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Kurata S, Nishitani S, Kawata NYS, Yao A, Fujisawa TX, Okazawa H, Tomoda A. Diffusion tensor imaging of white-matter structural features of maltreating mothers and their associations with intergenerational chain of childhood abuse. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5671. [PMID: 38453944 PMCID: PMC10920819 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53666-0] [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: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Child abuse causes lifelong adverse outcomes for both physical and mental health, although many are resilient. Efforts to prevent this issue from the parental side require an understanding of the neurobiological basis that leads abusive parents to perpetrate abuse and the influence of the intergenerational chain of childhood abuse. Therefore, this study was conducted to compare the brain white-matter fiber structures between 11 maltreating mothers who had been recognized as having conducted child abuse prior to the intervention and 40 age-matched control mothers using tract-based spatial statistics. There was a significantly reduced axial diffusivity (AD) and a similar trend in fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right corticospinal tract in maltreating mothers compared to control mothers. Therefore, maltreating mothers may have excessive control over the forcefulness of voluntary movements. These features also decreased as the number of childhood abuse experiences increased, suggesting that an intergenerational chain of child abuse may also be involved. Other aspects observed were that the higher the current depressive symptoms, the lower the AD and FA values; however, they were not related to parental practice or empathy. These results corroborate the neurobiological features that perpetrate behaviors in abusive mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sawa Kurata
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
- Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
- Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- University of Fukui, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychological Medicine, University of Fukui Hospital, Fukui, Japan
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Shota Nishitani
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
- Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
- Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.
- Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
- University of Fukui, Osaka, Japan.
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.
- Life Science Innovation Center, School of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.
| | - Natasha Y S Kawata
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Akiko Yao
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Takashi X Fujisawa
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
- Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
- Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- University of Fukui, Osaka, Japan
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
- Life Science Innovation Center, School of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Hidehiko Okazawa
- Life Science Innovation Center, School of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
- Biomedical Imaging Research Center, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Akemi Tomoda
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
- Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
- Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.
- Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
- University of Fukui, Osaka, Japan.
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychological Medicine, University of Fukui Hospital, Fukui, Japan.
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.
- Life Science Innovation Center, School of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.
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Crouch JL, Bridgett DJ, Milner JS, Cote K, Lelakowska G, Davila A, McKay E, Savoree S. Prolonged Infant Crying: Caregiving Quality and Child Physical Abuse Risk. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2023; 38:3298-3320. [PMID: 35654573 DOI: 10.1177/08862605221106137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Research suggests that prolonged infant crying may increase risk for child physical abuse (CPA). However, few studies have examined behavioral responses to infant crying among parents at risk for CPA. The present study sought to fill this gap by using a simulated infant to examine how mothers and fathers with varying degrees of CPA risk respond to prolonged infant crying. Specifically, a sample of 184 general population caregivers (107 mothers and 77 fathers) participated in a task that involved attempting to soothe a simulated infant that cried continuously for 30 min. The simulated infant sessions were video-recorded, and quality of caregiving behavior was coded in 5-min segments. Participants rated their negative affect (feelings of upset, distress, irritability) at the outset of the data collection session, before beginning the simulated infant task, and after the simulated infant task concluded. It was predicted that high-risk caregivers, compared to low-risk caregivers, would display lower quality caregiving, higher levels of negative affect, and that CPA risk group differences would increase over time. Gender differences were explored in relation to the aforementioned hypotheses. Over the course of the 30-min simulated infant task, the quality of caregiving behavior diminished among both high- and low-risk caregivers. As expected, high-risk caregivers, compared to low-risk caregivers, exhibited lower quality caregiving behaviors and were more likely to discontinue the simulated infant task early. In addition, high-risk, compared to low-risk, caregivers reported higher levels of negative affect throughout the data collection session, with the highest level of negative affect reported by high-risk caregivers after completing the simulated infant task. Overall, the quality of caregiving exhibited by men and women did not significantly differ. The present findings highlight the importance of early intervention designed to support caregivers' abilities to respond effectively to prolonged infant crying.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie L Crouch
- Center for the Study of Family Violence and Sexual Assault, 2848Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - David J Bridgett
- Center for the Study of Family Violence and Sexual Assault, 2848Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Joel S Milner
- Center for the Study of Family Violence and Sexual Assault, 2848Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Kreila Cote
- Center for the Study of Family Violence and Sexual Assault, 2848Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Gabriela Lelakowska
- Center for the Study of Family Violence and Sexual Assault, 2848Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - America Davila
- Center for the Study of Family Violence and Sexual Assault, 2848Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Erin McKay
- Center for the Study of Family Violence and Sexual Assault, 2848Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Shelby Savoree
- Center for the Study of Family Violence and Sexual Assault, 2848Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
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Rodriguez CM, Silvia PJ, Lee SJ, Grogan-Kaylor A. Assessing Mothers' Automatic Affective and Discipline Reactions to Child Behavior in Relation to Child Abuse Risk: A Dual-Processing Investigation. Assessment 2022; 29:1532-1547. [PMID: 34109848 PMCID: PMC8660931 DOI: 10.1177/10731911211020114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Given the scope and adverse clinical consequences of child abuse, assessment of salient etiological factors can lend critical insights needed for abuse prevention. Increasingly, dual-processing models have been applied to aggression, which postulate that parallel automatic and conscious processes can evoke aggressive behavior, implicating both affective and cognitive elements in both routes. Using two samples of mothers (n = 110 and n = 195), the current investigation considered evidence of the reliability and convergent, concurrent, and construct validity of the new Automatic Parent Emotion Analog Response task relevant to parent-child aggression, contrasted with a self-reported conscious processing measure. Findings provide evidence that affective reactions of both anger and worry relate to child abuse risk and inclination to respond aggressively, and demonstrate how mothers' automatic reactions relate to both perceived child misbehavior and child dangerous behavior. Current results lend psychometric support for automatic processing in parent-child aggression consistent with other dual-processing theories of aggression.
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Rodriguez CM, Silvia PJ, Lee SJ, Grogan-Kaylor A. Assessing Mothers' Automatic Affective and Discipline Reactions to Child Behavior in Relation to Child Abuse Risk: A Dual-Processing Investigation. Assessment 2022. [PMID: 34109848 DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/68dp3] [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] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Given the scope and adverse clinical consequences of child abuse, assessment of salient etiological factors can lend critical insights needed for abuse prevention. Increasingly, dual-processing models have been applied to aggression, which postulate that parallel automatic and conscious processes can evoke aggressive behavior, implicating both affective and cognitive elements in both routes. Using two samples of mothers (n = 110 and n = 195), the current investigation considered evidence of the reliability and convergent, concurrent, and construct validity of the new Automatic Parent Emotion Analog Response task relevant to parent-child aggression, contrasted with a self-reported conscious processing measure. Findings provide evidence that affective reactions of both anger and worry relate to child abuse risk and inclination to respond aggressively, and demonstrate how mothers' automatic reactions relate to both perceived child misbehavior and child dangerous behavior. Current results lend psychometric support for automatic processing in parent-child aggression consistent with other dual-processing theories of aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul J Silvia
- University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
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Verhees M, van IJzendoorn MH, Alyousefi-van Dijk K, Lotz AM, de Waal N, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Child maltreatment affects fathers’ response to infant crying, not mediated by cortisol or testosterone. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2021; 8:100083. [PMID: 35757672 PMCID: PMC9216419 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Parents' ability to appropriately respond to infant crying is essential for parental care and has been found to relate to parents' own childhood experiences. Additionally, childhood experiences can affect endocrine factors, which may subsequently affect behavior. In the current study, preregistered on https://osf.io/hwgtu, we examined in expectant and new fathers (N = 152) associations between experiences of maltreatment in their own childhood, hair cortisol and testosterone concentrations and their ability to modulate handgrip force when exposed to infant crying. Cortisol and testosterone were quantified from the 1 cm of hair most proximal to the scalp using Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Participants were asked to squeeze a handgrip dynamometer at full and half strength while listening to infant cries and control sounds. Results indicated that fathers who experienced more childhood maltreatment used more excessive handgrip force during infant cry sounds. Hair cortisol and testosterone were not related to either experienced childhood maltreatment or handgrip strength modulation. These findings confirm that fathers’ early experiences of maltreatment reduce their ability to modulate their behavioral responses during infant cries, but suggest that hair cortisol and testosterone concentrations do not identify the underlying mechanism of this association. Childhood maltreatment relates to fathers' behavioural responses to infant crying. Childhood maltreatment is unrelated to fathers' hair cortisol and testosterone. Cortisol and testosterone are unrelated to behavioural responses to infant cries.
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Arimoto A, Tadaka E. Developing and Validating a New Scale to Assess Signs of Neglect of Infants and Caregivers. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2021; 36:8960-8983. [PMID: 31328652 DOI: 10.1177/0886260519863724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to develop a scale assessing the early signs of infant neglect and to test its reliability and validity. Neglect is a frequent type of child maltreatment and a serious problem worldwide, but it has received limited research attention. Previous studies of neglect assessment have mainly been targeted toward assessing the risk of apparent neglectful caregivers and neglected children. Early needs assessment scale focused on neglect evaluated by public health professionals in infants is necessary for the urgency of preventing neglect from infancy. Participants were community/public health nurses across Japan with experience working with neglectful caregivers of infants. The initial Signs of Neglect in Infants Assessment Scale (SIGN) was developed and refined based on previous studies, community/public health nurse consultation, and expert review. In 2017, 474 community/public health nurses completed a questionnaire regarding one infant neglect case. Item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and comparisons with a preexisting scale and case reporting status were used to narrow the scale and assess its psychometric properties. Item and exploratory factor analyses reduced the scale to 14 items on three factors: lack of basic supervisory care, child underdevelopment, and lack of emotional behavior. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good model fit (adjusted goodness-of-fit index = 0.921). Cronbach's alpha was >.80 for total SIGN and all three factors. SIGN score was positively correlated with the preexisting scale (r = .335, p < .001) and with child protection services reporting status (M = 12.8 for reported cases vs. 9.2 for unreported cases, p < .001). The SIGN is an innovative scale with good psychometric properties for assessing signs of infant neglect. It has the potential to contribute to preventing infant neglect by providing early support to infants and their caregivers.
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Alyousefi‐van Dijk K, van der Knaap N, Buisman RS, Horstman LI, Lotz AM, Riem MME, Schuengel C, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans‐Kranenburg MJ. White matter integrity moderates the relation between experienced childhood maltreatment and fathers' behavioral response to infant crying. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:1399-1414. [PMID: 33200821 PMCID: PMC8451806 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The ability to provide appropriate responses to infant distress is vital to paternal care, but may be affected by fathers' experiences of childhood maltreatment. Detrimental effects of childhood maltreatment have been found in the adult brain's white matter fibers, accompanied with impaired emotional and cognitive functioning. In the current study (N = 121), we examined new and expectant fathers' childhood maltreatment experiences (i.e. emotional and physical abuse and neglect), current behavioral responses (i.e. handgrip force) to infant cry sounds, and white matter integrity using diffusion tensor imaging. First, more exposure to childhood maltreatment was associated with more use of excessive handgrip force in response to infant crying by fathers. Second, the association between experienced childhood maltreatment and white matter integrity was not significant in whole-brain analyses. Lastly, we found that the association between maltreatment exposure and excessive handgrip force during infant crying was absent in fathers with high tract integrity in the bilateral uncinate fasciculus. These findings possibly point to insufficient behavioral inhibition or emotional dysregulation in fathers who experienced childhood maltreatment, but buffering for this effect in those with larger integrity in brain fibers connecting the amygdala and prefrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Alyousefi‐van Dijk
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Noa van der Knaap
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child StudiesErasmus University RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Renate S.M. Buisman
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Lisa I. Horstman
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Anna M. Lotz
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Madelon M. E. Riem
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Behavioral Science InstituteRadboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Carlo Schuengel
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Marinus H. van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child StudiesErasmus University RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Marian J. Bakermans‐Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
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Khoddam H, Goldenberg D, Stoycos SA, Horton KT, Marshall N, Cárdenas SI, Kaplan J, Saxbe D. How do expectant fathers respond to infant cry? Examining brain and behavioral responses and the moderating role of testosterone. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 15:437-446. [PMID: 32307534 PMCID: PMC7308657 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Expectant parents’ responses to infant cry may indicate future risk and resiliency in the parent-child relationship. Most studies of parental reactivity to infant cry have focused on mothers, and few studies have focused on expectant fathers, although fathers make important contributions to parenting. Additionally, although different responses to infant cry (behavioral, psychological and neural) are hypothesized to track together, few studies have analyzed them concurrently. The current investigation aimed to address these gaps by characterizing multimodal responses to infant cry within expectant fathers and testing whether prenatal testosterone moderates these responses. Expectant fathers responded to infant cry vs frequency-matched white noise with increased activation in bilateral areas of the temporal lobe involved in processing speech sounds and social and emotional stimuli. Handgrip force, which has been used to measure parents’ reactivity to cry sounds in previous studies, did not differentiate cry from white noise within this sample. Expectant fathers with higher prenatal testosterone showed greater activation in the supramarginal gyrus, left occipital lobe and precuneus cortex to cry sounds. Expectant fathers appear to interpret and process infant cry as a meaningful speech sound and social cue, and testosterone may play a role in expectant fathers’ response to infant cry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Khoddam
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Diane Goldenberg
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Sarah A Stoycos
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Katelyn Taline Horton
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Narcis Marshall
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Sofia I Cárdenas
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Jonas Kaplan
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.,Department of Psychology, Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Darby Saxbe
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
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Bérubé A, Blais C, Fournier A, Turgeon J, Forget H, Coutu S, Dubeau D. Childhood maltreatment moderates the relationship between emotion recognition and maternal sensitive behaviors. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2020; 102:104432. [PMID: 32109776 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sensitivity is defined as parents ability to perceive, react and respond to children signals. Having a history of childhood maltreatment changes the way adults perceive visual emotions. These perceptual characteristics could have important consequences on how these parents respond to their children. OBJECTIVE The current study examines how a history of childhood maltreatment moderates the relationship between maternal emotion recognition in child faces and sensitive behaviors toward their child during free-play and a structured task. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Participants included 58 mothers and their children aged between 2 and 5 years. METHODS Mothers were exposed to a set of photographs of child faces showing morphed images of the six basic emotional expressions. Mother-child interactions were then coded for sensitive behaviors. Mothers' history of childhood maltreatment was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. RESULTS Maltreatment severity was related to poorer abilities in emotion recognition. However, the association between emotion recognition and sensitive behavior was moderate by history of childhood maltreatment. For mothers exposed to a severe form of childhood maltreatment, a better emotion recognition was related to less sensitive behaviors toward the child, both during free-play and the structured task. CONCLUSION This relationship is unique to these mothers and is inconsistent with Ainsworth's definition of sensitivity. These results have important implications as they suggest mothers with a history of severe maltreatment would need tailored interventions which take into account their particular reactions to children's emotions.
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Klamann U, Kazmierczak M, Pawlicka P, Obuchowska A. Is it too much for me? General self-efficacy and emotional reactions to infant's cry. J Reprod Infant Psychol 2019; 39:236-249. [PMID: 31701764 DOI: 10.1080/02646838.2019.1687858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: In the three experimental conditions we examined the role of the exposure to recorded infant's cry (at high and at lower frequency) or laughter and the level of participants' general self-efficacy on emotional reactions to the infant's cry.Background: Infant's cry can trigger empathic, sensitive responses or elicit frustration and anxiety of the caregiver. General caregiver's self-efficacy serves as a predictor of more sensitive reactions to distress cues of a child.Method: An experimental study with three conditions - exposure to infant cry at high frequency, infant cry at lower frequency or infant laughter, was conducted on the sample of 192 childless undergraduates. Exposure to the selected stimulus was preceded by the General Self-Efficacy Scale and followed by the My Emotions Scale for the assessment of participants' emotional reactions to the presented infant crying or laughter.Results: Participants with high self-efficacy exposed to the child's cry at high frequency presented the highest level of child-oriented emotional reactions and lower level of self-oriented reactions as compared to participants with low self-efficacy.Conclusion: Results suggest that general self-efficacy can serve as a supportive factor in sensitive responding to the high-frequency cry. Improving caregivers' self-efficacy can reduce the risk of insensitive, disturbed parenthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urszula Klamann
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Gdansk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Maria Kazmierczak
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Gdansk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Paulina Pawlicka
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Gdansk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Obuchowska
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Gdansk, Gdańsk, Poland
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Maternal childhood adversity, OXTR genotype and cognitive load impact on perceptual and behavioral responses to infant crying. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 104:195-202. [PMID: 30877985 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The crying of infants elicits aversive feelings and poses a risk for child abuse. Maternal childhood maltreatment can have negative parenting ability consequences and interact with the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) single nucleotide polymorphism (rs53576) to predict maternal response to infant distress stimuli. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of individual vulnerability differences to situational cognitive load in parenting situations. The current study, in which 124 mothers participated in a standardized infant vocalization paradigm, examined three-way interaction on subjective empathy, behavior intention, and handgrip force response to a crying infant. Participants were asked to squeeze a handgrip dynamometer at maximal and half strength while memorizing a meaningless alphabet syllable as the cognitive load manipulation. Significant interactions were also observed between OXTR rs53576, childhood adversity, and cognitive load when predicting excessive force and harsh response intention on hearing a crying infant. These findings suggested that, as the G allele carriers of OXTR rs53576 appear to be susceptible to the effects of severe childhood adversity, inter- and intra-individual approaches are needed when assessing maternal responses to infant stimuli.
