Jan. 24 (UPI) -- One-year-olds whose mothers received large monthly cash gifts showed signs of increased brain activity crucial to learning and development compared to those whose families received smaller payments, a study published Monday found. The children whose mothers received monthly gifts of $333, distributed via debit cards, had more evidence of brain-wave activity as measured by electroencephalography, or EEG, according to the study, which appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers in this study measured brain activity among 435 1-year-old children who were participating in the Baby's First Years study, an ongoing assessment of poverty-reduction initiatives.