Frontoparietal beta event characteristics are associated with early life stress and psychiatric symptoms in adults

• Published in: Brain and cognition 2024-06, Vol.177, p.106164, Article 106164
• Main Authors: Kavanaugh, Brian C., Vigne, Megan M., Tirrell, Eric, Luke Acuff, W., Fukuda, Andrew M., Thorpe, Ryan, Sherman, Anna, Jones, Stephanie R., Carpenter, Linda L., Tyrka, Audrey R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Beta band; Beta Rhythm - physiology; Biomarkers; Childhood adversity; Early life stress; Electroencephalography - methods; Female; Frontal Lobe - physiopathology; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Oscillatory events; Parietal Lobe - physiopathology; Stress, Psychological - physiopathology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0278-2626; 1090-2147; 1090-2147
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2024.106164

•Beta activity was investigated in adults with and without a history of early life stress (ELS).•We utilized non-averaged, trial-by-trial, high powered oscillatory bursts in the beta band.•ELS was associated with more beta events and longer beta events at frontoparietal electrodes.•In a replication adult depression dataset, beta event power was correlated to ELS severity. Recent work has found that the presence of transient, oscillatory burst-like events, particularly within the beta band (15–29 Hz), is more closely tied to disease state and behavior across species than traditional electroencephalography (EEG) power metrics. This study sought to examine whether features of beta events over frontoparietal electrodes were associated with early life stress (ELS) and the related clinical presentation. Eighteen adults with documented ELS (n = 18; ELS + ) and eighteen adults without documented ELS (n = 18; ELS-) completed eyes-closed resting state EEG as part of their participation in a larger childhood stress study. The rate, power, duration, and frequency span of transient oscillatory events were calculated within the beta band at five frontoparietal electrodes. ELS variables were positively associated with beta event rate at Fp2 and beta event duration at Pz, in that greater ELS was associated with higher resting rates and longer durations. These beta event characteristics were used to successfully distinguish between ELS + and ELS- groups. In an independent clinical dataset (n = 25), beta event power at Pz was positively correlated with ELS. Beta events deserve ongoing investigation as a potential disease marker of ELS and subsequent psychiatric treatment outcomes.