The long‐term effects of institutional rearing, foster care intervention and disruptions in care on brain electrical activity in adolescence
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Exposure to early psychosocial deprivation as a result of institutional care disrupts typical brain development. The Bucharest Early Intervention Project (BEIP) is the first longitudinal study to investigate the neurodevelopment of institutionalized infants randomized to a foster care (FCG) intervention versus care as usual (CAUG). Here, we present findings from a follow‐up assessment of brain electrical activity as indexed by resting EEG at age 16 years. In addition, we examined the effects of disruption of foster care placement (e.g. the number of moves among foster care placements) on brain electrical activity. Resting‐state EEG was collected from 48 CAUG, 46 FCG and 48 never institutionalized (NIG) control participants. Absolute (µV 2 ) and relative (proportion) power were computed from eyes closed, resting EEG data for theta, alpha and beta frequency bands. The CAUG displayed higher relative theta and lower relative alpha power compared to the FCG at 16 years of age. The FCG showed brain activity comparable to the NIG. The results further showed that disruptions following the original foster care placement had an adverse effect on brain electrical activity. Within the foster care group, there were no effects of age of placement on EEG power. Placement of children who have experienced early institutional rearing into stable foster care settings ensure long‐term improvement in brain functioning.
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Foster care intervention in the BEIP is associated with EEG normalization of theta and alpha power and event-related potential responses to social and cognitive stimuli.
“↑ EEG normalization of theta and alpha power, event-related potential responses to social and cognitive stimuli (Debnath et al., 2020(Debnath et al., , 2023;;McDermott et al., 2013;McLaughlin et al., 2011;Moulson et al., 2009;Vanderwert et al., 2016)”
From Resilience following severe early life neglect: A review of longitudinal evidence from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project (2026) · cites this paper as Debnath et al., 2020
The Discussion (page not provided) reports that the foster-care group had lower theta and higher alpha power than the care-as-usual group, with EEG power comparable to never-institutionalized children. The Methods describe resting-state EEG measurement, not event-related potential responses to social or cognitive stimuli, so that part of the attributed claim is unsupported by this paper. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredEarly factors (e.g., neural patterns, caregiving quality, placement stability, executive functioning) during childhood have been shown to later predict resilience outcomes (e.g., psychopathology, cognition) during adolescence.
“Early factors (e.g., neural patterns, caregiving quality, placement stability, executive functioning) during childhood have been shown to later predict resilience outcomes (e.g., psychopathology, cognition) during adolescence (Debnath et al., 2020;Humphreys et al., 2015;McDermott et al., 2013;Sheridan et al., 2018).”
From Resilience following severe early life neglect: A review of longitudinal evidence from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project (2026) · cites this paper as Debnath et al., 2020
The Discussion reports that caregiving disruptions predicted internalizing and externalizing problems at age 12 in an earlier study, and this paper finds an association between placement disruptions and adolescent EEG activity. Its own adolescent outcome is brain activity, not psychopathology or cognition; it does not show that childhood neural patterns or executive functioning predict those outcomes. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredAmong children who received the intervention, individual differences in the timing of placement into foster care between 6 and 33 months and in placement stability were associated with outcomes in several areas.
“Consistent with previous analyses of discrete timepoints and domains (15-17, 19, 29), we found that, among children who received the intervention, individual differences in timing of placement into foster care between the ages of 6-33 months and the stability of this placement were associated with outcomes in several areas.”
From A Comprehensive Multilevel Analysis of the Bucharest Early Intervention Project: Causal Effects on Recovery From Early Severe Deprivation (2023) · cites this paper as [29]
The Introduction reports an association between earlier foster-care placement and greater alpha power at age 8, and the Results (Effect of disruption of placement) associate placement disruptions with EEG power at age 16. But the Results (Timing effects) find no association between placement age and EEG power at age 16. The copy also does not establish the specified 6–33-month range or show that both timing and stability were associated with outcomes across several areas. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredAcross EEG studies spanning early childhood through adolescence, foster care intervention has been shown to promote more normative neural development following early institutionalization.
“Across electroencephalography (EEG) studies spanning early childhood through adolescence, foster care intervention has been shown to promote more normative neural development following early institutionalization (Debnath et al., 2020(Debnath et al., , 2023;;McDermott et al., 2013;McLaughlin et al., 2011;Moulson et al., 2009;Vanderwert et al., 2016).”
From Resilience following severe early life neglect: A review of longitudinal evidence from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project (2026) · cites this paper as Debnath et al., 2020
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“…spanning early childhood through adolescence, foster care intervention has been shown to promote more normative neural development following early institutionalization (Debnath et al., 2020, 2023; McDermott et al., 2013; McLaughlin et al., 2011; Moulson et al., 2009; Vanderwert et al., 2016).”
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- Authors
- Debnath, R., Tang, A., Zeanah, C. H., Nelson, C. A., & Fox, N. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Maryland, College Park (US)
- Tulane University (US)
- Boston Children's Hospital (US)
- Corresponding author
- Debnath, Ranjan
- Venue
- Developmental Science
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2019-06-14
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- e12872-e12872
- ISSN
- 1363-755X (ISSN-L)
- 1467-7687
- PMC
- PMC6884653
- OpenAlex
- W2947063408
- Cited by
- 94
- References
- 47
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 25 · 2019: 14
- FWCI
- 22.71
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Developmental Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Jacobs Foundation
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH091363)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Child Welfare and Adoption
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Education › Early Childhood Education and Development
- Keywords
- institutional upbringing, foster care, brain development, resting-state EEG, brain electrical activity, Bucharest Early Intervention Project, theta power, alpha power, beta power, adolescence
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Brain, Child, Institutionalized, Electroencephalography, Female, Foster Home Care, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Psychosocial Deprivation
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