1
|
Iyengar U, Hunt J. An Open Conversation About Postpartum Psychosis: An Interview with Jessie Hunt: Communications Lead, Advocate, and Expert by Experience. Yale J Biol Med 2024; 97:107-112. [PMID: 38559459 PMCID: PMC10964824 DOI: 10.59249/pwxz3821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Postpartum psychosis is a mental illness that is often misunderstood and stigmatized and can have a devastating impact on the women affected and their families, particularly when not identified and treated early on. The first-person perspective of experiencing a mental illness such as postpartum psychosis is remarkably powerful and can shed light on some of the hidden or misunderstood aspects of diagnosis, treatment, recovery, and getting support. With this in mind, we have prepared this interview from both an academic and lived experience perspective of postpartum psychosis, for clinicians, academics, mental health professionals, and members of the public.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Udita Iyengar
- Department of Psychosis Studies, King’s College London, London, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Iyengar U, Heller-Bhatt J. Hope amidst crisis: exploring perinatal mental health and family dynamics in out-of-home care through virtual assessments during the UK COVID-19 response. Front Glob Womens Health 2024; 5:1343944. [PMID: 38410822 PMCID: PMC10895019 DOI: 10.3389/fgwh.2024.1343944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Caring for a young child exposed to early trauma, along with caregiving stress and heightened by the impact of lockdowns as a result of the COVID-19 response, may compromise the development of the parent-child relationship. Understanding a foster carer's attachment history and considering relational dynamics through an attachment lens may shed light on areas they need support in, to enhance their parenting capacity for vulnerable children. The feasibility of collecting and coding observational data and attachment interviews of foster carers and their children, when conducted remotely during COVID-19, needs to be explored. This perspective piece considers the impact on infant and perinatal health in the context of COVID-19 with particular emphasis on relational dynamics and attachment assessments, using a case study of a foster carer and her child in an out-of-home-care placement. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for safeguarding the well-being of both caregivers and vulnerable children during this challenging time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Udita Iyengar
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica Heller-Bhatt
- Attachment Based Training, Denmark, WA, Australia
- The Harvest Clinic, Kin Kin, QLD, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Bérubé A, Pearson J, Blais C, Forget H. Stress and emotion recognition predict the relationship between a history of maltreatment and sensitive parenting behaviors: A moderated-moderation. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38173233 DOI: 10.1017/s095457942300158x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Our study proposes to examine how stress and emotion recognition interact with a history of maltreatment to influence sensitive parenting behaviors. A sample of 58 mothers and their children aged between 2 and 5 years old were recruited. Parents' history of maltreatment was measured using the Child Trauma Questionnaire. An emotion recognition task was performed. Mothers identified the dominant emotion in morphed facial emotion expressions in children. Mothers and children interacted for 15 minutes. Salivary cortisol levels of mothers were collected before and after the interaction. Maternal sensitive behaviors were coded during the interaction using the Coding Interactive Behavior scheme. Results indicate that the severity of childhood maltreatment is related to less sensitive behaviors for mothers with average to good abilities in emotion recognition and lower to average increases in cortisol levels following an interaction with their children. For mothers with higher cortisol levels, there is no association between a history of maltreatment and sensitive behaviors, indicating that higher stress reactivity could act as a protective factor. Our study highlights the complex interaction between individual characteristics and environmental factors when it comes to parenting. These results argue for targeted interventions that address personal trauma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annie Bérubé
- Université du Québec en Outaouais, Gatineau, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche universitaire pour les jeunes enfants et leur famille, Trois-Rivieres, QC, Canada
| | - Jessica Pearson
- Centre de recherche universitaire pour les jeunes enfants et leur famille, Trois-Rivieres, QC, Canada
- Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivieres, QC, Canada
| | | | - Hélène Forget
- Université du Québec en Outaouais, Gatineau, QC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hiraoka D, Makita K, Sakakibara N, Morioka S, Orisaka M, Yoshida Y, Tomoda A. Longitudinal changes in attention bias to infant crying in primiparous mothers. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1192275. [PMID: 37809040 PMCID: PMC10556249 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1192275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Infant stimuli attract caregiver attention and motivate parenting behavior. Studies have confirmed the existence of attentional bias toward infant face stimuli; however, relatively little is known about whether attentional bias exists for infant cry stimuli, which are as important as faces in child-rearing situations. Furthermore, scarce longitudinal evidence exists on how attentional bias toward infant crying changes through the postpartum period. Methods In the present study, we conducted an experiment to assess bias toward infant crying at two postpartum time points: at Time 1 (Mean = 75.24 days), 45 first-time mothers participated and at Time 2 (Mean = 274.33 days), 30 mothers participated. At both time points, the mothers participated in a Stroop task with infant crying and white noise as the stimuli. They were instructed to answer the color out loud as quickly and accurately as possible, while ignoring the sound. Four types of audio stimuli were used in this task (the cry of the mother's own infant, the cry of an unfamiliar infant, white noise matched to the cry of the mother's own infant, and white noise matched to the cry of an unfamiliar infant), one of which was presented randomly before each trial. Response time and the correct response rate for each condition were the dependent variables. Results For response time, the main effect of familiarity was significant, with longer response times when the participant's infant's cry was presented. In addition, response times were lower at Time 2 than at Time 1 in some conditions in which crying was presented. Discussion The results suggest that mothers may be less disturbed by infant crying as they gain more experience. Elucidating the characteristics of postpartum mothers' changes in cognitive performance related to infants' cries would be useful in fundamental and applied research to understand the process of parents' adaptation to parenting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daiki Hiraoka
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
- The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kai Makita
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Nobuko Sakakibara
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Shigemi Morioka
- Department of Pediatrics, Fukui Aiiku Hospital, Fukui, Japan
- Department of Pediatrics, Japanese Red Cross Kyoto Daini Hospital, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Makoto Orisaka
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Yoshio Yoshida
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Akemi Tomoda
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychological Medicine, University of Fukui Hospital, Matsuoka-Shimoaizuki, Fukui, Japan
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Osaka, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Swain JE, Ho SS. Brain circuits for maternal sensitivity and pain involving anterior cingulate cortex among mothers receiving buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder. J Neuroendocrinol 2023; 35:e13316. [PMID: 37491982 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Opioid-induced deficits in maternal behaviors are well-characterized in rodent models. Amid the current epidemic of opioid use disorder (OUD), prevalence among pregnant women has risen sharply. Yet, the roles of buprenorphine replacement treatment for OUD (BT/OUD) in the brain functions of postpartum mothers are unclear. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we have developed an evolutionarily conserved maternal behavior neurocircuit (MBN) model to study human maternal care versus defensive/aggressive behaviors critical to mother-child bonding. The anterior cingulate gyrus (ACC) is not only involved in the MBN for mother-child bonding and attachment, but also part of an opioid sensitive "pain-matrix". The literature suggests that prescription opioids produce physical and emotional "analgesic" effects by disrupting specific resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) of ACC to regions related to MBN. Thus, in this longitudinal study, we report findings of overlapping MBN and pain matrix circuits, for mothers with chronic exposure of BT/OUD. A total of 32 mothers were studied with 6 min rs-FC at 1 month (T1) and 4 months postpartum (T2), including seven on BT/OUD and 25 non-BT/OUD mothers as a comparison group. We analyzed rs-FC between the insula, putamen, and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (DACC) and rostral ACC (RACC), as the regions of interest that mediate opioid analgesia. BT/OUD mothers, as compared to non-BT/OUD mothers, showed less left insula-RACC rs-FC but greater right putamen-DACC rs-FC at T1, with these between-group differences diminished at T2. Some of these rs-FC results were correlated with the scores of postpartum parental bonding questionnaire. We found time-by-treatment interaction effects on DACC and RACC-dependent rs-FC, potentially identifying brain mechanisms for beneficial effects of BT, normalizing dysfunction of maternal brain and behavior over the first four months postpartum. This study complements recent studies to ascertain how BT/OUD affects maternal behaviors, mother-child bonding, and intersubjectivity and reveals potential MBN/pain-matrix targets for novel interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James E Swain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Renaissance School Of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Department of Psychology, Program in Public Health, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Program in Public Health, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - S Shaun Ho
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Renaissance School Of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ho SS, Nakamura Y, Swain JE. Path of intuitive compassion to transform conflicts into enduring peace and prosperity: Symmetry across domains of reiterated prisoner's dilemma, dyadic active inference, and Mahayana Buddhism. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1099800. [PMID: 36968746 PMCID: PMC10034324 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1099800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Conflicts are increasingly intensified among the members of the community, making it almost impossible to extend compassion—defined as a wish to relieve others from suffering—from one side to the other, especially when both sides believe that “life is a battle of us the good vs. them the evil.” Is compassion even relevant to conflicts? The answer depends on how a conflict is framed in one's perception. If a conflict is perceived in a frame of zero-sum competition, then compassion is meaningless in such a “tug-of-war” mindset. Conversely, if perceived in a non-zero-sum frame—as demonstrated in reiterated prisoner's dilemma (rPD) in which two players may interdependently render win–win, lose–lose, win–lose, or lose–win scenarios by their actions—then compassion can help achieve the most preferable outcomes for all in a “dyadic dance” mindset. In this article, we present a path of intuitive compassion by pointing to symmetry across three distinct domains of rPD, dyadic active inference, and Mahayana Buddhism. In each of these domains, conflicts serve as points of bifurcation on a bidirectional path, and compassion as a conflict-proof commitment to carrying out the best strategies—even if assessed for one's own sake only—that consistently produce optimal payoffs in rPD, minimal stress in dyadic active inference, and limitless joy of ultimate enlightenment in Mahayana Buddhism. Conversely, a lack of compassion is caused by invalid beliefs that obscure the nature of reality in these domains, causing conflicts to produce even more conflicts. These invalid beliefs are produced by mistakes of over-reduction, over-separation, and over-compression in the mind, and therefore, a person's mindset is overly compressed from a multidimensional frame to a one-dimensional frame. Taken together, intuitive compassion is not about how to balance one's self-serving goals with altruistic ones. Rather, it is a conflict-proof commitment to transforming conflicts into enduring peace and prosperity according to the ultimate nature of reality. The work presented here may serve as a preliminary science-informed introduction to a genre of time-tested compassion meditations, i.e., lojong mind training, for the world laden with conflicts, starting from the conflicts in close relationships to those in geopolitics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S. Shaun Ho
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: S. Shaun Ho
| | - Yoshio Nakamura
