Frontal brain activation in young children during picture book reading with their mothers

Aim:  This study was to measure changes in frontal brain activation in young children during picture book reading with their mothers. Methods:  The cross-sectional sample consisted of 15 young Japanese children (eight girls and seven boys, mean age 23.1 ± 3.4). Two experimental tasks were presented as follows: Task 1 (picture book reading with their mothers); Task 2 (viewing of book-on-video). Duration of task stimulus was 180-sec and the 60-sec interval was filled. Brain activation was measured using an optical topography system. Results:  Significant increases in oxy-Hb were observed in both right and left frontal areas in response to Task 1 compared with Task 2. There were significant correlations between child’s brain activity and mothers’ and children’s verbal–nonverbal behaviours. Conclusion:  There was greater frontal lobe activation in children when they were engaged in a picture book reading task with their mothers, as opposed to passive viewing of a videotape in which the story was read to them. Social and verbal engagement of the mother in reading picture books with her young child may mediate frontal brain activity in the child.