Brain, interrupted: alpha/delta EEG ratio in survivors of pre- and post-natal adversity

Abstract

Objective: Does exposure to prenatal and postnatal adversity have the same long-term effects on brain development in humans? Methods: We examined whether these two types of exposures differed from their demographically matched controls on a frontal EEG alpha/delta ratio score, a proxy of brain maturation. Results Young adults born at extremely low birth weight (prenatal adversity; N = 64, M age = 23.14 years, SD age = 1.26 years) had a lower alpha/delta ratio score compared to normal birth weight controls (N = 76, M age = 23.60 years, SD age = 1.09 years), while youth exposed to child maltreatment (postnatal adversity; N = 39, M age = 16.18 years, SD age = 1.15) had a higher alpha/delta ratio compared to controls (N = 23, M age = 16.00 years, SD age = 1.50 years). Conclusions Our results suggest that being exposed to pre- and post-natal adversity may have different long-term consequences on brain development. We speculate that these differences might be associated with some of the different functional outcomes known to characterize each type of adverse experience.