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Research Center, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - James E. Swain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ho SS, Nakamura Y, Gopang M, Swain JE. Intersubjectivity as an antidote to stress: Using dyadic active inference model of intersubjectivity to predict the efficacy of parenting interventions in reducing stress—through the lens of dependent origination in Buddhist Madhyamaka philosophy. Front Psychol 2022; 13:806755. [PMID: 35967689 PMCID: PMC9372294 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.806755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Intersubjectivity refers to one person’s awareness in relation to another person’s awareness. It is key to well-being and human development. From infancy to adulthood, human interactions ceaselessly contribute to the flourishing or impairment of intersubjectivity. In this work, we first describe intersubjectivity as a hallmark of quality dyadic processes. Then, using parent-child relationship as an example, we propose a dyadic active inference model to elucidate an inverse relation between stress and intersubjectivity. We postulate that impaired intersubjectivity is a manifestation of underlying problems of deficient relational benevolence, misattributing another person’s intentions (over-mentalizing), and neglecting the effects of one’s own actions on the other person (under-coupling). These problems can exacerbate stress due to excessive variational free energy in a person’s active inference engine when that person feels threatened and holds on to his/her invalid (mis)beliefs. In support of this dyadic model, we briefly describe relevant neuroimaging literature to elucidate brain networks underlying the effects of an intersubjectivity-oriented parenting intervention on parenting stress. Using the active inference dyadic model, we identified critical interventional strategies necessary to rectify these problems and hereby developed a coding system in reference to these strategies. In a theory-guided quantitative review, we used this coding system to code 35 clinical trials of parenting interventions published between 2016 and 2020, based on PubMed database, to predict their efficacy for reducing parenting stress. The results of this theory-guided analysis corroborated our hypothesis that parenting intervention can effectively reduce parenting stress if the intervention is designed to mitigate the problems of deficient relational benevolence, under-coupling, and over-mentalizing. We integrated our work with several dyadic concepts identified in the literature. Finally, inspired by Arya Nagarjuna’s Buddhist Madhyamaka Philosophy, we described abstract expressions of Dependent Origination as a relational worldview to reflect on the normality, impairment, and rehabilitation of intersubjectivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S. Shaun Ho
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: S. Shaun Ho,
| | - Yoshio Nakamura
- Pain Research Center, Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Meroona Gopang
- Program of Population Health and Clinical Outcomes Research, School of Public Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - James E. Swain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
- Program of Population Health and Clinical Outcomes Research, School of Public Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ho SS, Rosenthal RN, Fox H, Garry D, Gopang M, Rollins MJ, Soliman S, Swain JE. Compassion within conflict: Toward a computational theory of social groups informed by maternal brain physiology. Behav Brain Sci 2022; 45:e110. [PMID: 35796356 DOI: 10.1017/S0140525X21001436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Benevolent intersubjectivity developed in parent-infant interactions and compassion toward friend and foe alike are non-violent interventions to group behavior in conflict. Based on a dyadic active inference framework rooted in specific parental brain mechanisms, we suggest that interventions promoting compassion and intersubjectivity can reduce stress, and that compassionate mediation may resolve conflicts.
Collapse
|
9
|
Abstract
In 1970, Klaus and Kennell1 endorsed the idea of a sensitive period immediately after birth, associated with skin-to-skin contact, that was key to a human mother developing an affectional bond with her infant. Since that time, studies have investigated how the mother's affectional bond to her infant supports infant development as well as a variety of factors that impact the development of such a bond, including maternal engagement in fetal movements, experiences during the birth process, social support including that from the partner, and maternal mental health. This editorial aims to set the large, longitudinal study by Le Bas et al.2 in the context of past and current other work on the significance of parents' bonds to their infants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Judith A Crowell
- Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, New York.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Sobral M, Pacheco F, Perry B, Antunes J, Martins S, Guiomar R, Soares I, Sampaio A, Mesquita A, Ganho-Ávila A. Neurobiological Correlates of Fatherhood During the Postpartum Period: A Scoping Review. Front Psychol 2022; 13:745767. [PMID: 35185716 PMCID: PMC8850250 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.745767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
During the postpartum period, the paternal brain suffers extensive and complex neurobiological alterations, through the experience of father-infant interactions. Although the impact of such experience in the mother has been increasingly studied over the past years, less is known about the neurobiological correlates of fatherhood-that is, the alterations in the brain and other physiological systems associated with the experience of fatherhood. With the present study, we aimed to perform a scoping review of the available literature on the genetic, neuroendocrine, and brain correlates of fatherhood and identify the main gaps in the current knowledge. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science electronic databases were searched for eligible studies on paternal neuroplasticity during the postpartum period, over the past 15 years. Reference lists of relevant key studies and reviews were also hand-searched. The research team independently screened the identified studies based on the established inclusion criteria. Extracted data were analyzed using tables and descriptive synthesis. Among the 29 studies that met our inclusion criteria, the vast majority pertained to neuroendocrine correlates of fatherhood (n = 19), followed by brain activity or connectivity (n = 7), association studies of candidate genes (n = 2), and brain structure correlates (n = 1). Collectively, studies published during the past 15 years suggest the existence of significant endocrine (testosterone, oxytocin, prolactin, and cortisol levels) and neurofunctional alterations (changed activity in several brain networks related to empathy and approach motivation, emotional processing and mentalizing, emotion regulation, dorsal attention, and default mode networks) as a result of fatherhood, as well as preliminary evidence of genetic variability accounting for individual differences during the postpartum period in fathers. No studies were so far published evaluating epigenetic mechanisms associated with the paternal brain, something that was also the focus of the current review. We highlight the need for further research that examines neuroplasticity during the experience of fatherhood and that considers both the interplay between hormones and simultaneous assessment of the different biomarkers (e.g., associations between hormones and neural activity); data collection protocols and assessment times should also be refined.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Sobral
