1
|
Boulton KA, Lee D, Honan I, Phillips NL, Morgan C, Crowle C, Novak I, Badawi N, Guastella AJ. Exploring early life social and executive function development in infants and risk for autism: a prospective cohort study protocol of NICU graduates and infants at risk for cerebral palsy. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:359. [PMID: 38745143 PMCID: PMC11092236 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05779-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Delays in early social and executive function are predictive of later developmental delays and eventual neurodevelopmental diagnoses. There is limited research examining such markers in the first year of life. High-risk infant groups commonly present with a range of neurodevelopmental challenges, including social and executive function delays, and show higher rates of autism diagnoses later in life. For example, it has been estimated that up to 30% of infants diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) will go on to be diagnosed with autism later in life. METHODS This article presents a protocol of a prospective longitudinal study. The primary aim of this study is to identify early life markers of delay in social and executive function in high-risk infants at the earliest point in time, and to explore how these markers may relate to the increased risk for social and executive delay, and risk of autism, later in life. High-risk infants will include Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) graduates, who are most commonly admitted for premature birth and/or cardiovascular problems. In addition, we will include infants with, or at risk for, CP. This prospective study will recruit 100 high-risk infants at the age of 3-12 months old and will track social and executive function across the first 2 years of their life, when infants are 3-7, 8-12, 18 and 24 months old. A multi-modal approach will be adopted by tracking the early development of social and executive function using behavioural, neurobiological, and caregiver-reported everyday functioning markers. Data will be analysed to assess the relationship between the early markers, measured from as early as 3-7 months of age, and the social and executive function as well as the autism outcomes measured at 24 months. DISCUSSION This study has the potential to promote the earliest detection and intervention opportunities for social and executive function difficulties as well as risk for autism in NICU graduates and/or infants with, or at risk for, CP. The findings of this study will also expand our understanding of the early emergence of autism across a wider range of at-risk groups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelsie A Boulton
- Clinic for Autism and Neurodevelopmental (CAN) research, Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Child Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Team, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Dabin Lee
- Clinic for Autism and Neurodevelopmental (CAN) research, Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Child Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Team, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ingrid Honan
- Cerebral Palsy Alliance Institute, Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Natalie L Phillips
- Clinic for Autism and Neurodevelopmental (CAN) research, Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Child Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Team, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Catherine Morgan
- Cerebral Palsy Alliance Institute, Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Cathryn Crowle
- Grace Centre for Newborn Intensive Care, Sydney Children's Hospital Network, Sydney, Australia
| | - Iona Novak
- Cerebral Palsy Alliance Institute, Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Nadia Badawi
- Child Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Team, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Cerebral Palsy Alliance Institute, Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Grace Centre for Newborn Intensive Care, Sydney Children's Hospital Network, Sydney, Australia
| | - Adam J Guastella
- Clinic for Autism and Neurodevelopmental (CAN) research, Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
- Child Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Team, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zamm A, Loehr JD, Vesper C, Konvalinka I, Kappel SL, Heggli OA, Vuust P, Keller PE. A practical guide to EEG hyperscanning in joint action research: from motivation to implementation. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2024; 19:nsae026. [PMID: 38584414 PMCID: PMC11086947 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsae026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Developments in cognitive neuroscience have led to the emergence of hyperscanning, the simultaneous measurement of brain activity from multiple people. Hyperscanning is useful for investigating social cognition, including joint action, because of its ability to capture neural processes that occur within and between people as they coordinate actions toward a shared goal. Here, we provide a practical guide for researchers considering using hyperscanning to study joint action and seeking to avoid frequently raised concerns from hyperscanning skeptics. We focus specifically on Electroencephalography (EEG) hyperscanning, which is widely available and optimally suited for capturing fine-grained temporal dynamics of action coordination. Our guidelines cover questions that are likely to arise when planning a hyperscanning project, ranging from whether hyperscanning is appropriate for answering one's research questions to considerations for study design, dependent variable selection, data analysis and visualization. By following clear guidelines that facilitate careful consideration of the theoretical implications of research design choices and other methodological decisions, joint action researchers can mitigate interpretability issues and maximize the benefits of hyperscanning paradigms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Zamm
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Semiotics, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
- Interacting Minds Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Janeen D Loehr
- Department of Psychology and Health Studies, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A5, Canada