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12
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Alyousefi-van Dijk K, van 't Veer AE, Meijer WM, Lotz AM, Rijlaarsdam J, Witteman J, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Vasopressin Differentially Affects Handgrip Force of Expectant Fathers in Reaction to Own and Unknown Infant Faces. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:105. [PMID: 31164810 PMCID: PMC6536625 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The underlying mechanisms of paternal responses to infant signals are poorly understood. Vasopressin has previously been proposed to affect these responses. Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject design (N = 25 expectant fathers), we examined the effect of vasopressin administration on the use of excessive handgrip force during exposure to infant crying versus matched control sounds, while participants saw morphed images representing their own infant versus an unknown infant. We found that, compared to placebo, AVP administration elicited more excessive force while viewing an unknown infant image compared to viewing the image representing one’s own infant, while the reverse was true under placebo. The results are discussed in light of vasopressin’s role in parenting and parental protection among human fathers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Alyousefi-van Dijk
- Clinical Child and Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Anna E van 't Veer
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Methodology and Statistics Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Willemijn M Meijer
- Clinical Child and Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Anna M Lotz
- Clinical Child and Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Jolien Rijlaarsdam
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jurriaan Witteman
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child and Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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Riem MM, Karreman A. Experimental manipulation of emotion regulation changes mothers’ physiological and facial expressive responses to infant crying. Infant Behav Dev 2019; 55:22-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2019.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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14
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De Carli P, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Parolin L, Lega C, Zanardo B, Cattaneo Z, Riem MME. A walk on the dark side: TMS over the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) disrupts behavioral responses to infant stimuli. Soc Neurosci 2019; 14:697-704. [PMID: 30678532 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2019.1574891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Infant signals, including infant sounds and facial expressions, play a critical role in eliciting parental proximity and care. Processing of infant signals in the adulthood brain is likely to recruit emotional empathy neural circuits, including the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Here, we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to test the role of right IFG (rIFG) in behavioral responses to infant signals. Specifically, a group of nulliparous women were asked to perform a handgrip dynamometer task and an Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT) after receiving TMS over the right IFG or over a control site (vertex). Suppressing activity in the rIFG affected the modulation of handgrip force in response to infant crying. Moreover, the AAT showed that participants tend to avoid the sad infant face after Vertex stimulation, and this bias was counteracted by rIFG stimulation. Our results suggest a causal role of rIFG in sensitive responding towards sad infants and point to the rIFG as a critical node in the neural network underlying the innate releasing mechanism for feelings of love, affection and caring of sad infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro De Carli
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua , Padua , Italy.,Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca , Milan , Italy
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child and Family Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam , Amsterdam , The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University , Leiden , The Netherlands
| | - Laura Parolin
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca , Milan , Italy
| | - Carlotta Lega
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca , Milan , Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement, University of Verona , Verona , Italy
| | - Beatrice Zanardo
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca , Milan , Italy
| | - Zaira Cattaneo
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca , Milan , Italy.,IRCCS Mondino Foundation , Pavia , Italy
| | - Madelon M E Riem
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University , Leiden , The Netherlands.,Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University , Tilburg , The Netherlands
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15
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Buisman RSM, Pittner K, Compier-de Block LHCG, van den Berg LJM, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Alink LRA. The past is present: The role of maltreatment history in perceptual, behavioral and autonomic responses to infant emotional signals. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2018; 77:23-34. [PMID: 29294414 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In the current study associations between parents' experiences of childhood maltreatment and their perceptual, behavioral and autonomic responses to infant emotional signals were examined in a sample of 160 parents. Experienced maltreatment (both physical and emotional abuse and neglect) was reported by the participants and, in approximately half of the cases, also by their parents. During a standardized infant vocalization paradigm, participants were asked to squeeze a handgrip dynamometer at maximal and at half strength while listening to infant crying and laughter sounds and to rate their perception of the sounds. In addition, their heart rate (HR), pre-ejection period (PEP), and vagal tone (RSA) were measured as indicators of underlying sympathetic and parasympathetic reactivity. Results indicated that participants did not differ in their perceptions of the infant vocalizations signals according to their maltreatment experiences. However, maltreatment experiences were associated with the modulation of behavioral responses. Experiences of neglect during childhood were related to more handgrip force during infant crying and to less handgrip force during infant laughter. Moreover, a history of neglect was associated with a higher HR and a shorter PEP during the entire infant vocalization paradigm, which may indicate chronic cardiovascular arousal. The findings imply that a history of childhood neglect negatively influences parents' capacities to regulate their emotions and behavior, which would be problematic when reacting to children's emotional expressions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renate S M Buisman
- Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands.
