Background
The current study directly investigated whether changes in the neural correlates of
self-regulation (SR) are associated with the effectiveness of treatment for the externalizing
problems of children.
Methods
Seventy-one children 8–12 years of age with clinical levels of externalizing behavior
and their families completed a 3-month cognitive behavioral therapy program with a
parent management training component. Electroencephalogram correlates of SR were evaluated
before and after treatment with a go/no-go task requiring inhibitory control.
Results
Results showed that neural markers of SR, such as the N2 and frontal P3 event-related
potential magnitudes, differed between the clinical sample and a matched comparison
group before treatment: the clinical sample had larger N2 magnitudes and smaller frontal
P3 magnitudes. Children who improved with treatment demonstrated a marked decrease
in the magnitude of the N2 in comparison with children who did not improve. For improvers
only, source analyses during the time period of the N2 estimated activation decreases
in medial and ventral prefrontal cortex as well as the anterior medial temporal lobe.
Conclusions
A decrease in N2 magnitudes and corresponding source activation in children who improved
with treatment might reflect improved efficiency in the neural mechanisms of SR.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 11, 2011
Accepted:
May 24,
2011
Received in revised form:
May 22,
2011
Received:
January 19,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
