EEG and ECG from 5 to 10 months of age: Developmental changes in baseline activation and cognitive processing during a working memory task

We recorded electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) from 20 infants monthly between 5 and 10 months of age during baseline and during performance on the looking A-not-B task of infant working memory. Analyses of baseline data showed age-related increases in EEG power (medial frontal, central, temporal, medial parietal, lateral parietal, and occipital electrode sites) and coherence (frontal pole–medial frontal, medial frontal–lateral frontal, medial frontal–medial parietal, and medial frontal–occipital electrode pairs), and decreases in heart rate (HR). Patterns of age-related change were similar for EEG power, EEG coherence, and HR. Analyses of task data relative to baseline revealed task-related increases in EEG power (all electrode sites), but no task-related changes in EEG coherence (medial frontal pairings) and HR. There was some evidence of localized task-related changes in EEG power by 10 months of age. These data highlight age-related changes in EEG and ECG, as well as the functional significance of these psychophysiological measures during baseline and during cognitive processing in the first year.

Research highlights
► Infants exhibit age-related increases in baseline EEG power and EEG coherence.
► Infants exhibit age-related decreases in baseline HR.
► Infants exhibit working memory task-related increases in EEG power.
► Infants did not exhibit working memory task-related changes in EEG coherence and HR.
► There is some evidence of localized task-related changes in EEG power by 10 months.