Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Oppositional Children Differ from Healthy Children in Frontal Brain Activation

  • Published:
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An atypical EEG pattern of frontal brain activation, which has been found in children and adults with emotional disorders, also is hypothesized to be present in disruptive behavior disorders. One hundred nineteen children (4\(\frac{1}{2}\) and 8 years of age) were examined with regard to the following questions: (1) Do children who are diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) exhibit an atypical pattern of frontal brain activation? (2) Can this pattern be demonstrated in preschool children (4\(\frac{1}{2}\) years of age) as well as in school children (8 years)? (3) Are there gender differences in these patterns similar to those that have been demonstrated in adults? Spontaneous EEG activity was subjected to power spectral analysis. In oppositional preschool and elementary school girls, the well-known pattern of lower left frontal than right frontal activation emerged that has been found previously in emotionally disordered children. Healthy girls showed no frontal brain asymmetry at 4\(\frac{1}{2}\) years of age, and left frontal activation at 8 years. In contrast, healthy boys demonstrated a greater right than left frontal activation, whereas ODD boys did not display any frontal brain asymmetry. Thus, the pattern of frontal brain activation seems to be gender-specific. The atypical activation pattern in oppositional children is hypothesized to be a biological substrate of negative affective style.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Allen, J. J., Iacono, W. G., Depue, R. A., & Arbisi, P. (1993). Regional electroencephalographic asymmetries in bipolar seasonal affective disorder before and after exposure to bright light. Biological Psychiatry, 33, 642–646.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, R. H., Fleming, D. E., Rhees, R. W., & Kinghorn, E. (1986). Relationships between sexual activity, plasma testosterone and the volume of the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area in prenatally stressed and non-stressed rats. Brain Research, 370, 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barkley, R. A. (1997). Behavioral inhibition, sustained attention, and executive functions: Constructing a unifying theory of ADHD. Psychological Bulletin, 121, 65–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baving, L., Laucht, M., & Schmidt, M. H. (1999). Atypical frontal brain activation in ADHD: Preschool and elementary school boys and girls. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescence Psychiatry, 38, 1363–1371.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birbaumer, N., & Töpfner, S. (1998). Hirnhemisphären und Verhalten. Deutsches Ärzteblatt, 95, 2844–2848.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burgemeister, B., Blum, L., & Lorge, J. (1972). Columbia Mental Maturity Scale. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, S. B. (1995). Behavior problems in preschool children: A review of recent research. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 36, 113–149.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, S. B., Pierce, E. W., March, C. L., Ewing, L. J., & Szumowski, E. K. (1994). Hard-to-manage preschool boys: Symptomatic behavior across contexts and time. Child Development, 65, 836–851.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cantwell, D. P., & Baker, L. (1989). Stability and natural history of DSM-III childhood diagnoses. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescence Psychiatry, 28, 691–700.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, R. J. (1995). Cerebral asymmetry, emotion, and affective style. In R. J. Davidson & K. Hugdahl (Eds.), Brain Asymmetry (pp. 361–387). Cambridge: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, R. J. (1998a). Affective style and affective disorders: Perspectives from affective neuroscience. Cognition and Emotion, 12, 307–330.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, R. J. (1998b). Anterior electrophysiological asymmetries, emotion, and depression: Conceptual and methodological conundrums. Psychophysiology, 35, 607–614.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, R. J., & Fox, N. A. (1989). Frontal brain asymmetry predicts infants' response to maternal separation. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 98, 127–131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, R. J., Schaffer, C. E., & Saron, C. (1985). Effects of lateralized presentations of faces on self-reports of emotion and EEG asymmetry in depressed and non-depressed subjects. Psychophysiology, 22, 353–364.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, G., Frey, K., Panagiotides, H., Osterling, J., & Hessl, D. (1997). Infants of depressed mothers exhibit atypical frontal brain activity: A replication and extension of previous findings. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 179–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, G., Frey, K., Panagiotides, H., Yamada, E., Hessl, D., & Osterling, J. (1999). Infants of depressed mothers exhibit atypical frontal electrical brain activity during interactions with mother and with a familiar, nondepressed adult. Child Development, 70, 1058–1066.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, G., Grofer Klinger, L., Panagiotides, H., Hill, D., & Spieker, S. (1992c). Frontal lobe activity and affective behaviour of infants of mothers with depressive symptoms. Child Development, 63, 725–737.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, G., Grofer Klinger, L., Panagiotides, H., Spieker, S., & Frey, K. (1992b). Infants of mothers with depressive symptoms: Electrophysiological and behavioral findings related to attachment status. Developmental Psychopathology, 4, 67–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, G., Panagiotides, H., Grofer Klinger, L., & Hill, D. (1992a). The role of frontal lobe functioning in the development of infant self-regulatory behavior. Brain and Cognition, 20, 152–175.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Lacoste, M. C., Horvath, D. S., & Woodward, D. J. (1991). Possible sex differences in the developing human fetal brain. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 13, 831–846.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ernst, M., Cohen, R. M., Liebenauer, L. L., Jons, P. H., & Zametkin, A. J. (1997). Cerebral glucose metabolism in adolescent girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescence Psychiatry, 36, 1399–1406.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ernst, M., Liebenauer, L. L., King, C., Fitzgerald, G. A., Cohen, R. M., & Zametkin, A. J. (1994). Reduced brain metabolism in hyperactive girls. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescence Psychiatry, 33, 858–868.

    Google Scholar 

  • Esser, G., Blanz, B., Geisel, B., & Laucht, M. (1989). Mannheimer Elterninterview. Weinheim: Beltz.

