Asymmetries in brain maturation and behavioral disturbances: Multivariate electroencephalogram and P300 studies

If behavior results from brain function, some evidence of dysfunction could be expected in children with major behavioral problems. Yet, neurophysiolo gic studies in these children are frequently normal. We hypothesized a rela tionship between maturational asymmetry and behavior, given the role of hem ispheric imbalance in adult psychopathology. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether age-sensitive neurophysiologic measures could identi fy behaviorally relevant maturational asymmetries in otherwise healthy chil dren. Ninety-five children were studied; reasons for testing were behaviora l (19), academic (12), medical nonneurologic (16), and mixed (28), along wi th 20 control subjects. Academic, behavioral (Child Behavioral Checklist), and psychometric (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised; WISC-R) measures were analyzed in relation to four neurophysiologic parameters: P3 00 Latency, P300 Latency Asymmetry, Maturational Z-score, and Maturational Z-score Asymmetry, within a canonical design. The highest correlation was b ehavior with Maturational Z-score Asymmetry. Academic scores were predicted by the three-variable interaction of P300 Latency,Maturational Z-score, an d Maturational Z-score Asymmetry. We concluded that behavior was strongly i nfluenced by maturational asymmetry, while academic performance depended on both global maturation and maturational asymmetry. Our results suggest tha t behavioral disturbances can have a neural substrate despite apparently no rmal electroencephalograms (EEGs) and event-related potentials (ERPs). They open the possibility for specific therapeutic interventions to improve beh avior and performance, and, perhaps, prevent major psychopathology in later life.