Effects of Childhood Adversity on Brainwave Activity in Assessing Infant Facial Expression

Authors' Affiliations

Mary Jo Oliver-Hedrick, Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN. Tiffany Bonnagio, Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN.

Location

D.P. Culp Center Ballroom

Start Date

4-5-2024 9:00 AM

End Date

4-5-2024 11:30 AM

Poster Number

139

Name of Project's Faculty Sponsor

Eric Sellers

Faculty Sponsor's Department

Psychology

Classification of First Author

Undergraduate Student

Competition Type

Competitive

Type

Poster Presentation

Presentation Category

Science, Technology and Engineering

Abstract or Artist's Statement

The lifespan effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on individual psychosocial cognition and behavioral health outcomes have become a topic of public interest. A rising awareness of mental health issues has highlighted diverse effects of early trauma. While much of the research has focused on subjective measures of mental well-being, there is growing interest in the impact of childhood trauma on physiological brain function. Previous event related potential (ERP) research has been inconclusive as to the relationship between ACEs and brainwaves; some studies have shown higher amplitude responses to emotional facial expression compared to neutral facial stimuli, while others have found the opposite result. The goal of the current study is to elucidate the physiological effects that underpin social cognitive dysfunction in individuals who have experienced childhood adversity. Using electroencephalogram (EEG), the face-sensitive N170 ERP can be used to examine difference in how the brain responds to facial expressions. Participants were recruited on SONA to completed the Variability in Adverse Childhood Experiences (VACE) scale on REDCap. Participants were connected to EEG and completed a canonical oddball task requiring them to differentiate between negative, positive and neutral infant facial expressions. Participants completed 3 blocks of 130 trials, with each block consisting of a different target facial expression. Participants answered “yes” if the facial expression matched the target facial expression and “no” if the facial expression failed to match the target facial expression. Only accurate responses to infant facial expressions were analyzed. Analysis showed no significant correlation between N170 amplitudes and ACEs. Given the ambiguity surrounding this topic, further research is needed to clarify the relationship between childhood trauma and brainwaves.

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Apr 5th, 9:00 AM Apr 5th, 11:30 AM

Effects of Childhood Adversity on Brainwave Activity in Assessing Infant Facial Expression

D.P. Culp Center Ballroom

The lifespan effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on individual psychosocial cognition and behavioral health outcomes have become a topic of public interest. A rising awareness of mental health issues has highlighted diverse effects of early trauma. While much of the research has focused on subjective measures of mental well-being, there is growing interest in the impact of childhood trauma on physiological brain function. Previous event related potential (ERP) research has been inconclusive as to the relationship between ACEs and brainwaves; some studies have shown higher amplitude responses to emotional facial expression compared to neutral facial stimuli, while others have found the opposite result. The goal of the current study is to elucidate the physiological effects that underpin social cognitive dysfunction in individuals who have experienced childhood adversity. Using electroencephalogram (EEG), the face-sensitive N170 ERP can be used to examine difference in how the brain responds to facial expressions. Participants were recruited on SONA to completed the Variability in Adverse Childhood Experiences (VACE) scale on REDCap. Participants were connected to EEG and completed a canonical oddball task requiring them to differentiate between negative, positive and neutral infant facial expressions. Participants completed 3 blocks of 130 trials, with each block consisting of a different target facial expression. Participants answered “yes” if the facial expression matched the target facial expression and “no” if the facial expression failed to match the target facial expression. Only accurate responses to infant facial expressions were analyzed. Analysis showed no significant correlation between N170 amplitudes and ACEs. Given the ambiguity surrounding this topic, further research is needed to clarify the relationship between childhood trauma and brainwaves.