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Francisca Pacheco
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Beatriz Perry
- Psychology Research Centre (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Joana Antunes
- Psychology Research Centre (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Sara Martins
- Psychology Research Centre (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Raquel Guiomar
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Isabel Soares
- Psychology Research Centre (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Adriana Sampaio
- Psychology Research Centre (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Ana Mesquita
- Psychology Research Centre (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Ana Ganho-Ávila
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Swain JE, Ho SS. Reduced Child-Oriented Face Mirroring Brain Responses in Mothers With Opioid Use Disorder: An Exploratory Study. Front Psychol 2022; 12:770093. [PMID: 35185679 PMCID: PMC8854864 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.770093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
While the prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) among pregnant women has multiplied in the United States in the last decade, buprenorphine treatment (BT) for peripartum women with OUD has been administered to reduce risks of repeated cycles of craving and withdrawal. However, the maternal behavior and bonding in mothers with OUD may be altered as the underlying maternal behavior neurocircuit (MBN) is opioid sensitive. In the regulation of rodent maternal behaviors such as licking and grooming, a series of opioid-sensitive brain regions are functionally connected, including the ventral pallidum (VP). In humans, these brain regions, interact with the supplementary motor area (SMA) to regulate maternal behaviors and are functionally dysregulated by opioids. It is unclear how these brain regions respond to the emotions of their child for mothers receiving BT. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) pilot study in 22 mothers within the first postpartum year, including six mothers receiving BT and 16 non-OUD mothers as a comparison group (CG), we devised a child face mirroring task in fMRI settings to assess maternal responses to pictures of facial expressions of own child and an unknown child in an empathic mirroring condition (Join) and a non-mirroring observation condition (Observe). In each condition, faces of neutral, ambiguous, distressed, and joyful expressions of each child were repeatedly displayed in a random order. The response of SMA during empathic mirroring (Join) vs. non-mirroring (Observe) of own child was reduced among BT/OUD vs. CG. Within MBN, the left VP, critical for parental sensitivity, had a similar deficit. This study outlines potential mechanisms for investigating the risks of deficits in the neural responses to actual maternal sensitivity and parenting behavior in mothers with OUD, and potential targets for interventions that reduce stress and augment maternal behavior and child outcome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James E. Swain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
- Program in Public Health, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- *Correspondence: James E. Swain,
| | - S. Shaun Ho
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Barrett AMY, Mudiam KR, Fisher PA. The Value of Mechanistic Experiments to Target the Shared Neural Circuitry of Parenting and Addiction: The Potential for Video Feedback Interventions. Front Psychol 2021; 12:703948. [PMID: 34671289 PMCID: PMC8520908 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.703948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Certain neural processes that underlie addiction are also central to parenting, notably stress and reward. Parenting interventions that incorporate the unique context of caregivers with addiction have demonstrated some success: However, real-world implementation of evidence-based interventions can be difficult with this population. Video feedback interventions are an especially promising approach to reach parents who experience barriers to participation, particularly caregivers with addiction. A translational neuroscientific approach to elucidating the mechanisms of change in these interventions will aid the delivery and success of this method and advance theory surrounding parenting in the context of addiction. Along these lines, we provide an example of one video feedback intervention, Filming Interactions to Nurture Development, that will serve as such a mechanistic experiment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kavya R Mudiam
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
| | - Philip A Fisher
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Rutherford HJ, Kim S, Yip SW, Potenza MN, Mayes LC, Strathearn L. Parenting and addictions: Current insights from human neuroscience. Curr Addict Rep 2021; 8:380-388. [PMID: 36185758 PMCID: PMC9523670 DOI: 10.1007/s40429-021-00384-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Eslinger PJ, Anders S, Ballarini T, Boutros S, Krach S, Mayer AV, Moll J, Newton TL, Schroeter ML, de Oliveira-Souza R, Raber J, Sullivan GB, Swain JE, Lowe L, Zahn R. The neuroscience of social feelings: mechanisms of adaptive social functioning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 128:592-620. [PMID: 34089764 PMCID: PMC8388127 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Social feelings have conceptual and empirical connections with affect and emotion. In this review, we discuss how they relate to cognition, emotion, behavior and well-being. We examine the functional neuroanatomy and neurobiology of social feelings and their role in adaptive social functioning. Existing neuroscience literature is reviewed to identify concepts, methods and challenges that might be addressed by social feelings research. Specific topic areas highlight the influence and modulation of social feelings on interpersonal affiliation, parent-child attachments, moral sentiments, interpersonal stressors, and emotional communication. Brain regions involved in social feelings were confirmed by meta-analysis using the Neurosynth platform for large-scale, automated synthesis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Words that relate specifically to social feelings were identfied as potential research variables. Topical inquiries into social media behaviors, loneliness, trauma, and social sensitivity, especially with recent physical distancing for guarding public and personal health, underscored the increasing importance of social feelings for affective and second person neuroscience research with implications for brain development, physical and mental health, and lifelong adaptive functioning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Eslinger
- Departments of Neurology, Neural & Behavioral Sciences, Pediatrics, and Radiology, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA.
| | - Silke Anders
- Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Tommaso Ballarini
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sydney Boutros
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Sören Krach
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Translational Psychiatry Unit, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Annalina V Mayer
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Translational Psychiatry Unit, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Jorge Moll
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Tamara L Newton
- University of Louisville, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Matthias L Schroeter
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ricardo de Oliveira-Souza
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), BR Hospital Universitario, Universidade do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jacob Raber
- Departments of Behavioral Neuroscience, Neurology, and Radiation Medicine, Division of Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Gavin B Sullivan
- International Psychoanalytic University, Berlin, Germany, Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, UK
| | - James E Swain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Psychology and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | | | - Roland Zahn
- Centre for Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Wallin CM, Bowen SE, Brummelte S. Opioid use during pregnancy can impair maternal behavior and the Maternal Brain Network: A literature review. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2021; 86:106976. [PMID: 33812002 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2021.106976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a global epidemic also affecting women of reproductive age. A standard form of pharmacological treatment for OUD is Opioid Maintenance Therapy (OMT) and buprenorphine has emerged as the preferred treatment for pregnant women with OUD relative to methadone. However, the consequences of BUP exposure on the developing Maternal Brain Network and mother-infant dyad are not well understood. The maternal-infant bond is dependent on the Maternal Brain Network, which is responsible for the dynamic transition from a "nulliparous brain" to a "maternal brain". The Maternal Brain Network consists of regions implicated in maternal care (e.g., medial preoptic area, nucleus accumbens, ventral pallidum, ventral tegmentum area) and maternal defense (e.g., periaqueductal gray). The endogenous opioid system modulates many of the neurochemical changes in these areas during the transition to motherhood. Thus, it is not surprising that exogenous opioid exposure during pregnancy can be disruptive to the Maternal Brain Network. Though less drastic than misused opioids, OMTs may not be without risk of disrupting the neural and molecular structures of the Maternal Brain Network. This review describes the Maternal Brain Network as a framework for understanding how pharmacological differences in exogenous opioid exposure can disrupt the onset and maintenance of the maternal brain and summarizes opioid and OMT (in particular buprenorphine) use in the context of pregnancy and maternal behavior. This review also highlights future directions for evaluating exogenous opioid effects on the Maternal Brain Network in the hopes of raising awareness for the impact of the opioid crisis not only on exposed infants, but also on mothers and subsequent mother-infant bonds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chela M Wallin
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
| | - Scott E Bowen
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
| | - Susanne Brummelte
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Affiliation(s)
- James E Swain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Psychology, and Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychology and Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - S Shaun Ho
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Psychology, and Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Lotz AM, Verhees MWFT, Horstman LI, Riem MME, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Buisman RSM. Exploring the hormonal and neural correlates of paternal protective behavior to their infants. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:1358-1369. [PMID: 33146413 PMCID: PMC8451880 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Infant protection is an important but largely neglected aspect of parental care. Available theory and research suggest that endocrine levels and neural responses might be biological correlates of protective behavior. However, no research to date examined associations between these neurobiological and behavioral aspects. This study, preregistered on https://osf.io/2acxd, explored the psychobiology of paternal protection in 77 new fathers by combining neural responses to infant-threatening situations, self-reported protective behavior, behavioral observations in a newly developed experimental set-up (Auditory Startling Task), and measurements of testosterone and vasopressin. fMRI analyses validated the role of several brain networks in the processing of infant-threatening situations and indicated replicable findings with the infant-threat paradigm. We found little overlap between observed and reported protective behavior. Robust associations between endocrine levels, neural responses, and paternal protective behavior were absent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Lotz
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Martine W F T Verhees
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lisa I Horstman
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Madelon M E Riem
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Renate S M Buisman
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Women with opioid use disorder (OUD) face unique challenges the moment they enter treatment. This narrative review focused on recent literature regarding sex- and gender-based issues that could affect treatment outcomes in women with OUD. RECENT FINDINGS Women respond differently to opioids based on hormonal factors, are more likely to present to treatment with mental health conditions, especially depression, and are more likely to have experienced trauma via intimate partner violence compared with men. Women also face stigma when entering OUD treatment, particularly if they have children. Future research to improve OUD treatment outcomes in women should account for sex as a biological variable and gender as a social construct. Women have a fundamentally different experience than men during the course of OUD and upon treatment entry. Programs that address childcare/family support, mental health, and trauma are warranted for women with OUD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Huhn
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
| | - Kelly E Dunn
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Abraham E, Posner J, Wickramaratne PJ, Aw N, van Dijk MT, Cha J, Weissman MM, Talati A. Concordance in parent and offspring cortico-basal ganglia white matter connectivity varies by parental history of major depressive disorder and early parental care. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2020; 15:889-903. [PMID: 33031555 PMCID: PMC7543940 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Social behavior is transmitted cross-generationally through coordinated behavior within attachment bonds. Parental depression and poor parental care are major risks for disruptions of such coordination and are associated with offspring's psychopathology and interpersonal dysfunction. Given the key role of the cortico-basal ganglia (CBG) circuits in social communication, we examined similarities (concordance) of parent-offspring CBG white matter (WM) connections and how parental history of major depressive disorder (MDD) and early parental care moderate these similarities. We imaged 44 parent-offspring dyads and investigated WM connections between basal-ganglia seeds and selected regions in temporal cortex using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography. We found significant concordance in parent-offspring strength of CBG WM connections, moderated by parental lifetime-MDD and care. The results showed diminished neural concordance among dyads with a depressed parent and that better parental care predicted greater concordance, which also provided a protective buffer against attenuated concordance among dyads with a depressed parent. Our findings provide the first neurobiological evidence of concordance between parents-offspring in WM tracts and that concordance is diminished in families where parents have lifetime-MDD. This disruption may be a risk factor for intergenerational transmission of psychopathology. Findings emphasize the long-term role of early caregiving in shaping the neural concordance among at-risk and affected dyads.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eyal Abraham
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Divisions of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan Posner
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Child Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Priya J Wickramaratne
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Divisions of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Natalie Aw
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Child Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Milenna T van Dijk
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Divisions of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jiook Cha
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Child Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Myrna M Weissman
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Divisions of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Departments of Epidemiology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ardesheer Talati
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Divisions of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Safyer P, Volling BL, Wagley N, Hu X, Swain JE, Arredondo MM, Kovelman I. More than meets the eye: The neural development of emotion face processing during infancy. Infant Behav Dev 2020; 59:101430. [PMID: 32146254 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2020.101430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2019] [Revised: 02/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
This study explored the impact of infant temperament and maternal stress on the development of the infant medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) among sixteen 6-8-month-old infants. Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to measure activation of the infant mPFC in response to angry, happy, and sad faces. Infant temperament and dimensions of maternal stress were measured with the Infant Behavior Questionnaire and the Parenting Stress Index Respectively. Infants with high negative emotionality demonstrated increased mPFC activation in association with all emotion face conditions. Negative emotionality moderated the effect of total maternal stress on mPFC activation to angry and sad faces. Mother-infant dysfunctional interaction was related to increased mPFC activation associated with happy faces, supporting the "novelty hypothesis", in which the mPFC responds more strongly to unique experiences. Therefore, this study provides additional evidence that infant temperament and the quality of the mother-infant relationship influence the development of the mPFC and how infants process emotions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Xiaosu Hu
- University of Michigan, United States
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Storey AE, Alloway H, Walsh CJ. Dads: Progress in understanding the neuroendocrine basis of human fathering behavior. Horm Behav 2020; 119:104660. [PMID: 31883946 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
We outline the progress on the hormonal basis of human paternal behavior during the past twenty years. Advances in understanding the roles of testosterone, prolactin, oxytocin and vasopressin in fathering behavior are described, along with recent research on hormonal interactions, such as those between testosterone and cortisol, and testosterone and the peptide hormones. In addition, we briefly describe the recent leaps forward in elucidating the neurobiological and neuroendocrine basis of fatherhood, made possible by fMRI technology. Emerging from this literature is a developing and complicated story about fatherhood, highlighting the need to further understand the interplay between behavior, physiology, social context, and individual genetic variation. Given the changing roles of parents in many societies, the continued growth of this research area will provide a strong empirical knowledge base about paternal behavior on which to create policies promoting fathers' involvement in their infants' lives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne E Storey
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3X9, Canada.
