Abstract :
Keywords Delta-beta correlation; Delay of gratification; Waiting task; Emotion regulation; School-aged children Highlights * Delta-beta coupling (DBC) reflects functional coherence in regulatory circuitry. * We examined DBC as a predictive biological index of emotion regulation (ER). * We measured DBC and observed ER in school aged children across two years. * Higher DBC was longitudinally associated with greater adaptive observed ER. * Results support the use of DBC as a predictive biological index of ER in childhood. Abstract Emotion regulation (ER), the ability to flexibly monitor and modify emotions, is related to positive adjustment throughout the lifespan. Biological indexes of ER in childhood that predict behavior are valuable for clinical applications and our understanding of affective neurodevelopment. Delta-beta correlation (DBC), or the coupling between resting state slow-wave (delta) and fast-wave (beta) neural oscillations derived from EEG, may be a metric of the functional coherence between subcortical and cortical neural circuitry implicated in ER. Yet, little is understood about how DBC corresponds to observed ER during emotional challenges. To address this question, in the present study, resting-state EEG was recorded to generate DBC when children were 5--7 years old (T1) and again two years later (T2). Children also completed two emotionally challenging behavioral tasks [delay of gratification (DoG) task and waiting task (WT)] from which observed ER strategies were subsequently coded. Results showed that higher DBC was associated with greater use of adaptive, and relatively active, ER strategies. Specifically, higher frontal DBC at T1 longitudinally predicted greater use of the ER strategy alternative activity engagement and greater parent-reported positive ER at T2. These findings add to growing evidence supporting the use of resting state DBC as a neurophysiological index of ER with clinically and developmentally relevant predictive power. Author Affiliation: (a) The Pennsylvania State University, USA (b) Teachers College, Columbia University, USA (c) Hunter College, CUNY, USA (d) The Graduate Center, CUNY, USA * Correspondence to: Hunter College of the City University of New York, Department of Psychology, 695 Park Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA. Article History: Received 9 March 2021; Revised 21 October 2021; Accepted 9 November 2021 Byline: Sarah Myruski (a), Rohini Bagrodia (b), Tracy Dennis-Tiwary [tracy.dennis@hunter.cuny.edu] (c,d,*)