Browsing by Author "Canen, Mara"
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Item ERN, Theta Power, and Risk for Anxiety Problems in Preschoolers(2016-12) Canen, Mara; Brooker, Rebecca J."The Error Related Negativity (ERN) is a neural marker of performance monitoring that has been inconsistently linked to anxiety risk in children. One avenue for understanding inconsistencies is to investigate other neural dynamics linked to ERN. In this study, we investigated interactions between ERN and the theta frequency band, which is associated with attentional control and theorized to contribute ERN, in association with childhood anxiety risk. Fifty-nine 3-year-old children provided usable EEG data during a modified go/no-go task. Associations between ERN and anxious behaviors in preschoolers were moderated by theta power during incorrect trials. Specifically, when theta power was low, greater ERN predicted more social withdrawal; when theta power was high, ERN and social withdrawal were unrelated. Our findings suggest that ERN and theta may jointly contribute to anxiety risk in early childhood."Item N AND THETA DYNAMICS: LINKS WITH ANXIETY RISK IN PRESCHOOLERS(Montana State Univeristy, 2017-04) Canen, MaraThe Error Related Negativity is a neural marker for error monitoring (Botnivick et al., 2001) that has been linked to anxiety risk in children (Torpey, Hajcak, & Klein, 2009) and adults (Olvet & Hacjak, 2008). However, this finding has been inconsistent. For example, more negative ERN amplitudes are related with increased anxiety in children over age 12, but not under age 12 (Meyer et al., 2012). The neural dynamics underlying childhood ERN are also unknown. In this study, we investigate interactions between ERN and the Theta frequency band, which is associated with attentional control (Jensen & Tesche, 2002) as contributors to childhood anxiety risk. We recorded EEG from 59 3.5 year old children (M=3.56, SD= 0.35) during a modified Go-No-Go task. A repeated measures ANOVA and follow-up tests revealed a significant ERN at Fz, FCz, and Cz, but not Pz (F(3,168)= 2.93, p= .04). Theta power was visible for both correct and incorrect trials (F(4,54)= 20.798, p <.05). Parents reported on children’s anxious behaviors such as social inhibition and withdrawal and asocial behaviors with peers. Greater Theta power during incorrect trials predicted greater anxiety risk (B = 1.31, p < .05); however, this association was moderated by ERN (B = .11, p = .04) such that when ERN was small, theta negatively predicted anxious behaviors (B = 1.19, p = .04). Theta and anxious behaviors were unrelated when ERN was large (B = -.87, p > .05). The current study provides evidence that ERN and theta may jointly contribute to anxiety risk in early childhood.