| | - Cordula Vesper
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Semiotics, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
- Interacting Minds Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Ivana Konvalinka
- Section for Cognitive Systems, DTU Compute, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Simon L Kappel
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus N 8200, Denmark
| | - Ole A Heggli
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Peter Vuust
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Peter E Keller
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
- MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales 2751, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Somers JA, Ho TC, Roubinov D, Lee SS. Integrating Biobehavioral and Environmental Components of Developmental Psychopathology via Interpersonal Dynamics: An RDoC-Advancing Model. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2024; 52:491-504. [PMID: 37603188 PMCID: PMC10879449 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-023-01110-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Although the Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDoC) framework proposes biological and environmental mechanisms intersect in the etiology of psychopathology, there is no guidance on how to define or measure experiences in the environment within the RDoC matrix. Interpersonal dynamics during caregiver-child interactions involve temporal coordination of interacting partners' biobehavioral functioning; repeated experiences of signaling to caregivers and responding to caregivers' signals shape children's subsequent socioemotional and brain development. We begin with a review of the extant literature on caregiver-child dynamics, which reveals that RDoC's units of analysis (brain circuits, physiology, behavior, and self-report) are inextricably linked with moment-to-moment changes in the caregiving environment. We then offer a proof-of-concept for integrating biobehavioral RDoC units and environmental components via caregiver-child dynamics. Our approach uses dynamic structural equation models to estimate within-dyad dynamics involving arousal, social, cognitive, and negative or positive affective processes based on second-by-second changes in parasympathetic activity (RSA) during a conflict discussion and a positive event-planning task. Our results illustrate variation in parent-child RSA synchrony, suggesting differences depending on the driver (i.e., child- or parent-led) and on the unique and intersecting domains involved (e.g., positive or negative affect valence systems). We conclude with recommendations for conducting robust, methodologically rigorous studies of interpersonal dynamics that advance the RDoC framework and provide a summary of the clinical implications of this research. Examining caregiver-child dynamics during and across multiple dyadic interaction paradigms that differentially elicit key domains of functioning can deepen understanding of how caregiver- and child-led interpersonal dynamics contribute to child psychopathology risk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Somers
- Department of Psychology, University of California, 502 Portola Plaza, Pritzker Hall, CA, 6658, Los Angeles, USA.
| | - Tiffany C Ho
- Department of Psychology, University of California, 502 Portola Plaza, Pritzker Hall, CA, 6658, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Danielle Roubinov
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Steve S Lee
- Department of Psychology, University of California, 502 Portola Plaza, Pritzker Hall, CA, 6658, Los Angeles, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Swider-Cios E, Turk E, Levy J, Beeghly M, Vroomen J, van den Heuvel MI. The association of maternal-infant interactive behavior, dyadic frontal alpha asymmetry, and maternal anxiety in a smartphone-adapted still face paradigm. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 66:101352. [PMID: 38310719 PMCID: PMC10847859 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Mother-infant interactions form a strong basis for emotion regulation development in infants. These interactions can be affected by various factors, including maternal postnatal anxiety. Electroencephalography (EEG) hyperscanning allows for simultaneous assessment of mother-infant brain-to-behavior association during stressful events, such as the still-face paradigm (SFP). This study aimed at investigating dyadic interactive behavior and brain-to-behavior association across SFP and identifying neural correlates of mother-infant interactions in the context of maternal postnatal anxiety. We measured frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA), a physiological correlate of emotion regulation and a potential marker of risk for psychopathology. To emulate real-life interactions, EEG and behavioral data were collected from 38 mother-infant dyads during a smartphone-adapted dual-SFP. Although the behavioral data showed a clear still-face effect for the smartphone-adapted SFP, this was not reflected in the infant or maternal FAA. Brain-to-behavior data showed higher infant negative affect being associated with more infant leftward FAA during the still-face episodes. Finally, mothers with higher postnatal anxiety showed more right FAA during the first still-face episode, suggesting negative affectivity and a need to withdraw from the situation. Our results form a baseline for further research assessing the effects of maternal postnatal anxiety on infants' FAA and dyadic interactive behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edyta Swider-Cios
- Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Tilburg University, Warandelaan 2, 5000 LE, Tilburg, the Netherlands
| | - Elise Turk
- Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Tilburg University, Warandelaan 2, 5000 LE, Tilburg, the Netherlands; Department of Neonatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jonathan Levy
- Department of Criminology and Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002 Israel; Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Rakentajanaukio 2, 02150, Espoo, Finland
| | - Marjorie Beeghly
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, 5057 Woodward Ave, Detroit, USA
| | - Jean Vroomen
- Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Tilburg University, Warandelaan 2, 5000 LE, Tilburg, the Netherlands
