Getting the point: electrophysiological correlates of protodeclarative pointing

Abstract

We examined the longitudinal relationships between power data in two bands (i.e. 4-6 and 6-9Hz) of electrical activity in the brain at 14 months, as measured by background electroencephalograms (EEG), with protodeclarative and protoimperative pointing at 18 months, as measured by the Early Social Communication Scales (ESCS), [Mundy et al., ESCS: A Preliminary Manual for the Abridged Early Social Communication Scales, 1996, unpublished manual] (n=27). EEGs were recorded from 64 sensors using the Electrical Geodesics (EGI) system's dense array sensor nets. Multivariate permutation testing (MPT), which controlled for experiment-wise error due to multiple significance tests, revealed significant correlations between log-transformed power in the frontal region at 14 months and protodeclarative, but not protoimperative, pointing at 18 months.

Electrophysiological and Kinematic Correlates of Communicative Intent in the Planning and Production of Pointing Gestures and Speech

“…The locus of this effect modulating the readiness potential is reminiscent of a previous study investigating pointing by infants, which also identified a frontocentral marker of communicative intent measured using EEG (Henderson et al, 2002). Several other studies have also linked frontal effects in ERPs to "mentalizing" or theory-of-mind-related activations (e.g., Liu, Sabbagh, Gehring, & Wellman, 2004;Sabbagh, 2004) and recent neuroimaging studies relate activity in neuronal structures in frontal cortex to the mentalizing involved in the production and comprehension of communicative pointing (e.g., Brunetti et al, 2014).…”

“…A subset of five ROIs was selected for the analyses (see Figure 3) based on previous, related work outlined in the Introduction. An anterior ROI was selected on the basis of the findings in Henderson et al (2002). A potential modulation of the readiness potential as a function of our informativeness manipulation would be reflected in an effect over left central but not right central electrode sites, because all participants were right-handed and pointing with their right index finger.…”

“…Both in infants and adults, frontal markers of neuronal activity have been identified as being involved in the production of pointing gestures establishing a joint, interpersonal focus of attention on a referent (Cleret de Langavant et al, 2011;Henderson, Yoder, Yale, & McDuffie, 2002;Mundy, Card, & Fox, 2000). This frontal activation has been interpreted as reflecting the involvement of intention-related "mentalizing" networks (e.g., Brunetti et al, 2014).…”

“…Potential frontal effects in the current study may reflect participants' communicative intentions in planning their pointing gestures (cf. Brunetti et al, 2014;Cleret de Langavant et al, 2011;Henderson et al, 2002). Furthermore, upon the intention to produce a more informative gesture, participants may allocate more attentional resources to the task.…”

Development of structure and function in the infant brain: Implications for cognition, language and social behaviour

“…In addition, a longitudinal study of EEG coherence in infants from 14 to 18 months of age described EEG data suggesting left frontal and left and right central activation was associated with IJA ability at 14 and 18 months (Mundy et al, 2000). This finding was expanded upon by Henderson et al (2002) who used dense array electrodes for their EEG recordings and found medial frontal cortical activation in both hemispheres was associated with better IJA performance. The authors also report that activation of orbitofrontal, temporal and dorsolateral cortex was related to IJA.…”