    Google Scholar 

  • Esser, G., Schmidt, M. H., & Woerner, W. (1990). Epidemiology and course of psychiatric disorders in school-age children-results of a longitudinal study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 31, 243–263.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox, N. A., & Davidson, R. J. (1988). Patterns of brain electrical activity during facial signs of emotion in 10-month-old infants. Developmental Psychology, 24, 230–236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox, N. A., Rubin, K. H., Calkins, S. D., Marshall, T. R., Coplan, R. J., Porges, S. W., Long, J., & Stewart, S. (1995). Frontal activation asymmetry and social competence at four years of age. Child Development, 66, 1770–1784.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox, N. A., Schmidt, L. A., Calkins, S. D., Rubin, K. H., & Coplan, R. J. (1996). The role of frontal activation in the regulation and dysregulation of social behavior during the preschool years. Developmental Psychopathology, 8, 89–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harmon-Jones, E., & Allen, J. J. B. (1997). Behavioral activation sensitivity and resting frontal EEG asymmetry: Covariation of putative indicators related to risk for mood disorders. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 106, 159–163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henriques, J. B., & Davidson, R. J. (1990). Regional brain electrical asymmetries discriminate between previously depressed subjects and healthy controls. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 99, 22–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henriques, J. B., & Davidson, R. J. (1991). Left frontal hypoactivation in depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100, 535–545.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, P. S., Martin, D., & Cantwell, D. P. (1997). Comorbidity in ADHD: Implications to research, practice, and DSM-V. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36, 1065–1079.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, N. A., Field, T., Fox, N. A., Lundy, B., & Davalos, M. (1997). EEG activation in 1-month-old infants of depressed mothers. Developmental Psychopathology, 9, 491–505.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keenan, K., & Shaw, D. (1997). Developmental and social influences on young girls' early problem behavior. Psychological Bulletin, 121, 95–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kline, J. P., Allen, J. J. B., & Schwartz, G. E. (1998). Is left frontal brain activation in defensiveness gender specific? Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 107, 149–153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lahey, B. B., Applegate, B., Barkley, R. A., Garfinkel, B., McBurnett, K., Kerdyk, L., Greenhill, L., Hynd, G.W., Frick, P. J., Newcorn, J., Biederman, J., Ollendick, T., Hart, E. L., Perez, D., Waldman, I., & Shaffer, D. (1994). DSM-IV field trials for oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder in children and adolescents. American Journal of Psychiatry, 151, 1163–1171.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larson, C. L., Davidson, R. J., Abercrombie, H. C., Ward, R. T., Schaefer, S. M., Jackson, D. C., Holden, J. E., & Perlman, S. B. (1998). Relations between PET-derived measures of thalamic glucose metabolism and EEG alpha power. Psychophysiology, 35, 162–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laucht, M., Esser, G., & Schmidt, M. H. (1997). Developmental outcome of infants born with biological and psychosocial risks. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 843–853.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, D. W., & Diamond, M. C. (1995). The influence of gonadal steroids on the asymmetry of the cerebral cortex. In R. J. Davidson & K. Hugdahl (Eds.), Brain Asymmetry (pp. 31–50). Cambridge: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loeber, R., Lahey, B. B., & Thomas, C. (1991). Diagnostic conundrum of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100, 379–390.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray, L., & Cooper, P. J. (1997). Postpartum depression and child development. Psychological Medicine, 27, 253–260.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osaka, M., & Osaka, N. (1980). Human intelligence and power spectral analysis of visual evoked potentials. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 50, 192–194.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rey, J. M. (1993). Oppositional defiant disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 1769–1778.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt, L. A., & Fox, N. A. (1994). Patterns of cortical electrophysiology and autonomic activity in adults' shyness and sociability. Biological Psychology, 43, 183–198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steriade, M. (1981). EEG desynchronization is associated with cellular events that are prerequisites for active behavioral states. Commentary on “Reticulo-cortical activity and behavior. A critique of the arousal theory and a new synthesis” by C. H. Vanderwolf & T. E. Robinson. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 4, 489–492.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomarken, A. J., & Davidson, R. J. (1994). Frontal brain activation in repressors and nonrepressors. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 103, 339–349.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomarken, A. J., Davidson, R. J., & Henriques, J. B. (1990). Frontal brain asymmetry predicts affective responses to films. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 791–801.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ward, I. L, & Weisz, J. (1980). Maternal stress alters plasma testosterone in fetal males. Science, 207, 328–329.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, R., & Osterland, J. (1979). Grundintelligenztest Skala 1 (3rd edition). Braunschweig: Westermann.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler, R. E., Davidson, R. J., & Tomarken, A. J. (1993). Frontal brain asymmetry and emotional reactivity: A biological substrate of affective style. Psychophysiology, 30, 82–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiedemann, G., Pauli, P., Dengler, W., Lutzenberger, W., Birbaumer, N., & Buchkremer, G. (1999). Frontal brain asymmetry as a biological substrate of emotions in patients with panic disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 56, 78–84.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany

    Lioba Baving, Manfred Laucht & Martin H. Schmidt

  2. Central Institute of Mental Health, P.O. Box 12 21 20, 68072, Mannheim, Germany

    Lioba Baving

Authors
  1. Lioba Baving
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Manfred Laucht
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Martin H. Schmidt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Baving, L., Laucht, M. & Schmidt, M.H. Oppositional Children Differ from Healthy Children in Frontal Brain Activation. J Abnorm Child Psychol 28, 267–275 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005196320909

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005196320909

Search

Navigation