Dynamics of spontaneous alpha activity correlate with language ability in young children

Elaine Y L Kwok; Janis Oram Cardy; Brian L Allman; Prudence Allen; Björn Herrmann

doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2018.10.024

Dynamics of spontaneous alpha activity correlate with language ability in young children

Behav Brain Res. 2019 Feb 1:359:56-65. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.10.024. Epub 2018 Oct 22.

Authors

Elaine Y L Kwok¹, Janis Oram Cardy², Brian L Allman³, Prudence Allen⁴, Björn Herrmann⁵

Affiliations

¹ Communication Sciences and Disorders, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6G 1H1, Canada. Electronic address: ekwok5@uwo.ca.
² Communication Sciences and Disorders, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6G 1H1, Canada; Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada; National Centre for Audiology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6G 1H1, Canada.
³ National Centre for Audiology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6G 1H1, Canada; Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada.
⁴ Communication Sciences and Disorders, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6G 1H1, Canada; National Centre for Audiology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6G 1H1, Canada.
⁵ Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada; Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C2, Canada. Electronic address: herrmann.b@gmail.com.

PMID: 30352251
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.10.024

Abstract

Early childhood is a period of tremendous growth in both language ability and brain maturation. To understand the dynamic interplay between neural activity and spoken language development, we used resting-state EEG recordings to explore the relation between alpha oscillations (7-10 Hz) and oral language ability in 4- to 6-year-old children with typical development (N = 41). Three properties of alpha oscillations were investigated: a) alpha power using spectral analysis, b) flexibility of the alpha frequency quantified via the oscillation's moment-to-moment fluctuations, and c) scaling behavior of the alpha oscillator investigated via the long-range temporal correlation in the alpha-amplitude time course. All three properties of the alpha oscillator correlated with children's oral language abilities. Higher language scores were correlated with lower alpha power, greater flexibility of the alpha frequency, and longer temporal correlations in the alpha-amplitude time course. Our findings demonstrate a cognitive role of several properties of the alpha oscillator that has largely been overlooked in the literature.

Keywords: Detrended fluctuation analysis; EEG; Frequency flexibility; Neural oscillations; Resting-state; Self-organization criticality.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Alpha Rhythm*
Brain / growth & development*
Brain / physiology*
Child
Child Language*
Child, Preschool
Humans
Language Tests
Rest
Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted