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Gemignani M, de Falco S. EEG responses to infant faces in young adults can be influenced by the quality of early care experiences with caregivers. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2024; 154:106874. [PMID: 38968758 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The quality of early experiences with caregivers affects individual adjustment and can modulate adults' responses to salient social stimuli, like infant faces. However, in the framework of Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPARTheory), no research to date has examined whether early experiences of acceptance or rejection from caregivers are associated with individual differences in the electrophysiological (EEG) responses to infant faces. OBJECTIVE This study examined the associations between the perceived quality of care during childhood and the behavioral and EEG responses to infant and adult faces in non-parent young adults. METHODS N = 60 non-parent young adults (30 males; 30 females) completed an Emotion Recognition task displaying emotional and unemotional infant and adult faces during an EEG recording. Memories of past care experiences with mothers and fathers were collected using the short form version of the Parental Acceptance-Rejection scale. RESULTS At the behavioral level, slower Reaction Times (RTs) in recognizing all faces were related to higher levels of perceived maternal rejection in young adults; in particular, males who reported higher levels of maternal rejection displayed longer RTs in recognizing faces compared to females. At the neurophysiological level, as the level of perceived paternal rejection increased, the N170 amplitude to infant faces increased. Females who reported higher levels of paternal rejection, compared to males, had a larger increase in the N170 amplitude and a larger decrease in the LPP amplitude in response to emotional faces. CONCLUSIONS While a higher perception of maternal rejection hindered the behavioral responses of adults in recognizing faces, those who felt more rejected by their own father during childhood showed an enhanced N170 amplitude to infant faces. This might reflect a greater need for discrimination resources, at a very early stage of infant face processing, in those adults who perceived higher levels of paternal rejection. Adults' sex modulated the associations found at the behavioral and neurophysiological levels. Overall, our findings extended the IPARTheory postulates that being neglected during childhood might trigger perceptual changes in adults, hindering the elaboration of social cues like infant and adult faces at different levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micol Gemignani
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy.
| | - Simona de Falco
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy
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2
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Wall KM, Penner F, Dell J, Lowell A, Potenza MN, Mayes LC, Rutherford HJV. Maternal psychological risk and the neural correlates of infant face processing: A latent profile analysis. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22445. [PMID: 38131237 PMCID: PMC10783861 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Maternal psychological factors, including anxiety, depression, and substance use, may negatively affect parenting. Previous works with mothers have often assessed each of these factors in isolation despite their frequent co-occurrence. Psychological factors have also been associated with neural processing of facial stimuli, specifically the amplitude (i.e., size) and latency (i.e., timing) of the face-specific N170 event-related potential. In the current study, 106 mothers completed measures assessing maternal psychological factors-anxiety, depression, and substance use. A latent profile analysis was used to identify profiles of psychological factors and assess profile associations with the N170 elicited by infant faces and with parental reflective functioning (PRF) as a measure related to caregiving. Two profiles (termed high and low psychological risk) were identified, with the higher risk profile associated with delayed N170 latency responses to infant faces. An exploratory analysis evidenced an indirect effect between the higher psychological risk profile and lower PRF through delayed N170 latency responses to infant faces. Taken together, maternal psychological risk across multiple indicators may together shape neural processing of infant faces, which may have downstream consequences for caregiving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M Wall
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Francesca Penner
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jaclyn Dell
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida St Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
| | - Amanda Lowell
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Marc N Potenza
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- The Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- The Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, Wethersfield, Connecticut, USA
- The Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Linda C Mayes
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Helena J V Rutherford
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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3
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Cárdenas EF, Hill KE, Estes E, Jackson M, Venanzi L, Humphreys KL, Kujawa A. Neural reactivity to infant emotion cues during pregnancy: Associations with peripartum anxiety and depressive symptoms. Biol Psychol 2023; 183:108673. [PMID: 37690586 PMCID: PMC10591923 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pregnancy is marked by physiological and psychosocial changes for women, and event-related potentials (ERP) are comfortable and safe for examining brain function across pregnancy. The late positive potential (LPP) ERP, a measure of allocated attention to emotional stimuli, may provide insight into associations between internalizing symptoms and neural processing of infant emotion cues, which may be particularly salient in this life stage. METHODS We developed a task to examine neural and behavioral responses to infant faces in pregnant women (N = 120, Mage=31.09, SD=4.81), the impact of auditory infant cries on the LPP to faces, and associations between the LPP and anxiety and depressive symptoms. Participants matched distressed, happy, and neutral infant faces and shapes as a comparison condition with interspersed auditory conditions (infant cry sounds vs. white noise) while electroencephalogram data were collected. Participants also completed self-report measures of anxiety and depressive symptoms. RESULTS Reaction time (RT) was faster for the infant cry vs. white noise condition and when matching shapes vs. infant faces. Depressive symptoms were associated with slower RTs to neutral infant faces. The LPP was enhanced overall to faces vs. shapes, but there was no main effect of auditory condition. Anxiety symptoms were associated with an enhanced LPP to infant distressed faces in the infant cry condition. CONCLUSIONS Results support these methods for measuring neural and behavioral responses to infant emotional cues in pregnancy and provide evidence that combinations of auditory and visual stimuli may be particularly useful for capturing emotional processes relevant to anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia F Cárdenas
- Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN 37203, USA.
| | - Kaylin E Hill
- Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
| | - Elizabeth Estes
- University of Michigan, 1080 University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Maya Jackson
- Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
| | - Lisa Venanzi
- Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
| | | | - Autumn Kujawa
- Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
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4
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Aran Ö, Phu T, Erhart A, Watamura S, Kim P. Neural activation to infant cry among Latina and non-Latina White mothers. Behav Brain Res 2023; 441:114298. [PMID: 36646254 PMCID: PMC9988217 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114298] [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: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Cultural neuroscience is an emerging framework positing that culture (for example, values, beliefs, practices, and modes of emotional expression) critically informs socialization goals and desired behaviors, which are perhaps accompanied by differential patterns of brain activation. Using fMRI, the current study examines brain activation to infant cry stimuli and matched white noise among 50 first-time biological mothers identifying as Latina or White in the United States. Results showed that brain activation to infant cries in the right posterior insula, left cerebellum, and left auditory were higher for White mothers compared to Latina mothers, p's < .05. White mothers showed greater activation to cry sounds compared to white noise in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left somatosensory, right and left premotor cortices, p's < .05, whereas Latina mothers did not. These brain regions are involved in motor planning, movement, sensory processing, and social information processing. It is important to note that mothers in the two groups did not show differences in stress and behavioral parenting measures. Therefore, Latina and White mothers differentially recruiting brain regions related to infant parenting behaviors indicates the potential role of cultural context in shaping patterns of neural activation. Our exploratory analysis suggests that this difference might be due to greater pre-parenting exposure among Latina mothers to children compared to White mothers. Taken together, although our data did not completely explain the differences in brain activation between groups, findings suggest potential culture-related influences in brain activation occurring in the postpartum period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Özlü Aran
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, CO, USA.
| | - Tiffany Phu
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, CO, USA.
| | - Andrew Erhart
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, CO, USA
| | | | - Pilyoung Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, CO, USA
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Penner F, Wall KM, Guan KW, Huang HJ, Richardson L, Dunbar AS, Groh AM, Rutherford HJV. Racial disparities in EEG research and their implications for our understanding of the maternal brain. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 23:1-16. [PMID: 36414837 PMCID: PMC9684773 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-01040-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Racial disparities in maternal health are alarming and persistent. Use of electroencephalography (EEG) and event-related potentials (ERPs) to understand the maternal brain can improve our knowledge of maternal health by providing insight into mechanisms underlying maternal well-being, including implications for child development. However, systematic racial bias exists in EEG methodology-particularly for Black individuals-and in psychological and health research broadly. This paper discusses these biases in the context of EEG/ERP research on the maternal brain. First, we assess the racial/ethnic diversity of existing ERP studies of maternal neural responding to infant/child emotional expressions, using papers from a recent meta-analysis, finding that the majority of mothers represented in this research are of White/European ancestry and that the racially and ethnically diverse samples that are present are limited in terms of geography. Therefore, our current knowledge base in this area may be biased and not generalizable across racially diverse mothers. We outline factors underlying this problem, beginning with the racial bias in EEG equipment that systematically excludes individuals of African descent, and also considering factors specific to research with mothers. Finally, we highlight recent innovations to EEG hardware to better accommodate diverse hairstyles and textures, and other important steps to increase racial and ethnic representativeness in EEG/ERP research with mothers. We urge EEG/ERP researchers who study the maternal brain-including our own research group-to take action to increase racial diversity so that this research area can confidently inform understanding of maternal health and contribute to minimizing maternal health disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kathryn M Wall
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kathleen W Guan
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Helen J Huang
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Lietsel Richardson
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Angel S Dunbar
- Department of African American Studies, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Ashley M Groh
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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Lowell AF, Dell J, Potenza MN, Strathearn L, Mayes LC, Rutherford HJV. Adult attachment is related to maternal neural response to infant cues: an ERP study. Attach Hum Dev 2023; 25:71-88. [PMID: 33522435 PMCID: PMC10861024 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2021.1880057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Maternal attachment security is an important predictor of caregiving . However, little is known regarding the neurobiological mechanisms by which attachment influences processing of infant cues, a critical component of caregiving. We examined whether attachment security, measured by the Adult Attachment Interview, might relate to neural responses to infant cues using event-related potentials. Secure (n=35) and insecure (n=24) mothers viewed photographs of infant faces and heard recordings of infant vocalizations while electroencephalography was recorded. We examined initial processing of infant faces (N170) and cries (N100), and attentional allocation to infant faces and cries (P300). Secure mothers were significantly faster than insecure mothers to orient to infant cries (N100), structurally encode their own infant's face (N170), and attend to infant faces (P300). These differences may elucidate mechanisms underlying how attachment may shape neural processing of infant cues and highlight the use ofsocial neuroscientific approaches in examining clinically relevant aspects of attachment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda F Lowell
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jaclyn Dell
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida St Petersburg, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | - Marc N Potenza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- The Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA
- The Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, Wethersfield, CT, USA
| | - Lane Strathearn
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Linda C Mayes
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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7
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Mulligan EM, Simon J, Lowe M, Santopetro N, Flynn H, Hajcak G. The P300 and late positive potential in pregnancy prospectively predict increases in depressive and anxious symptoms in the early postpartum period. J Affect Disord 2022; 317:193-203. [PMID: 36028012 PMCID: PMC10450819 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.08.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Postnatal depression and anxiety disorders pose a major burden on maternal mental health. While psychosocial risk factors for perinatal depression and anxiety are well-researched, there is a dearth of research examining neural biomarkers of risk for postnatal increases in depression and anxiety. Previous studies suggest two different event-related potentials, the P300 and the late positive potential (LPP), may predict the course of depressive and anxious symptoms in non-perinatal populations. In a sample of 221 perinatal women, the present study utilized an emotional interrupt task administered in pregnancy to examine whether antenatal P300 and LPP amplitudes may predict change in depressive and anxious symptoms from pregnancy to the early postpartum period. Zero-order correlations and linear regressions revealed that a reduced antenatal P300 to target stimuli and an enhanced LPP to positive infant images were uniquely associated with postnatal depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively, and that these ERPs were independent predictors beyond antenatal self-report measures of psychological symptoms. Furthermore, individuals with increased depressive symptoms in pregnancy exhibited a stronger negative association between antenatal P300 amplitude and postnatal depressive symptoms. The present findings underscore the possibility that the measurement of ERPs during pregnancy could serve as a screening tool for risk for perinatal depression and anxiety, and thereby assist with identifying at-risk individuals who might benefit from prevention efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Mulligan
- Florida State University, Department of Psychology, Tallahassee, FL 32304, United States of America.
| | - Jessica Simon
- Florida State University, Department of Psychology, Tallahassee, FL 32304, United States of America
| | - Magen Lowe
- Washington State University, Department of Psychology, Pullman, WA 99164, United States of America
| | - Nicholas Santopetro
- Florida State University, Department of Psychology, Tallahassee, FL 32304, United States of America
| | - Heather Flynn
- Florida State University, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, Tallahassee, FL 32306, United States of America
| | - Greg Hajcak
- Florida State University, Department of Psychology, Tallahassee, FL 32304, United States of America; Florida State University, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tallahassee, FL 32306, United States of America
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8
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Bonilla-Santos G, Gantiva C, González-Hernández A, Padilla-García T, Bonilla-Santos J. Emotional processing in bullying: an event-related potential study. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7954. [PMID: 35562581 PMCID: PMC9106725 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12120-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Bullying is a subtype of violence that leads to maladaptive behaviors and emotional responses, with implications for social competence, emotions, and empathy. The present study compared the time course of emotional processing in children who were involved in the dynamics of bullying (i.e., as victims, bullies, and observers) by evaluating event-related potentials [early posterior negativity and late positive potential (LPP)] in different brain regions during a passive visualization task that involved positive, neutral, and negative social pictures. High-density electroencephalograms were recorded in 45 children, 8–12 years old (M = 9.5 years, SD = 1.3), while they observed emotional and neutral social pictures that we selected from the International Affective Picture System. Late positive potential had higher amplitudes in the victim group, especially in posterior and anterior regions. In the central region, LPP was greater toward neutral social pictures in bullying victims. The greater amplitude of LPP in victims was observed during and after the stimulus. The results showed a consistent response with a higher intensity in response to emotional stimuli in the victim group, suggesting a tendency toward hypervigilance that could interfere with emotional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carlos Gantiva
- Department of Psychology, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | | | - Jasmin Bonilla-Santos
- Department of Psychology, Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Calle 11 No 1-51, Neiva, 410010, Huila, Colombia.
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Kolijn L, van den Bulk BG, Euser S, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, van IJzendoorn MH, Huffmeijer R. Does neural face processing explain effects of an attachment-based intervention on maternal sensitivity? A randomized controlled study including pre- and postintervention measures. Brain Behav 2022; 12:e01972. [PMID: 34881520 PMCID: PMC8785642 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although there is a large body of literature highlighting the behavioral effects of parenting interventions, studies on the neurocognitive mechanisms involved in such intervention effects remain scarce. PURPOSE The aim of the current study was to test whether changes in neural face processing (as reflected in N170 amplitudes) would act as a mediator in the association between the Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline (VIPP-SD) and maternal sensitivity. METHODS A total of 66 mothers of whom a random 33% received the VIPP-SD and the others a "dummy" intervention participated in pre- and postintervention assessments. We recorded mothers' electroencephalographic (EEG) activity in response to photographs of children's neutral, happy, and angry facial expressions. Maternal sensitivity was observed while mothers interacted with their offspring in a semi-structured play situation. RESULTS In contrast with our expectations, we did not find evidence for mediation of intervention effects on maternal sensitivity by the N170. CONCLUSION We discuss that parenting support programs may yield different effects on neurocognitive processes depending on the population and provide recommendations for future research. Our study underscores the importance of reporting null findings and preregistering studies in the field of neurocognitive research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Kolijn
- Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, and Amsterdam Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam, North Holland, 1081 BT, The Netherlands.,Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Bianca G van den Bulk
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia Euser
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, and Amsterdam Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam, North Holland, 1081 BT, The Netherlands.,Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rens Huffmeijer
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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10
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Martínez-García M, Cardenas SI, Pawluski J, Carmona S, Saxbe DE. Recent Neuroscience Advances in Human Parenting. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 27:239-267. [PMID: 36169818 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-97762-7_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The transition to parenthood entails brain adaptations to the demands of caring for a newborn. This chapter reviews recent neuroscience findings on human parenting, focusing on neuroimaging studies. First, we describe the brain circuits underlying human maternal behavior, which comprise ancient subcortical circuits and more sophisticated cortical regions. Then, we present the short-term and long-term functional and structural brain adaptations that characterize the transition to motherhood, discuss the long-term effects of parenthood on the brain, and propose several underlying neural mechanisms. We also review neuroimaging findings in biological fathers and alloparents (such as other relatives or adoptive parents), who engage in parenting without directly experiencing pregnancy or childbirth. Finally, we describe perinatal mental illnesses and discuss the neural responses associated with such disorders. To date, studies indicate that parenthood is a period of enhanced brain plasticity within brain areas critical for cognitive and social processing and that both parenting experience and gestational-related factors can prime such plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Martínez-García
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Sofia I Cardenas
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jodi Pawluski
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), Rennes, France
| | - Susanna Carmona
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Darby E Saxbe
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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11
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Yatziv T, Vancor EA, Bunderson M, Rutherford HJV. Maternal perinatal anxiety and neural responding to infant affective signals: Insights, challenges, and a road map for neuroimaging research. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:387-399. [PMID: 34563563 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety symptoms are common among women during pregnancy and the postpartum period, potentially having detrimental effects on both mother and child's well-being. Perinatal maternal anxiety interferes with a core facet of adaptive caregiving: mothers' sensitive responsiveness to infant affective communicative 'cues.' This review summarizes the current research on the neural correlates of maternal processing of infant cues in the presence of perinatal anxiety, outlines its limitations, and offers next steps to advance future research. Functional neuroimaging studies examining the neural circuitry involved in, and electrophysiological studies examining the temporal dynamics of, processing infant cues during pregnancy and postpartum are reviewed. Studies have generally indicated mixed findings, although emerging themes suggest that anxiety may be implicated in several stages of processing infant cues- detection, interpretation, and reaction- contingent upon cue valence. Limitations include inconsistent designs, lack of differentiation between anxiety and depression symptoms, and limited consideration of parenting-specific (versus domain-general) anxiety. Future studies should incorporate longitudinal investigation of multiple levels of analysis spanning neural, cognitive, and observed aspects of sensitive caregiving.
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12
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Rutherford HJ, Kim S, Yip SW, Potenza MN, Mayes LC, Strathearn L. Parenting and addictions: Current insights from human neuroscience. CURRENT ADDICTION REPORTS 2021; 8:380-388. [PMID: 36185758 PMCID: PMC9523670 DOI: 10.1007/s40429-021-00384-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Purpose A growing body of human research has documented associations between the maternal brain and maternal substance use and addictions. This neuroscience-informed approach affords the opportunity to unpack potential neurobiological mechanisms that may underscore challenges in maternal caregiving behavior among mothers with addictions and provide new directions for parenting interventions. Findings Consistent with theoretical models of parenting and addictions, five studies evidence both hypo- and hyper-reactivity to infant affective cues across neuroimaging methods and tasks that incorporate both infant face and cry stimuli. Three structural and resting-state brain studies as a function of maternal substance use are also reported. Conclusions While human neuroimaging research converges in showing that maternal substance use is associated with differential reactivity to infant affective cues, further multi-level/multi-modal, longitudinal, and dimensional research is critically needed to advance this area of investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Jv Rutherford
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, United States
| | - Sohye Kim
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655
- Departments of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655
| | - Sarah W Yip
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Marc N Potenza
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
- The Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, Wethersfield, CT 06109, United States
- The Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT 06519, United States
| | - Linda C Mayes
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, United States
| | - Lane Strathearn
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
- Center for Disabilities and Development, University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
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13
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Emergency Nurses' Guide to Neonatal Lumbar Punctures. J Emerg Nurs 2021; 47:627-632. [PMID: 33714567 DOI: 10.1016/j.jen.2020.12.004] [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: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
A neonatal lumbar puncture can present many challenges for emergency nurses that may not be seen with older children or adults. It is imperative that emergency nurses have the knowledge and training related to the procedure to ensure a positive process for the neonate, involved family and health care team members, as well as the overall outcomes of the procedure. This paper provides a practical guide to the essential knowledge for a neonatal lumbar puncture in the emergency department. The main points conveyed in this paper include considerations such as indications for a neonatal lumbar puncture, how to prepare for the procedure, how to position the neonate, possible complications, and caregiver support.
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14
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Abstract
At least one in seven pregnant or recently postpartum women will experience a mental illness such as an anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, or substance use disorder. These mental illnesses have detrimental effects on the health of the mother, child, and family, but little is known about the hypothalamic and other neural correlates of maternal mental health concerns. The transition to parenthood alone is a time of remarkable neural plasticity, so it is perhaps not surprising that current research is showing that maternal mental illness has unique neural profiles. Furthermore, the neural systems affected by peripartum mental illness overlap and interact with the systems involved in maternal caregiving behaviors, and mother-infant interactions are, therefore, highly susceptible to disruption. This review discusses what we know about the unique neural changes occurring during peripartum mental illness and the role of the hypothalamus in these illnesses. With an improved understanding of the neural correlates of maternal mental health and disease, we will be better equipped to predict risk, develop effective treatments, and ultimately prevent suffering for millions of parents during this critical time in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodi L Pawluski
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), UMR S 1085, Rennes, France.
| | - James E Swain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Joseph S Lonstein
- Neuroscience Program & Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
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15
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Kungl MT, Rutherford HJ, Heinisch C, Beckmann MW, Fasching PA, Spangler G. Does anxiety impact the neural processing of child faces in mothers of school-aged children? An ERP study using an emotional Go/NoGo task. Soc Neurosci 2020; 15:530-543. [PMID: 32662322 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2020.1788988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Maternal anxiety during pregnancy and the early postpartum period is associated with heightened neural processing of neutral infant faces as measured by event-related potentials (ERPs). However, less is known about how anxiety shapes neural face processing in mothers of older children. In our study, 36 mothers of 8-10 year old children completed a Go/NoGo task consisting of neutral and emotional (happy, fearful) facial expressions posed by unfamiliar school-aged children while EEG was recorded. Higher levels of maternal anxiety -indexed via self-report- were associated with delayed behavioral responses to children's fearful faces and increased N170 and LPP amplitudes elicited by children's neutral faces. While anxiety was also positively related to the LPP elicited by children's emotional faces, it only led to increased N170 amplitude responses to children's fearful, but not happy, faces and only when they were NoGo cues. The study replicates and extends prior findings examining the impact of maternal anxiety on neural responses to neutral infant faces to later stages of parenting with further neural markers and emotional expressions being affected. Findings evidence the importance of studying these associations beyond infancy to increase our knowledge about processes potentially underlying the relation between anxiety and less optimal parenting across development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie T Kungl
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Developmental Psychopathology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) , Erlangen, Germany
| | - Helena Jv Rutherford
- Yale Child Study Center, University of Yale, Yale University , New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Christine Heinisch
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Developmental Psychopathology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) , Erlangen, Germany
| | - Matthias W Beckmann
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) , Erlangen, Germany
| | - Peter A Fasching
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) , Erlangen, Germany
| | - Gottfried Spangler
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Developmental Psychopathology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) , Erlangen, Germany
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16
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Dudek J, Haley DW. Attention bias to infant faces in pregnant women predicts maternal sensitivity. Biol Psychol 2020; 153:107890. [PMID: 32335127 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2020.107890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
While research has shown that attention bias to infant faces is linked to parenting, this work is largely cross-sectional and limited to the postpartum period. Because the transition to motherhood from pregnancy to birth constitutes a sensitive period in cortical reorganization linked to the quality of mother-infant interactions, evaluating attention processes in the maternal cortex prior to the experience of mother-infant face-to-face interactions is critical. To assess behavioural attention and neural responses to infant faces in pregnant mothers, behavioral and electrocortical indices were collected using a Go/No Go task, in which infant and adult faces served as distractors. Results showed that heightened processing of infant faces relative to adult faces (behavioral and electrocortical indices) was related to observations of greater maternal sensitivity. These findings show that prenatal maternal attention bias to and the perceived salience of infant faces serves as an individual cognitive hallmark of maternal sensitivity that acts independently of caregiving experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Dudek
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - David W Haley
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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17
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Lowell AF, Maupin AN, Landi N, Potenza MN, Mayes LC, Rutherford HJV. Substance use and mothers' neural responses to infant cues. Infant Ment Health J 2020; 41:264-277. [PMID: 32057121 DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Substance use may influence mothers' responsiveness to their infants and negatively impact the parent-infant relationship. Maternal substance use may co-opt neural circuitry involved in caregiving, thus reducing the salience of infant cues and diminishing the sense of reward experienced by caring for infants. Gaps in understanding exist with regard to the mechanisms by which substance use operates to influence mothers' processing of infant cues and how this translates to caregiving. Therefore, we examined how substance use might relate to maternal neural responses to infant cues using event-related potentials (ERPs). Substance-using (n = 29) and nonsubstance-using (n = 29) mothers viewed photographs of infant faces and heard recordings of infant vocalizations while electroencephalography was recorded simultaneously. Three specific ERP components were used to examine initial processing of infant faces (N170) and cries (N100), and attentional allocation to infant faces and cries (P300). Substance-using mothers did not discriminate facial affect at early encoding stages (N170), were generally slower to orient to infant cries (N100), showed heightened responses to neutral faces (P300), and failed to adaptively differentiate between high-distress versus low-distress cries (P300). These differences may be important to caregiving behaviors associated with the formation of mother-child attachment. Implications are discussed, as are limitations and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda F Lowell
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Angela N Maupin
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Nicole Landi
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut.,Connecticut Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut.,Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Marc N Potenza
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, Wethersfield, Connecticut.,Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Linda C Mayes
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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18
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Bjertrup AJ, Friis NK, Miskowiak KW. The maternal brain: Neural responses to infants in mothers with and without mood disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:196-207. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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19
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Kolijn L, Huffmeijer R, Van Den Bulk BG, Vrijhof CI, Van Ijzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Effects of the Video-feedback intervention to promote positive parenting and sensitive discipline on mothers' neural responses to child faces: A randomized controlled ERP study including pre- and post-intervention measures. Soc Neurosci 2019; 15:108-122. [PMID: 31500510 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2019.1660709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Parenting interventions have proven to be effective in enhancing positive parenting behavior and child outcomes. However, the neurocognitive mechanisms explaining the efficacy remain largely unknown. We tested effects of the Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline (VIPP-SD) on mothers' neural processing of child faces. Our primary focus was on the N170 and the secondary focus on the LPP. We expected the intervention to enhance the amplitudes of both ERP components in response to emotional compared to neutral faces. A total of 66 mothers visited the lab for two identical sessions separated by 4.28 months (SD = 0.86) during which a random 33% of the mothers received the VIPP-SD. During both pre- and post-intervention sessions, mothers' electroencephalographic (EEG) activity in response to photographs of children's neutral, happy and angry facial expressions were acquired. In contrast to our expectations, we found smaller (less negative) N170 amplitudes at post-test in the intervention group. There was no intervention effect on the LPP, although overall LPP amplitudes were more positive for neutral and angry compared to happy faces. Our study shows that the N170 is affected by the VIPP-SD, suggesting that the intervention promotes efficient, less effortful face processing.Trial registration: Dutch Trial Register: NTR5312; Date registered: 3 January 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Kolijn
- Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, and Amsterdam Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University and VU Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Rens Huffmeijer
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University and VU Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Bianca G Van Den Bulk
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University and VU Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Claudia I Vrijhof
- Department of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marinus H Van Ijzendoorn
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University and VU Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, and Amsterdam Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University and VU Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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20
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Mothers' neural responses to infant faces are associated with activation of the maternal care system and observed intrusiveness with their own child. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2019; 18:609-621. [PMID: 29651689 PMCID: PMC6096645 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-018-0592-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Certain infant facial characteristics, referred to as baby schema, are thought to automatically trigger parenting behavior and affective orientation toward infants. Electroencephalography (EEG) is well suited to assessing the intuitive nature and temporal dynamics of parenting responses, due to its millisecond temporal resolution. Little is known, however, about the relations between neural processing of infant cues and actual parenting behavior in a naturalistic setting. In the present study we examined the event-related potentials (ERPs) of mothers (N = 33) watching infant faces of varying attractiveness, in relation to activation of the maternal care system and the mothers’ observed parenting behavior (sensitivity, nonintrusiveness) with their own child (2–6 years old). The results revealed that, irrespective of the cuteness of the infant face, mothers’ neural processing of infant faces involved both early P1 and P2 components (related to orienting/detecting processes) and late positive potentials (LPPs; related to more controlled cognitive evaluation/attentional engagement). Increased early detection and processing of infant faces (reflected by P1 and P2 activity) was related to increased activation of the parental care system. In later stages of face processing, increased attentional engagement with infant faces (as reflected by LPP activity) was associated with more intrusiveness of a mother with her own child during interaction. These findings suggest that individual variations in responses to infant stimuli are associated with individual differences in parental care system activation and parenting quality. Furthermore, the parental care system might be activated relatively automatically, but actual parenting and caregiving behavior requires more conscious control.
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21
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Severity of anxiety moderates the association between neural circuits and maternal behaviors in the postpartum period. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2019; 18:426-436. [PMID: 29619759 PMCID: PMC6546103 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-017-0516-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Neuroimaging research has suggested that activity in the amygdala, center of the socioemotional network, and functional connectivity between the amygdala and cortical regions are associated with caregiving behaviors in postpartum mothers. Anxiety is common in the early postpartum period, with severity ranging from healthy maternal preoccupation to clinical disorder. However, little is known about the influence of anxiety on the neural correlates of early caregiving. We examined these relationships in a community cohort of 75 postpartum women (ages 18-22; predominantly low-SES, minority race) who listened to infant cry sounds while undergoing an fMRI assessment. Maternal self-reported symptoms of anxiety were mostly within the subclinical range. Positive and negative caregiving behaviors during filmed face-to-face mother-infant interactions were coded by independent observers. The results from whole-brain analyses showed that anxiety severity moderated the brain-maternal behavior relationships. Specifically, our results showed that the higher a mother's anxiety, the stronger the association between positive caregiving (i.e., maternal warmth and involvement) and amygdala-right posterior superior temporal sulcus (amygdala-RpSTS) functional connectivity. These results remained significant when we controlled for symptoms of depression and contextual variables. These findings suggest that functional connectivity between the amygdala and a social perception region (RpSTS) plays a particularly important role for anxious mothers in facilitating their positive parenting. These findings extend our understanding of the specific neural circuits that support positive maternal caregiving in the context of maternal anxiety, and they may help inform the future design of personalized and effective interventions.
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22
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De Carli P, Costantini I, Sessa P, Visentin S, Pearson RM, Simonelli A. The expectant social mind: A systematic review of face processing during pregnancy and the effect of depression and anxiety. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 102:153-171. [PMID: 31055013 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Pregnancy carries enormous changes in the psychological and neurophysiological domains. It has been suggested that pregnant women undergo a cognitive reorganization aimed at increasing the salience of social stimuli (i.e., the tendency of social cues to capture observer's attention, so that their processing results prioritized). The goal of the present work was to systematically review the empirical evidence of a change in face processing during pregnancy. Moreover, we explored whether face processing is associated with antenatal depression and anxiety and the extent to which this is part of a potential mechanism to explain detrimental effects of maternal psychopathology on infant outcomes. We identified 19 relevant studies and discussed them based on their methodological qualities. The results of the review suggest that even though it is not possible to draw firm conclusions, pregnancy is likely to be a plasticity window for face processing at the behavioral and neural levels. Evidence confirms the detrimental effect of depression and anxiety on face processing during pregnancy. Clinical implications for parenting interventions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro De Carli
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia, 8, 35131 Padova (PD), Italy.
| | - Ilaria Costantini
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia, 8, 35131 Padova (PD), Italy; Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Oakfield House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol BS14 8TF, United Kingdom.
| | - Paola Sessa
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia, 8, 35131 Padova (PD), Italy; Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Via Venezia, 8, 35131 Padova (PD), Italy.
| | - Silvia Visentin
- Department of Woman and Child's Health, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 3, 35128 Padova (PD), Italy.
| | - Rebecca M Pearson
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Oakfield House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol BS14 8TF, United Kingdom.
| | - Alessandra Simonelli
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia, 8, 35131 Padova (PD), Italy.
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23
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Kuzava S, Nissim G, Frost A, Nelson B, Bernard K. Latent profiles of maternal neural response to infant emotional stimuli: Associations with maternal sensitivity. Biol Psychol 2019; 143:113-120. [PMID: 30802481 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In the current study, we examined how latent profiles reflecting maternal neural response to infant emotional expressions predict observed parenting behavior. Participants included 86 mothers of infants. Maternal sensitivity was coded from video-recorded distress and play interactions; mothers' event-related potentials (ERPs) to child emotional expressions were measured from EEG activity recorded during a categorization task. Latent profile analysis of mothers' P200 and late positive potential (LPP) responses to crying and laughing child expressions identified three latent profiles, characterized by enhanced or attenuated responses to crying and laughing expressions at early and late stages of processing. Mothers' probability of being assigned to the "attenuated to distress" profile, characterized by undifferentiated early and late response to infant emotional expressions, was associated with reduced maternal sensitivity. Probability of being assigned to this profile was also correlated with sociodemographic risk. Profiles of maternal neural response to infant emotional expressions may enhance our understanding of the phenomenology of insensitive caregiving.
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24
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Palagini L, Cipollone G, Masci I, Novi M, Caruso D, Kalmbach DA, Drake CL. Stress-related sleep reactivity is associated with insomnia, psychopathology and suicidality in pregnant women: preliminary results. Sleep Med 2019; 56:145-150. [PMID: 30803833 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2019.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Depression and anxiety symptoms are commonly experienced by women during pregnancy and may have negative consequences on mothers and newborns. Deterioration of sleep quality throughout pregnancy increases insomnia, which may lead to adverse outcomes including increased psychopathology in the perinatal period. Thus, identifying women at high risk of developing insomnia may have important clinical implications on maternal-fetal outcomes. Stress-related sleep reactivity is a well-established risk factor for future insomnia, depression, and anxiety in general adult samples. However, little is known of sleep reactivity and its relations to sleep and mood pathology in pregnancy. Therefore, we explored sleep reactivity in pregnant women and its relations to prenatal symptoms of insomnia, depression, anxiety, and suicidality. METHOD Sixty-two pregnant women (mean age 33.6 ± 3 years, 20.6 ± 0.6 weeks of pregnancy) were evaluated during their routine visit at the Gynecological Unit of the University of Pisa, Italy, using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) for insomnia symptoms, the Ford Insomnia Response to Stress Test for sleep reactivity (FIRST), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) for depressive symptoms, and the Zung Self Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) for anxiety symptoms. Item #10 of the EPDS was used to assess for suicidality. Differences in means between women with high vs low stress-related sleep reactivity were calculated using t-test or Mann-Whitney U/Wilcoxon test. Linear/multiple regression analyses have been performed to study associations between variables. RESULTS Pregnant women with high stress-related sleep reactivity, relative to those with low reactivity, reported greater symptoms of insomnia (t = 6.5, 0.004) as well as higher rates of depression (62.0% vs 6.1%, p < 0.001), anxiety (55.1% vs 15.1%, p = 0.030), and suicidality (17.2% vs 3.0%, p = 0.025). Multivariate models revealed sleep reactivity to correlate independently with symptoms of insomnia, depression, and anxiety, when controlling for comorbid symptoms. CONCLUSIONS In mid-pregnancy, women with high sleep reactivity report elevated symptoms of insomnia, depression, and anxiety, and are more likely to endorse suicidal ideation. As a prognostic marker of future insomnia and psychiatric illness, early detection of high prenatal sleep reactivity holds potential to prevent the development of sleep and mood pathology during pregnancy, thereby potentially improving maternal and child outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Palagini
- University Psychiatric Clinic, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana- AUOP, Italy.
| | - Giada Cipollone
- University Psychiatric Clinic, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana- AUOP, Italy
| | - Isabella Masci
- University Psychiatric Clinic, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana- AUOP, Italy
| | - Martina Novi
- University Psychiatric Clinic, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana- AUOP, Italy
| | - Danila Caruso
- University Psychiatric Clinic, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana- AUOP, Italy
| | - David A Kalmbach
- Henry Ford Hospital Sleep Disorders and Research Center, Detroit, MI, USA
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25
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Dudek J, Colasante T, Zuffianò A, Haley DW. Changes in Cortical Sensitivity to Infant Facial Cues From Pregnancy to Motherhood Predict Mother-Infant Bonding. Child Dev 2018; 91:e198-e217. [PMID: 30511459 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The transition to motherhood triggers changes in human brain structure that may facilitate mother-infant bonding. Although much research on maternal cortical responses to infant faces has focused on the postpartum period, no previous study has examined whether longitudinal functional changes in the maternal cortex during pregnancy and postpartum are associated with mother-infant bonding. Using electroencephalography, prenatal to postnatal changes in cortical sensitivity (P1, P2, late positive potential, N170 event-related potentials) to infant and adult faces were examined in relation to reported mother-infant bonding in 40 mothers (Mage = 30.5 years). Prenatal to postnatal increases in P1 and P2 responses to infant faces predicted stronger bonding. Findings suggest that cortical changes in attention allocation rather than in face-specific encoding enhance bonding.
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26
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Rutherford HJ, Crowley MJ, Gao L, Francis B, Schultheis A, Mayes LC. Prenatal neural responses to infant faces predict postpartum reflective functioning. Infant Behav Dev 2018; 53:43-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2018.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2018] [Revised: 08/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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27
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Rutherford HJ, Maupin AN, Mayes LC. Parity and neural responses to social and non-social stimuli in pregnancy. Soc Neurosci 2018; 14:545-548. [DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2018.1518833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Linda C. Mayes
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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28
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Wu X, Xu P, Luo YJ, Feng C. Differential Effects of Intranasal Vasopressin on the Processing of Adult and Infant Cues: An ERP Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:329. [PMID: 30158862 PMCID: PMC6104155 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a powerful regulator of various social behaviors across many species. However, seemingly contradictory effects of AVP have been found in both animal and human studies, e.g., promoting aggression on one hand and facilitating social bonding on the other hand. Therefore, we hypothesize that the role of AVP in social behaviors is context-dependent. To this end, we examined the modulatory effect of AVP on male’s behavioral and neural responses to infant and adult cues. After intranasal and double-blind treatment of AVP or placebo, male participants were asked to rate their subjective approaching willingness to infant and adult faces in specific contexts informed by cue words while EEG recording. Our results showed that AVP treatment increased approaching ratings to neutral and positive other-gender adult faces compared to emotional matched same-gender adult faces, and to negative girl faces compared to negative boy faces. Furthermore, compared to placebo treatment, AVP treatment induced larger N1 amplitudes to neutral cues associated with both adults and infants, whereas AVP treatment only sustained pronounced late positive potential amplitudes to neutral cues of infants but not adults. Those findings implicate differential roles of AVP in the processing of adult- and infant-related cues and thus lend support to the context-dependent account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Wu
- Center of Brain Disorder and Cognitive Sicences, College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pengfei Xu
- Center of Brain Disorder and Cognitive Sicences, College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yue-Jia Luo
- Center of Brain Disorder and Cognitive Sicences, College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Center for Emotion and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chunliang Feng
- College of Information Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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29
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Colasante T, Mossad SI, Dudek J, Haley DW. The special status of sad infant faces: age and valence differences in adults' cortical face processing. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2018; 12:586-595. [PMID: 27998995 PMCID: PMC5390733 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the relative and joint prioritization of age- and valence-related face characteristics in adults’ cortical face processing remains elusive because these two characteristics have not been manipulated in a single study of neural face processing. We used electroencephalography to investigate adults’ P1, N170, P2 and LPP responses to infant and adult faces with happy and sad facial expressions. Viewing infant vs adult faces was associated with significantly larger P1, N170, P2 and LPP responses, with hemisphere and/or participant gender moderating this effect in select cases. Sad faces were associated with significantly larger N170 responses than happy faces. Sad infant faces were associated with significantly larger N170 responses in the right hemisphere than all other combinations of face age and face valence characteristics. We discuss the relative and joint neural prioritization of infant face characteristics and negative facial affect, and their biological value as distinct caregiving and social cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler Colasante
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Sarah I Mossad
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 27 King's College Circle, Toronto ON M5S, Canada
| | - Joanna Dudek
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - David W Haley
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto ON M1C 1A4, Canada
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Maupin AN, Rutherford HJV, Landi N, Potenza MN, Mayes LC. Investigating the association between parity and the maternal neural response to infant cues. Soc Neurosci 2018; 14:214-225. [DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2017.1422276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Angela N. Maupin
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Nicole Landi
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Haskins Laboratories, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Marc N. Potenza
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neurobiology and CASAColumbia, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Linda C. Mayes
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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Khoramroudi R. The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder during pregnancy and postpartum period. J Family Med Prim Care 2018; 7:220-223. [PMID: 29915763 PMCID: PMC5958573 DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_272_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction and Objective: The majority of formerly conducted studies have focused on the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder merely during pregnancy period; however, pregnancy period is by itself accompanied with the stress of getting pregnant again; therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during pregnancy and postpartum period. Methods: A total of 3475 articles were found by searching keywords of PTSD, pregnancy, stress, and birth, through various research databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct; 37 papers turned out to be completely relevant, 18 of which had provided through examination of the prevalence of intended disorder. Results: The prevalence rate varied from 0% to 21% in community-related samples; this rate varied from 0% to 43% in high-risk samples. Conclusion: PTSD is a common phenomenon during pregnancy and postpartum period, and it might get worse and worse unless it is diagnosed and treated after delivery. Thus, it is recommended to assess pregnancy and postpartum services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rozita Khoramroudi
- Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
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van den Heuvel MI, Henrichs J, Donkers FC, Van den Bergh BR. Children prenatally exposed to maternal anxiety devote more attentional resources to neutral pictures. Dev Sci 2017; 21:e12612. [DOI: 10.1111/desc.12612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marion I. van den Heuvel
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development; Wayne State University; Detroit MI USA
| | - Jens Henrichs
- Midwifery Science; AVAG; Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute; VU University Medical Center; Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Franc C.L. Donkers
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience; Maastricht University; Maastricht The Netherlands
| | - Bea R.H. Van den Bergh
- Health Psychology; University of Leuven; Leuven Belgium
- Department of Welfare; Public Health and Family; Flemish Government; Brussels Belgium
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Intranasal oxytocin and the neural correlates of infant face processing in non-parent women. Biol Psychol 2017; 129:45-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Zeng Y, Li Y, Xia H, Wang S, Zhou J, Chen D. Retinoids, anxiety and peripartum depressive symptoms among Chinese women: a prospective cohort study. BMC Psychiatry 2017; 17:278. [PMID: 28764671 PMCID: PMC5539642 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-017-1405-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The current study aimed to investigate whether serum RBP levels can be a key predictor of peripartum depression (PPD). METHODS This was a prospective cohort study, conducted at a general teaching hospital in South China. Research participants were evaluated at three time points: the third trimester of pregnancy (T1), after delivery at week one (T2), and after delivery week six (T3) using a set of self-reported questionnaires and blood sample assays. RESULTS A total of 156 subjects were included for data analysis. The prevalence of anxiety symptoms ranged from 32.69% to 36.53%. The prevalence of PPD was also high and ranged from 27.56% to 35.89%. In the third trimester, significant predictors of depressive symptoms include serum retinol-binding protein (RBP) concentrations and estradiol levels (P = 0.008 and 0.033, respectively). At one week after delivery, serum concentrations of RBP at T2 were still significant predictors of depressive symptoms (P = 0.020, and serum estradiol concentrations at T1 were a significant predictor (P = 0.010). The most stable predictor of depressive symptoms at T3 was anxiety symptoms, especially at T3 time point (P < 0.001). Serum RBP concentrations at T1 and T2 were still significant predictors of depressive symptoms at T3. CONCLUSION A high prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms tended to persist in Chinese women during the peripartum period. This study, which found the potential contribution of RBP to the occurrence of PPD, requires that large sample studies be conducted in future with a longer-term follow-up period, in order to confirm its results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingchun Zeng
- 0000 0004 1758 4591grid.417009.bResearch Institute of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510150 China
| | - Yingtao Li
- Research Institute of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510150, China.