| | - Hayley Alloway
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Graduate Program, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Carolyn J Walsh
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3X9, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Ho SS, Muzik M, Rosenblum KL, Morelen D, Nakamura Y, Swain JE. Potential Neural Mediators of Mom Power Parenting Intervention Effects on Maternal Intersubjectivity and Stress Resilience. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:568824. [PMID: 33363481 PMCID: PMC7752922 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.568824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress resilience in parenting depends on the parent's capacity to understand subjective experiences in self and child, namely intersubjectivity, which is intimately related to mimicking other's affective expressions (i. e., mirroring). Stress can worsen parenting by potentiating problems that can impair intersubjectivity, e.g., problems of "over-mentalizing" (misattribution of the child's behaviors) and "under-coupling" (inadequate child-oriented mirroring). Previously we have developed Mom Power (MP) parenting intervention to promote maternal intersubjectivity and reduce parenting stress. This study aimed to elucidate neural mechanisms underlying the effects of MP with a novel Child Face Mirroring Task (CFMT) in functional magnetic-resonance-imaging settings. In CFMT, the participants responded to own and other's child's facial pictures in three task conditions: (1) empathic mirroring (Join), (2) non-mirroring observing (Observe), and (3) voluntary responding (React). In each condition, each child's neutral, ambiguous, distressed, and joyful expressions were repeatedly displayed. We examined the CFMT-related neural responses in a sample of healthy mothers (n = 45) in Study 1, and MP effects on CFMT with a pre-intervention (T1) and post-intervention (T2) design in two groups, MP (n = 19) and Control (n = 17), in Study 2. We found that, from T1 to T2, MP (vs. Control) decreased parenting stress, decreased dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) during own-child-specific voluntary responding (React to Own vs. Other's Child), and increased activity in the frontoparietal cortices, midbrain, nucleus accumbens, and amygdala during own-child-specific empathic mirroring (Join vs. Observe of Own vs. Other's Child). We identified that MP effects on parenting stress were potentially mediated by T1-to-T2 changes in: (1) the left superior-temporal-gyrus differential responses in the contrast of Join vs. Observe of own (vs. other's) child, (2) the dmPFC-PAG (periaqueductal gray) differential functional connectivity in the same contrast, and (3) the left amygdala differential responses in the contrast of Join vs. Observe of own (vs. other's) child's joyful vs. distressed expressions. We discussed these results in support of the notion that MP reduces parenting stress via changing neural activities related to the problems of "over-mentalizing" and "under-coupling." Additionally, we discussed theoretical relationships between parenting stress and intersubjectivity in a novel dyadic active inference framework in a two-agent system to guide future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Shaun Ho
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Maria Muzik
- Departments of Psychiatry, Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Katherine L Rosenblum
- Departments of Psychiatry, Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Diana Morelen
- Department of Psychology, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, United States
| | - Yoshio Nakamura
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Research Center, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - James E Swain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Swain JE, Ho SS. Early postpartum resting-state functional connectivity for mothers receiving buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder: A pilot study. J Neuroendocrinol 2019; 31:e12770. [PMID: 31287922 PMCID: PMC7195812 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Between 1999 and 2014, the prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) among pregnant women quadrupled in the USA. The standard treatment for peripartum women with OUD is buprenorphine. However, the maternal behavior neurocircuit that regulates maternal behavior and mother-infant bonding has not been previously studied for human mothers receiving buprenorphine treatment for OUD (BT). Rodent research shows opioid effects on reciprocal inhibition between maternal care and defence maternal brain subsystems: the hypothalamus and periaqueductal gray, respectively. We conducted a longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) pilot study in humans to specifically examine resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) between the periaqueductal gray and hypothalamus, as well as to explore associations with maternal bonding for BT. We studied 32 mothers who completed fMRI scans at 1 month (T1) and 4 months postpartum (T2), including seven mothers receiving buprenorphine for OUD and 25 non-OUD mothers as a comparison group (CG). The participants underwent a 6-minute resting-state fMRI scan at each time point. We measured potential bonding impairments using the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire to explore how rs-FC with periaqueductal gray is associated with bonding impairments. Compared to CG, BT mothers differed in periaqueductal gray-dependent rs-FC with the hypothalamus, amygdala, insular cortex and other brain regions at T1, with many of these differences disappearing at T2, suggesting potential therapeutic effects of continuing buprenorphine treatment. In contrast, the "rejection and pathological anger" subscale of the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire at T1 and T2 was associated with the T1-to-T2 increases in periaqueductal gray-dependent rs-FC with the hypothalamus and amygdala. Preliminary evidence links maternal bonding problems for mothers with OUD early in the postpartum to connectivity between specific care and defence maternal brain circuits, which may be mitigated by buprenorphine treatment. This exploratory study supports a potential mechanism for investigating both the therapeutic benefits and risks of opioids for maternal care and bonding with infants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James E. Swain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health & Psychology, Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychology and Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - S. Shaun Ho
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health & Psychology, Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Swain JE, Ho SS, Fox H, Garry D, Brummelte S. Effects of opioids on the parental brain in health and disease. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 54:100766. [PMID: 31128130 PMCID: PMC8318357 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.100766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The epidemic of opioid use disorder (OUD) directly affects millions of women of child-bearing age. Unfortunately, parenting behaviors - among the most important processes for human survival - are vulnerable to the effects of OUD. The standard of care for pregnant women with OUD is opioid maintenance therapy (OMT), of which the primary objective is to mitigate addiction-related stress. The aim of this review is to synthesize current information specific to pregnancy and parenting that may be affected by OUD. We first summarize a model of the parental brain supported by animal research and human neuroimaging. We then review animal models of exogenous opioid effects on parental brain and behavior. We also present preliminary data for a unifying hypothesis that may link different effects of exogenous opioids on parenting across species and in the context of OMT. Finally, we discuss future directions that may inform research and clinical decision making for peripartum women with OUD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James E Swain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, and Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Center for Human Growth & Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
