Presenter

Jenny Le, Department of Psychology, University of Alberta

Abstract

The early years are marked by the most critical and intensive period of brain development throughout the lifespan, laying the foundation for both short- and long-term health and well-being. There is growing evidence that neural processing is affected by factors such as socioeconomic status and cultural background. However, a major limitation of most research on neural processing in children is that it has included only children from high socioeconomic status and Western backgrounds, providing a limited perspective. One reason is that laboratory-based electroencephalography (EEG) equipment, typically used to measure brain activity in children, is not portable and may be intimidating to young children. The Muse device is a consumer EEG product that is portable, inexpensive, and easy to use, but has mainly been used in research with adults. We are conducting this feasibility study to examine whether the Muse can accurately measure cognition-related brain signals of children when modified for smaller head sizes. This study’s results will help determine whether the modified Muse can be used to assess neural processing in young children in follow-up research in lower-socioeconomic populations. The objective of this follow-up project is to investigate how factors such as socioeconomic status and cultural background affect neural processing and executive function in young children. Based on past research, we predict that young children from high socioeconomic status backgrounds will have higher executive function compared to those from low socioeconomic status backgrounds, but their executive function will also be dependent on their cultural background.

Poster

Authors & Affiliations

J. Le & S. A. Wiebe (Psychology Department, University of Alberta)