two groups, standard care ( SC , N = 49) and FNI ( FNI , N = 56). Infants had EEG recordings of ~one hour duration with 124 lead nets between 37 and 44 weeks PMA . Coherence was measured between all pairs of electrodes in ten frequency bands. Data were summarised both within and between 12 regions during two sleep states (active, quiet). Results Coherence levels were negatively correlated with PMA age in both groups. As compared to SC infants, FNI infants showed significantly lower levels of EEG coherence (1–18 Hz) largely within and between frontal regions. Conclusion Coherence in FNI infants was decreased in regions where we previously found robust increases in EEG power. As coherence decreases with age, results suggest that FNI may accelerate brain maturation particularly in frontal brain regions, which have been shown in research by others to be involved in regulation of attention, cognition and emotion regulation; domains deficient in preterm infants.