| | - Marion I van den Heuvel
- Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Tilburg University, Warandelaan 2, 5000 LE, Tilburg, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Dikker S, Brito NH, Dumas G. It takes a village: A multi-brain approach to studying multigenerational family communication. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 65:101330. [PMID: 38091864 PMCID: PMC10716709 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Grandparents play a critical role in child rearing across the globe. Yet, there is a shortage of neurobiological research examining the relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren. We employ multi-brain neurocomputational models to simulate how changes in neurophysiological processes in both development and healthy aging affect multigenerational inter-brain coupling - a neural marker that has been linked to a range of socio-emotional and cognitive outcomes. The simulations suggest that grandparent-child interactions may be paired with higher inter-brain coupling than parent-child interactions, raising the possibility that the former may be more advantageous under certain conditions. Critically, this enhancement of inter-brain coupling for grandparent-child interactions is more pronounced in tri-generational interactions that also include a parent, which may speak to findings that grandparent involvement in childrearing is most beneficial if the parent is also an active household member. Together, these findings underscore that a better understanding of the neurobiological basis of cross-generational interactions is vital, and that such knowledge can be helpful in guiding interventions that consider the whole family. We advocate for a community neuroscience approach in developmental social neuroscience to capture the diversity of child-caregiver relationships in real-world settings.
Collapse
|
6
|
Bánki A, Köster M, Cichy RM, Hoehl S. Communicative signals during joint attention promote neural processes of infants and caregivers. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 65:101321. [PMID: 38061133 PMCID: PMC10754706 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Communicative signals such as eye contact increase infants' brain activation to visual stimuli and promote joint attention. Our study assessed whether communicative signals during joint attention enhance infant-caregiver dyads' neural responses to objects, and their neural synchrony. To track mutual attention processes, we applied rhythmic visual stimulation (RVS), presenting images of objects to 12-month-old infants and their mothers (n = 37 dyads), while we recorded dyads' brain activity (i.e., steady-state visual evoked potentials, SSVEPs) with electroencephalography (EEG) hyperscanning. Within dyads, mothers either communicatively showed the images to their infant or watched the images without communicative engagement. Communicative cues increased infants' and mothers' SSVEPs at central-occipital-parietal, and central electrode sites, respectively. Infants showed significantly more gaze behaviour to images during communicative engagement. Dyadic neural synchrony (SSVEP amplitude envelope correlations, AECs) was not modulated by communicative cues. Taken together, maternal communicative cues in joint attention increase infants' neural responses to objects, and shape mothers' own attention processes. We show that communicative cues enhance cortical visual processing, thus play an essential role in social learning. Future studies need to elucidate the effect of communicative cues on neural synchrony during joint attention. Finally, our study introduces RVS to study infant-caregiver neural dynamics in social contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Bánki
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Psychology, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Moritz Köster
- University of Regensburg, Institute for Psychology, Regensburg, Germany; Freie Universität Berlin, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Stefanie Hoehl
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Psychology, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Moffat R, Casale CE, Cross ES. Mobile fNIRS for exploring inter-brain synchrony across generations and time. FRONTIERS IN NEUROERGONOMICS 2024; 4:1260738. [PMID: 38234472 PMCID: PMC10790948 DOI: 10.3389/fnrgo.2023.1260738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
While still relatively rare, longitudinal hyperscanning studies are exceptionally valuable for documenting changes in inter-brain synchrony, which may in turn underpin how behaviors develop and evolve in social settings. The generalizability and ecological validity of this experimental approach hinges on the selected imaging technique being mobile-a requirement met by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). fNIRS has most frequently been used to examine the development of inter-brain synchrony and behavior in child-parent dyads. In this position paper, we contend that dedicating attention to longitudinal and intergenerational hyperscanning stands to benefit the fields of social and cognitive neuroscience more broadly. We argue that this approach is particularly relevant for understanding the neural mechanisms underpinning intergenerational social dynamics, and potentially for benchmarking progress in psychological and social interventions, many of which are situated in intergenerational contexts. In line with our position, we highlight areas of intergenerational research that stand to be enhanced by longitudinal hyperscanning with mobile devices, describe challenges that may arise from measuring across generations in the real world, and offer potential solutions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryssa Moffat
- Social Brain Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Courtney E. Casale