| | - Huaan Xia
- 0000 0004 1758 4591grid.417009.bResearch Institute of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510150 China
| | - Shenglan Wang
- 0000 0004 1771 3058grid.417404.2Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingxuan Zhou
- 0000 0004 1761 4893grid.415468.aDepartment of Obstetrics, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China
| | - Dunjin Chen
- 0000 0004 1758 4591grid.417009.bResearch Institute of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510150 China
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Young KS, Parsons CE, Stein A, Vuust P, Craske MG, Kringelbach ML. The neural basis of responsive caregiving behaviour: Investigating temporal dynamics within the parental brain. Behav Brain Res 2017; 325:105-116. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2016] [Revised: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
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Lucion MK, Oliveira V, Bizarro L, Bischoff AR, Silveira PP, Kauer-Sant'Anna M. Attentional bias toward infant faces – Review of the adaptive and clinical relevance. Int J Psychophysiol 2017; 114:1-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2017.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2016] [Revised: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Rutherford HJ, Byrne SP, Austin GM, Lee JD, Crowley MJ, Mayes LC. Anxiety and neural responses to infant and adult faces during pregnancy. Biol Psychol 2017; 125:115-120. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Revised: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Rutherford HJV, Maupin AN, Landi N, Potenza MN, Mayes LC. Parental reflective functioning and the neural correlates of processing infant affective cues. Soc Neurosci 2016; 12:519-529. [PMID: 27253222 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2016.1193559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Parental reflective functioning refers to the capacity for a parent to understand their own and their infant's mental states, and how these mental states relate to behavior. Higher levels of parental reflective functioning may be associated with greater sensitivity to infant emotional signals in fostering adaptive and responsive caregiving. We investigated this hypothesis by examining associations between parental reflective functioning and neural correlates of infant face and cry perception using event-related potentials (ERPs) in a sample of recent mothers. We found both early and late ERPs were associated with different components of reflective functioning. These findings suggest that parental reflective functioning may be associated with the neural correlates of infant cue perception and further support the value of enhancing reflective functioning as a mechanism in parenting intervention programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena J V Rutherford
- a Yale Child Study Center , Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven , CT , USA
| | - Angela N Maupin
- a Yale Child Study Center , Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven , CT , USA
| | - Nicole Landi
- a Yale Child Study Center , Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven , CT , USA.,b Haskins Laboratories , Yale University , New Haven , CT , USA.,c Department of Psychology , University of Connecticut , Storrs , CT , USA
| | - Marc N Potenza
- a Yale Child Study Center , Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven , CT , USA.,d Departments of Psychiatry and Neurobiology and CASAColumbia , Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven , CT , USA
| | - Linda C Mayes
- a Yale Child Study Center , Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven , CT , USA
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Rutherford HJ, Graber KM, Mayes LC. Depression symptomatology and the neural correlates of infant face and cry perception during pregnancy. Soc Neurosci 2015; 11:467-74. [DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2015.1108224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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40
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Luo L, Ma X, Zheng X, Zhao W, Xu L, Becker B, Kendrick KM. Neural systems and hormones mediating attraction to infant and child faces. Front Psychol 2015; 6:970. [PMID: 26236256 PMCID: PMC4505392 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 06/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
We find infant faces highly attractive as a result of specific features which Konrad Lorenz termed “Kindchenschema” or “baby schema,” and this is considered to be an important adaptive trait for promoting protective and caregiving behaviors in adults, thereby increasing the chances of infant survival. This review first examines the behavioral support for this effect and physical and behavioral factors which can influence it. It then provides details of the increasing number of neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies investigating the neural circuitry underlying this baby schema effect in parents and non-parents of both sexes. Next it considers potential hormonal contributions to the baby schema effect in both sexes and the neural effects associated with reduced responses to infant cues in post-partum depression, anxiety and drug taking. Overall the findings reviewed reveal a very extensive neural circuitry involved in our perception of cuteness in infant faces, with enhanced activation compared to adult faces being found in brain regions involved in face perception, attention, emotion, empathy, memory, reward and attachment, theory of mind and also control of motor responses. Both mothers and fathers also show evidence for enhanced responses in these same neural systems when viewing their own as opposed to another child. Furthermore, responses to infant cues in many of these neural systems are reduced in mothers with post-partum depression or anxiety or have taken addictive drugs throughout pregnancy. In general reproductively active women tend to rate infant faces as cuter than men, which may reflect both heightened attention to relevant cues and a stronger activation in their brain reward circuitry. Perception of infant cuteness may also be influenced by reproductive hormones with the hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin being most strongly associated to date with increased attention and attraction to infant cues in both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizhu Luo
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaole Ma
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Zheng
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, China
| | - Weihua Zhao
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, China
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