INHIBITORY CONTROL PERFORMANCE AS A FUNCTION OF PREADOLESCENT ANXIETY AND RESTING-STATE NEUROPHYSIOLOGY

The aim of this study was to further examine the relationship between anxiety, inhibitory control (IC), and brain functioning (electroencephalogram) in a critical age-range for social and emotional development (8-12-year-olds). Depression was a secondary focus but was included in the analyses given the common anxiety/depression overlap. Additionally, the participants (N = 42) were assigned to 4 weeks of either an emotional training program (Emotional gFocus), a neutral training program (Neutral gFocus), or a waitlisted control and were tested using cognitive, neurophysiological, and mood measures. Hierarchical regression models revealed that IC accuracy scores were significantly and negatively related to anxiety levels as indicated by the Screening For Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED), as well as depression levels (using the Child Depression Inventory (CDI)), controlling for age and gender. Additionally, increased resting-state right lateral frontal alpha asymmetry was predictive of increased anxiety as well as depression levels. To evaluate the intervention effects, a series of Multivariate Analyses of Covariance (MANCOVA) and contrast tests were conducted to determine if group differences existed from pre-to-post for any of the measures of interest. Overall, the emotional and neutral training conditions showed similar reductions in anxiety and depression compared to the waitlist condition. Both the emotional and neutral conditions also facilitated significant improvements in IC accuracy compared to the control. Minimal pre-to-post power and asymmetry changes occurred in frontal and parietal regions; however, a lateral frontal leftward activity shift was found in the emotional training group. These findings further demonstrated a relationship between IC and anxiety and showed preliminary evidence that training IC has the potential to mitigate negative emotional functioning in adolescents. Future research is necessary to determine the importance of emotional training versus neutral as well as whether longer training intervals will be needed to facilitate a long-term impact.