Longitudinal investigation of the relation between attention, neural functioning and SES in infancy.

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Project Summary/Abstract Developing in a low SES environment can have negative impacts on children’s attentional and neural development. Only a small number of studies have investigated the developmental foundation of these problems, with some evidence showing no neural differences at birth based on SES, but with marked differences present later in life. Importantly, no work exists that integrates the critical component of attention towards emotion. Given the profile of attention that infants in low SES environments are exposed to (overall lessened parental affect, and greater exposure to negative emotions), infant attention may be a critical mediating factor in the atypical pathway of development of children from low SES environments. The current study aims to examine associations between SES and resting EEG activity longitudinally across the first two years of life, and to examine associations among environmental stress related to SES, attention to emotion, and resting EEG activity in infancy. The second portion of the study aims to examine associations among SES, attention to emotion, functional brain development, environmental factors, and both parental and child stress across early childhood. We will utilize eye tracking to identify infants’ attentional patterns to emotional faces, and EEG and ERPs to measure neural resource allocation at rest and in response to emotional faces in infants and children developing in low SES environments. We will collect mothers’ and children’s hair samples to measure chronic stress in the environment, via cortisol levels. We will also collect variables related to environment, including parent report questionnaires, and a detailed in-home evaluation of parental behavior and home life. The proposed studies will focus on the PI’s training in EEG/ERP methods, stress physiology, and longitudinal statistical approaches to compliment and diversify her methodological and theoretical repertoire. The current proposal includes a well-established group of professionals who will assist and facilitate the training of the PI and her development into an independent researcher. The PIs current placement is ideal for the proposed training, given the unparalleled access to a sample of infants developing in a diverse SES environment, and access to premier research and teaching institutions. This additional training is critical for the PI to transition into an independent researcher who will continue to investigate the impact that developing in a low SES environment can have on brain and cognitive development of children. It is imperative to understand how, and how early, poverty and lack of access to resources impacts the way infants develop socially, cognitively, and neurally. Without greater understanding of these topics, we as a field cannot advance to developing targeted and empirically supported interventions for children growing up socioeconomically disadvantaged. These interventions are critical, given the negative attentional and behavioral outcomes of children from low SES environments.