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Costa-Cordella S, Soto-Icaza P, Borgeaud K, Grasso-Cladera A, Malberg NT. Towards a comprehensive approach to mentalization-based treatment for children with autism: integrating attachment, neurosciences, and mentalizing. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1259432. [PMID: 38098626 PMCID: PMC10719951 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1259432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is diagnosed based on socio-communicative difficulties, which are believed to result from deficits in mentalizing, mainly evidenced by alterations in recognizing and responding to the mental states of others. In recent years, efforts have been made to develop mentalization-based treatment (MBT) models for this population. These models focus on enhancing individuals' ability to understand and reflect on their own mental states, as well as those of others. However, MBT approaches for people with ASD are limited by their existing theoretical background, which lacks a strong foundation grounded in neuroscience-based evidence properly integrated with attachment, and mentalizing. These are crucial aspects for understanding psychological processes in autism, and as such, they play a pivotal role in shaping the development of tailored and effective therapeutic strategies for this specific population. In this paper we review evidence related to the neurobiological, interpersonal, and psychological dimensions of autism and their implications for mentalizing processes. We also review previous mentalization-based frameworks on the psychosis continuum to provide a comprehensive understanding of attachment, neurobiology, and mentalization domains in therapeutic approaches for autism. After presenting a synthesis of the literature, we offer a set of clinical strategies for the work with children with autism. Finally, we provide recommendations to advance the field towards more robust models that can serve as a basis for evidence-based therapeutic strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefanella Costa-Cordella
- Centro de Estudios en Psicología Clínica y Psicoterapia, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
- Centro de Estudios en Neurociencia y Neuropsicología Humana, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Institute for Depression and Personality Research (MIDAP), Santiago, Chile
| | - Patricia Soto-Icaza
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Social y Neuromodulación (neuroCICS), Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social (CICS), Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Aitana Grasso-Cladera
- Centro de Estudios en Neurociencia y Neuropsicología Humana, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
- Institute of Cognitive Science, Universität Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Bi X, Cui H, Ma Y. Hyperscanning Studies on Interbrain Synchrony and Child Development: A Narrative Review. Neuroscience 2023; 530:38-45. [PMID: 37657749 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.08.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Social interactions between parents and children are closely linked with children's development, and interbrain synchrony has been shown to be a neural marker of social interaction. However, to truly capture the essence of social interactions through interbrain synchrony, it is necessary to simultaneously discuss the parental and child brains and adequately record neurological signals during parent-child interactions in interactive tasks. In the current review, we have reviewed three main contents. First, we discuss the correlation between parent-child interbrain synchrony and the development of cognitive (e.g., emotion regulation, attention, and learning) and behavioral abilities (e.g., cooperation, problem-solving) in children. Second, we examine the different neural mechanisms of interbrain synchrony in mother-child and father-child interactions, aiming to highlight the separate roles of mother and father in child development. Last, we have integrated four methods to enhance interbrain synchrony, including communication patterns, nonverbal behavior, music, and multichannel stimulation. A significant correlation exists between parent-child interbrain synchrony and the development of children's cognitive and behavioral abilities. This summary may be useful for expanding researchers' and practitioners' understanding of the ways in which parenting and the parent-child relationship shape children' cognitive and behavioral abilities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Bi
- School of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China; Institution of Science, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China
| | - Hongbo Cui
- School of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yankun Ma
- School of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Marzoratti A, Liu ME, Krol KM, Sjobeck GR, Lipscomb DJ, Hofkens TL, Boker SM, Pelphrey KA, Connelly JJ, Evans TM. Epigenetic modification of the oxytocin receptor gene is associated with child-parent neural synchrony during competition. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 63:101302. [PMID: 37734257 PMCID: PMC10518595 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Interpersonal neural synchrony (INS) occurs when neural electrical activity temporally aligns between individuals during social interactions. It has been used as a metric for interpersonal closeness, often during naturalistic child-parent interactions. This study evaluated whether other biological correlates of social processing predicted the prevalence of INS during child-parent interactions, and whether their observed cooperativity modulated this association. Child-parent dyads (n = 27) performed a visuospatial tower-building task in cooperative and competitive conditions. Neural activity was recorded using mobile electroencephalogram (EEG) headsets, and experimenters coded video-recordings post-hoc for behavioral attunement. DNA methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTRm) was measured, an epigenetic modification associated with reduced oxytocin activity and socioemotional functioning. Greater INS during competition was associated with lower child OXTRm, while greater behavioral attunement during competition and cooperation was associated with higher parent OXTRm. These differential relationships suggest that interpersonal dynamics as measured by INS may be similarly reflected by other biological markers of social functioning, irrespective of observed behavior. Children's self-perceived communication skill also showed opposite associations with parent and child OXTRm, suggesting complex relationships between children's and their parents' social functioning. Our findings have implications for ongoing developmental research, supporting the utility of biological metrics in characterizing interpersonal relationships.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Analia Marzoratti