| | - S Shaun Ho
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, and Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Helen Fox
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, and Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - David Garry
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Susanne Brummelte
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Hiraoka D, Ooishi Y, Mugitani R, Nomura M. Differential Effects of Infant Vocalizations on Approach-Avoidance Postural Movements in Mothers. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1378. [PMID: 31244745 PMCID: PMC6581724 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Infant vocalization plays a pivotal role in communicating infant mood to parents and thereby motivating parenting responses. Although many psychological and neural responses to infant vocalization have been reported, few studies have examined maternal approach-avoidance behavior in response to infant vocalization. Thus, this research sought to determine how infant emotional vocalization affects maternal behavior. Twenty mothers participated in this behavioral study, all of whom had infants of 24 months old or less. In the experiment, they stood on a Balance Board that collected real-time data regarding center of pressure (COP), while listening to a series of infant vocalizations including cry, laugh, and babbling. They then listened to the same vocalizations for a second time and rated their felt emotions in response to each vocalization. The participants demonstrated significant postural movements of approaching in response to cry stimuli or to stimuli regarded as highly urgent. In contrast, they demonstrated postural movement of avoidance in response to laugh vocalization. These findings suggest that parenting behavior in response to infant emotional vocalization is regulated not by the pleasant-unpleasant axis but by the urgency of the stimulus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daiki Hiraoka
- Department of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuuki Ooishi
- NTT Communication Science Laboratories, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Ryoko Mugitani
- NTT Communication Science Laboratories, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Kanagawa, Japan.,The Faculty of Integrated Arts and Social Sciences, Japan Women's University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Michio Nomura
- Department of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Abstract
The experience of motherhood is most often emotionally positive and rewarding, but for many new mothers suffering from postpartum depression (PPD), this is not the case. Preclinical and clinical research has sought to uncover brain changes underlying PPD in order to gain a better understanding of how this disorder develops. This review focuses on the mesolimbic dopamine system, particularly the ventral tegmental area-nucleus accumbens pathway which has been implicated in the regulation of critical functions disrupted in PPD including mood, motivation, and mothering. Specifically, we discuss normative changes in the mesolimbic system during motherhood in both rodents and humans and how these are impacted in PPD. We also consider modulation of mesolimbic dopamine by the hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin and how oxytocin-dopamine interactions regulate mood and mothering during the postpartum period. In addition to providing an overview of reward mechanisms in PPD, our goal is to highlight open questions which warrant further research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Post
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Benedetta Leuner
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
van den Berg LJM, Tollenaar MS, Compier-de Block LHCG, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Elzinga BM. An intergenerational family study on the impact of experienced and perpetrated child maltreatment on neural face processing. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 103:266-275. [PMID: 30754001 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Altered processing of emotional faces due to childhood maltreatment has repeatedly been reported, and may be a key process underlying the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment. The current study is the first to examine the role of neural reactivity to emotional and neutral faces in the transmission of maltreatment, using a multi-generational family design including 171 participants of 51 families of two generations with a large age range (8-69 years). The impact of experienced and perpetrated maltreatment (abuse and neglect) on face processing was examined in association with activation in the amygdala, hippocampus, inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and insula in response to angry, fearful, happy and neutral faces. Results showed enhanced bilateral amygdala activation in response to fearful faces in older neglected individuals, whereas reduced amygdala activation was found in response to these faces in younger neglected individuals. Furthermore, while experienced abuse was associated with lower IFG activation in younger individuals, experience of neglect was associated with higher IFG activation in this age group, pointing to potentially differential effects of abuse and neglect and significant age effects. Perpetrated abusive and neglectful behavior were not related to neural activation in any of these regions. Hence, no indications for a role of neural reactivity to emotional faces in the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment were found.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa J M van den Berg
- Clinical Psychology Unit, Leiden University, PO Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Marieke S Tollenaar
- Clinical Psychology Unit, Leiden University, PO Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Bernet M Elzinga
