EEG MU RHYTHM REACTIVITY IN CHILDREN AT AN EARLY AGE WITH DIFFERENT LEVEL OF RECEPTIVE SPEECH DEVELOPMENT UNDER CONDITIONS OF ACTION OBSERVATION AND EXECUTION
The EEG power reactivity patterns in the individually defined mu rhythm frequency ranges at central, frontal and parietal EEG electrodes have been analyzed in children at an early age under conditions of observing fake and real actions and executing actions by themselves. The study involved 39 children aged from 17 to 41 months. The ANOVA analysis revealed significant EEG power desynchronization at central, frontal and parietal electrodes under conditions of observing and executing actions. The “real action observation” condition caused a more pronounced desynchronization in the median frontal (Fz) and median parietal (Pz) EEG loci, compared to the “fake action observation” condition. To estimate the role of the “mirror neuron system” in speech development, we studied the EEG mu rhythm reactivity patterns in children who have different levels of speech perception development measured by the Bayley Scales Test. A group of children with a high level of receptive speech development, compared to the average level group, had an increased EEG mu rhythm power desynchronization when observing real actions in the left hemisphere frontal (F3) and parietal (P3) loci. The results of the study may indicate that there is a positive association between the level of the “mirror neuron system” activation and the level of speech understanding in children at an early age.