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Megan E Liu
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Kathleen M Krol
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Gus R Sjobeck
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Daniel J Lipscomb
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Tara L Hofkens
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Steven M Boker
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Jessica J Connelly
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Tanya M Evans
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Zhou Z, Chen YY, Yang B, Qu Y, Lee TH. Family Cohesion Moderates the Relation between Parent-Child Neural Connectivity Pattern Similarity and Youth's Emotional Adjustment. J Neurosci 2023; 43:5936-5943. [PMID: 37400252 PMCID: PMC10436682 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0349-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite a recent surge in research examining parent-child neural similarity using fMRI, there remains a need for further investigation into how such similarity may play a role in children's emotional adjustment. Moreover, no prior studies explored the potential contextual factors that may moderate the link between parent-child neural similarity and children's developmental outcomes. In this study, 32 parent-youth dyads (parents: M age = 43.53 years, 72% female; children: M age = 11.69 years, 41% female) watched an emotion-evoking animated film while being scanned using fMRI. We first quantified how similarly emotion network interacts with other brain regions in responding to the emotion-evoking film between parents and their children. We then examined how such parent-child neural similarity is associated with children's emotional adjustment, with attention to the moderating role of family cohesion. Results revealed that higher parent-child similarity in functional connectivity pattern during movie viewing was associated with better emotional adjustment, including less negative affect, lower anxiety, and greater ego resilience in youth. Moreover, such associations were significant only among families with higher cohesion, but not among families with lower cohesion. The findings advance our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying how children thrive by being in sync and attuned with their parents, and provide novel empirical evidence that the effects of parent-child concordance at the neural level on children's development are contextually dependent.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT What neural processes underlie the attunement between children and their parents that helps children thrive? Using a naturalistic movie-watching fMRI paradigm, we find that greater parent-child similarity in how emotion network interacts with other brain regions during movie viewing is associated with youth's better emotional adjustment including less negative affect, lower anxiety, and greater ego resilience. Interestingly, these associations are only significant among families with higher cohesion, but not among those with lower cohesion. Our findings provide novel evidence that parent-child shared neural processes to emotional situations can confer benefits to children, and underscore the importance of considering specific family contexts in which parent-child neural similarity may be beneficial or detrimental to children's development, highlighting a crucial direction for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zexi Zhou
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Ya-Yun Chen
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
| | - Beiming Yang
- School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208
| | - Yang Qu
- School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208
| | - Tae-Ho Lee
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Atilla F, Alimardani M, Kawamoto T, Hiraki K. Mother-child inter-brain synchrony during a mutual visual search task: A study of feedback valence and role. Soc Neurosci 2023; 18:232-244. [PMID: 37395457 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2023.2228545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Parent and child have been shown to synchronize their behaviors and physiology during social interactions. This synchrony is an important marker of their relationship quality and subsequently the child's social and emotional development. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence parent-child synchrony is an important undertaking. Using EEG hyperscanning, this study investigated brain-to-brain synchrony in mother-child dyads when they took turns performing a visual search task and received positive or negative feedback. In addition to the effect of feedback valence, we studied how their assigned role, i.e., observing or performing the task, influenced synchrony. Results revealed that mother-child synchrony was higher during positive feedback relative to negative feedback in delta and gamma frequency bands. Furthermore, a main effect was found for role in the alpha band with higher synchrony when a child observed their mother performing the task compared to when the mother observed their child. These findings reveal that a positive social context could lead a mother and child to synchronize more on a neural level, which could subsequently improve the quality of their relationship. This study provides insight into mechanisms that underlie mother-child brain-to-brain synchrony, and establishes a framework by which the impact of emotion and task demand on a dyad's synchrony can be investigated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fred Atilla
- Department of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
| | - Maryam Alimardani
- Department of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
| | | | - Kazuo Hiraki
- Department of General Systems Studies, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Provenzi L, Roberti E, Capelli E. Envisioning translational hyperscanning: how applied neuroscience might improve family-centered care. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2022; 18:6953329. [PMID: 36542821 PMCID: PMC9910277 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsac061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