- Clinical Psychology Unit, Leiden University, PO Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Iyengar U, Rajhans P, Fonagy P, Strathearn L, Kim S. Unresolved Trauma and Reorganization in Mothers: Attachment and Neuroscience Perspectives. Front Psychol 2019; 10:110. [PMID: 30761051 PMCID: PMC6363675 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The onset of motherhood is characterized by significant psychological and neurobiological changes. These changes equip the mother to care for her new child. Although rewarding, motherhood is also an inherently stressful period, more so for mothers with unresolved trauma. Past research has looked at how unresolved trauma can hamper a mother’s caregiving response toward her infant, which further affects the development of secure attachment in her own infant. The Dynamic Maturational Model of Attachment and Adaptation (DMM) has introduced a unique concept of “attachment reorganization” which can be described as a process whereby individuals with unresolved trauma are transitioning toward attachment security based on their enhanced understanding of past and present experiences. Preliminary results from one of our previous studies have shown that, among mothers with unresolved trauma, mothers who themselves demonstrated “reorganizing attachment” toward security, had infants with secure attachment, thereby indicating the potential to halt the intergenerational transmission of insecure attachment. While this concept is of great clinical relevance, further research is required to assess the benefits of attachment reorganization as a protective factor and its positive implications for child development. Thus, the aim of the current review is to expand on the concept of attachment reorganization in mothers with unresolved trauma from both attachment and neuroscience perspectives. To that effect, we will first review the literature on the transition to motherhood from attachment and neuroscience perspectives. Second, we will use attachment and neuroscience approaches to address deviations from normative experiences during motherhood with a specific focus on the role of a mother’s unresolved trauma. Lastly, we will expand on the concept of reorganization and the promise this concept holds in resolving or halting the intergenerational transmission of trauma from mothers to their children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Udita Iyengar
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Purva Rajhans
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Peter Fonagy
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, London, United Kingdom.,Research Department of Clinical, Educational, and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lane Strathearn
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States.,Center for Disabilities and Development, University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Sohye Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Center for Reproductive Psychiatry, Pavilion for Women, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Abstract
Parental care is critical for offspring survival in many species. In mammals, parental care is primarily provided through maternal care, due to obligate pregnancy and lactation constraints, although some species also show paternal and alloparental care. These behaviors are driven by specialized neural circuits that receive sensory, cortical, and hormonal input to generate a coordinated and timely change in behavior, and sustain that behavior through activation of reward pathways. Importantly, the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy and lactation also act to coordinate a broad range of physiological changes to support the mother and enable her to adapt to the demands of these states. This chapter will review the neural pathways that regulate maternal behavior, the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy and lactation, and how these two facets merge together to promote both young-directed maternal responses (including nursing and grooming) and young-related responses (including maternal aggression and other physiological adaptions to support the development of and caring for young). We conclude by examining how experimental animal work has translated into knowledge of human parenting, particularly in regards to maternal mental health issues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristina O Smiley
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Sharon R Ladyman
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Papillon Gustafson
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - David R Grattan
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Rosemary S E Brown
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
van den Berg LJM, Tollenaar MS, Pittner K, Compier-de Block LHCG, Buisman RSM, van IJzendoorn MH, Elzinga BM. Pass it on? The neural responses to rejection in the context of a family study on maltreatment. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2018; 13:616-627. [PMID: 29897537 PMCID: PMC6022637 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsy035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Rejection by parents is an important aspect of child maltreatment. Altered neural responses to social rejection have been observed in maltreated individuals. The current study is the first to examine the impact of experienced and perpetrated abuse and neglect on neural responses to social exclusion by strangers versus family using a multigenerational family design, including 144 participants. The role of neural reactivity to social exclusion in the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment was also examined. Exclusion by strangers was especially associated with increased activation in the left insula, while exclusion by a family member was mainly associated with increased activation in the ACC. Neural reactivity to social exclusion by strangers in the insula, ACC and dmPFC, was associated with experienced maltreatment but not with perpetrated maltreatment. In abusive parents, altered neural reactivity during exclusion was found in other brain areas, indicating different neural correlates of experienced and perpetrated maltreatment. Hence, no mechanisms could be identified that are involved in the transmission of maltreatment. Hypersensitivity to social rejection by strangers in neglected individuals underscores the importance to distinguish between effects of abuse and neglect and suggests that the impact of experiencing rejection and maltreatment by your own parents extends beyond the family context.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa J M van den Berg
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden University
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University Medical Center
| | - Marieke S Tollenaar
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden University
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University Medical Center
| | - Katharina Pittner
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University Medical Center
- Department of Child and Family Studies, Leiden University
| | | | | | | | - Bernet M Elzinga
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden University
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University Medical Center
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Swain JE, Ho SS. Parental response to baby cry involves brain circuits for negative emotion Distancing-Embracing. Behav Brain Sci 2017; 40:e375. [PMID: 29342801 DOI: 10.1017/S0140525X17001832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The "art form" of parent-infant bonding critically involves baby conveying negative emotions - literally compelling parents to respond and provide care. Current research on the brain basis of parenting is combining brain imaging with social, cognitive, and behavioral analyses to understand how parental brain circuits regulate thoughts and behavior in mental health, risk, and resilience. Understanding the parental brain may contribute to solving the long-standing paradox of self-sought hedonic exposure to negative emotions in art reception.
Collapse
|
33
|
|
34
|
Abstract
AbstractInsensitive parental thoughts and affect, similar to contempt, may be mapped onto a network of basic emotions moderated by attitudinal representations of social-relational value. Brain mechanisms that reflect emotional valence of baby signals among parents vary according to individual differences and show plasticity over time. Furthermore, mental health problems and treatments for parents may affect these brain systems toward or away from contempt, respectively.
Collapse
|