| | - Katharina Pittner
- Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Lenneke R A Alink
- Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Faculty of Law, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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16
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Riem MME, De Carli P, van IJzendoorn MH, Linting M, Grewen KM, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Emotional maltreatment is associated with atypical responding to stimulation of endogenous oxytocin release through mechanically-delivered massage in males. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 85:115-122. [PMID: 28850941 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Revised: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin plays an important role in social behavior, parenting, and affectionate touch and there is some evidence that oxytocin release can be stimulated by massage or affectionate touch. We examined the effects of massage applied by a massage seat cover on salivary oxytocin levels in two exploratory studies using within-subject designs. In Study 1 massage effects on oxytocin levels were examined in a sample of N=20 healthy female participants. Effects of a 15-min massage session were compared to a control condition during which participants sat on a comfortable chair without a massage seat cover. Salivary oxytocin levels were measured at baseline and up to three hours after the session. We found that massage attenuated oxytocin decreases over time, indicating that massage stimulates oxytocin release. In Study 2, we examined whether effects of massage in N=46 healthy male participants depend on experiences of emotional maltreatment. In addition, we examined whether enhanced oxytocin levels after massage affect the use of excessive handgrip force in response to infant crying and laughter as measured with a handgrip dynamometer. Our findings show that massage results in elevated oxytocin levels compared to a control condition, but that the effects of massage are dependent on experiences of emotional maltreatment. Men with experiences of emotional maltreatment showed lower oxytocin levels, which did not increase after massage. Furthermore, we found that high oxytocin levels after massage were related to reduced handgrip force during exposure to infant crying and laughter, indicating that massage stimulates a sensitive response to infant signals by stimulating oxytocin release. Although massage did not affect oxytocin levels in individuals with experiences of maltreatment, it reduced the use of handgrip force in response to infant crying and laughter in these individuals. Our findings indicate that emotional maltreatment is associated with atypical responding to stimulation of endogenous oxytocin release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madelon M E Riem
- Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, The Netherlands; Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Pietro De Carli
- University of Padua, Padua, Italy; University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marielle Linting
- Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Karen M Grewen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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17
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De Carli P, Riem MM, Parolin L. Approach-avoidance responses to infant facial expressions in nulliparous women: Associations with early experience and mood induction. Infant Behav Dev 2017; 49:104-113. [DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2017.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Revised: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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18
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Abstract
Crying conveys evidence about an infant's state and neurological health which, when carefully assessed, can provide diagnostic information for parents and clinicians. When crying is inconsolable or judged to be excessive, it can stress parents, disrupt parenting and, in rare cases, place an infant at risk for abuse. Research has revealed physiological and neural responses to crying that may predispose some adults to maltreat infants. Although this work suggests that parental vulnerabilities contribute to insensitive or aggressive reactions, there is a growing recognition that exposure to large doses of crying may be a challenge for all adults. Support programmes that inform parents about infant crying, enhance parenting, and improve parental wellbeing and coping, are under development with promising initial findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debra M Zeifman
- Vassar College, Department of Psychological Science, 124 Raymond Avenue, Mailbox 582, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604 USA
| | - Ian St James-Roberts
- Thomas Coram Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, 27/28 Woburn Square, London WC1H 0AA, UK
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19
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Riem MM, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, van IJzendoorn MH. Intranasal administration of oxytocin modulates behavioral and amygdala responses to infant crying in females with insecure attachment representations. Attach Hum Dev 2016; 18:213-34. [DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2016.1149872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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