From the very beginning of their life, human beings are immersed in a social and interactive environment that contributes to shaping their social and cognitive development under typical and at-risk conditions. In order to understand human development in its bidirectional relationship with the social environment, we need to develop a 'complexity-sensitive' approach in neuroscience. Recent advances have started to do so with the application of hyperscanning techniques which involve recording adult and child neural activity simultaneously and highlighting the presence of similar patterns of brain activity in the dyad. Numerous studies focused on typically developing children have been published in recent years with the application of this technique to different fields of developmental research. However, hyperscanning techniques could also be extremely beneficial and effective in studying development in atypical and clinical populations. Such application, namely translational hyperscanning, should foster the transition toward a two-brain translational neuroscience. In this paper, we envision how the application of hyperscanning to atypical and clinical child populations can inform family-centered care for children and their parents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Livio Provenzi
- Correspondence should be addressed to Livio Provenzi, Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, via Mondino 2, Pavia 27100, Italy. E-mail:
| | - Elisa Roberti
- Developmental Psychobiology Lab, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Elena Capelli
- Developmental Psychobiology Lab, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia 27100, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Wass SV, Goupil L. Studying the Developing Brain in Real-World Contexts: Moving From Castles in the Air to Castles on the Ground. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:896919. [PMID: 35910339 PMCID: PMC9326302 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.896919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Most current research in cognitive neuroscience uses standardized non-ecological experiments to study the developing brain. But these approaches do a poor job of mimicking the real-world, and thus can only provide a distorted picture of how cognitive operations and brain development unfold outside of the lab. Here we consider future research avenues which may lead to a better appreciation of how developing brains dynamically interact with a complex real-world environment, and how cognition develops over time. We raise several problems faced by current mainstream methods in the field, before briefly reviewing novel promising approaches that alleviate some of these issues. First, we consider research that examines perception by measuring entrainment between brain activity and temporal patterns in naturalistic stimuli. Second, we consider research that examines our ability to parse our continuous experience into discrete events, and how this ability develops over time. Third, we consider the role of children as active agents in selecting what they sample from the environment from one moment to the next. Fourth, we consider new approaches that measure how mutual influences between children and others are instantiated in suprapersonal brain networks. Finally, we discuss how we may reduce adult biases when designing developmental studies. Together, these approaches have great potential to further our understanding of how the developing brain learns to process information, and to control complex real-world behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sam V. Wass
- Department of Psychology, University of East London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Louise Goupil
- LPNC, Université Grenoble Alpes/CNRS, Grenoble, France
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Kujawa A, Brooker RJ. Methods and metrics for EEG/ERP assessment of emotion and cognition in young children. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22284. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.22284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Autumn Kujawa
- Department of Psychological Sciences Vanderbilt University Nashville Tennessee USA
| | - Rebecca J. Brooker
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences Texas A&M University College Station Texas USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Turk E, Endevelt-Shapira Y, Feldman R, van den Heuvel MI, Levy J. Brains in Sync: Practical Guideline for Parent-Infant EEG During Natural Interaction. Front Psychol 2022; 13:833112. [PMID: 35572249 PMCID: PMC9093685 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.833112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Parent-infant EEG is a novel hyperscanning paradigm to measure social interaction simultaneously in the brains of parents and infants. The number of studies using parent-infant dual-EEG as a theoretical framework to measure brain-to-brain synchrony during interaction is rapidly growing, while the methodology for measuring synchrony is not yet uniform. While adult dual-EEG methodology is quickly improving, open databases, tutorials, and methodological validations for dual-EEG with infants are largely missing. In this practical guide, we provide a step-by-step manual on how to implement and run parent-infant EEG paradigms in a neurodevelopmental laboratory in naturalistic settings (e.g., free interactions). Next, we highlight insights on the variety of choices that can be made during (pre)processing dual-EEG data, including recommendations on interpersonal neural coupling metrics and interpretations of the results. Moreover, we provide an exemplar dataset of two mother-infant dyads during free interactions ("free play") that may serve as practice material. Instead of providing a critical note, we would like to move the field of parent-infant EEG forward and be transparent about the challenges that come along with the exciting opportunity to study the development of our social brain within the naturalistic context of dual-EEG.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elise Turk
- Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
| | - Yaara Endevelt-Shapira
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Ruth Feldman
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel
| | | | - Jonathan Levy
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel.,Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| |
Collapse
|