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Zhang W, He T, Zhou N, Duan L, Chi P, Lin X. Children's oppositional defiant disorder symptoms and neural synchrony in mother-child interactions: An fNIRS study. Neuroimage 2024; 297:120736. [PMID: 39009247 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Interpersonal neural synchrony (INS) between mothers and children responds to the temporal similarity of brain signals in joint behavior between dyadic partners and is considered an important neural indicator of the formation of adaptive social interaction bonds. Parent-child interactions are particularly important for the development and maintenance of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) in children, but the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms are unknown. Therefore, in the current study we measured INS between mothers and children in interactions by using simultaneous functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS), and explored its association with ODD symptoms in children. Seventy-two mother-child dyads were recruited to participate in the study, including 35 children with ODD and 37 healthy children to be used as a control. Each mother-child dyad was measured for neural activity in frontal, parietal, and temporal lobe regions while completing free-play as well as positive, and negative topic discussion tasks. We used Phase-locked value to calculate the synchrony strength and then used the K-means algorithm and k-space based alignment tests to confirm the specific patterns of parent-child synchrony in different brain areas. The results showed that, in free-play (right MFG and bilateral SFG), positive (left TPJ and bilateral SFGdor), and negative (bilateral SFGmed, right ANG, and left MFG) topic discussions, the mother-child pairs showed different patterns of INS. These specific INS patterns were significantly lower in the ODD group compared to the control group and were negatively associated with ODD symptoms in children. Network analyses showed that these INS patterns were connected to different nodes in the ODD symptom network. Our findings suggest that ODD mother-child dyads exhibit lower neural synchrony across a wide range of parent-child interactions. Neural synchrony in the context of interpersonal interactions provides new insights into understanding the neural mechanisms of ODD and can be used as an indicator of neural and socio-environmental factors in the network of psychological disorder symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenrui Zhang
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ting He
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Nan Zhou
- Faculty of Education, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Lian Duan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Peilian Chi
- Department of Psychology, University of Macau, Taipa 999078, Macau
| | - Xiuyun Lin
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
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Loredana C, Alice T, Lynne M, Peter C, Stefano C, Mauro B. Early parent-child intervention with Dialogic Book-Sharing: effects on child communicative and socio-emotional development and on parenting. Study protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial in Italy. Trials 2024; 25:395. [PMID: 38890664 PMCID: PMC11186156 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-024-08232-4] [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: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research in the neurosciences has highlighted the importance of intersubjective relationships in promoting neuromental development of the child. Children's learning in early childhood occurs mainly in a dyadic context of an interaction with their parents: from this perspective, good dialogic parent-child communication is required to be promoted also through good educational practices. Dialogic Book-Sharing (DBS), a dialogic form of parent-child communication through the use of wordless picture books, provides a privileged 'intersubjective' space and is highly effective in promoting communication, language, attention, behavioural development and the parent-child relationship. DBS programme, successfully previously trialled in South Africa and the UK, will be applied for the first time in Italy for research purposes in Italian health, educational and maternal-child centres. METHODS A multicentre randomised controlled trial is being conducted to evaluate DBS parenting intervention for children aged between 14 and 20 months. Parent-child dyads are randomly allocated to a book-sharing intervention group or to a wait-list control group. In the intervention, parents are trained in supportive book-sharing with their children by local staff of the centres. DBS intervention is carried out in small groups over a period of 4 weeks. Data are collected at baseline, post-intervention and at 6 months post-intervention with a questionnaire and video recording of parent-child interaction. DISCUSSION DBS programme in early childhood could enhance the educational resources offered by Italian health, educational and maternal-child centres, in support of child's development and parenting. DBS represents a strategic opportunity for bringing about positive effects, also in terms of prevention of socio-emotional and cognitive difficulties. As such it represents a promising response to the new social, health and educational needs of the post-COVID-19 pandemic era caused by the social isolation measures. Furthermore, the application of the DBS methodology is a way to promote the use of books, and thereby counteract the excessive use of technological devices already present in early childhood. TRIAL REGISTRATION The trial is registered on the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number database, registration number ISRCTN11755019 Registered on 2 November 2023. This is version 1 of the protocol for the trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cena Loredana
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Section of Neuroscience, Observatory of Perinatal Clinical Psychology, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, Brescia, 25123, Italy.
| | - Trainini Alice
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Section of Neuroscience, Observatory of Perinatal Clinical Psychology, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, Brescia, 25123, Italy
| | - Murray Lynne
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Cooper Peter
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Calza Stefano
- Unit of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Belluardo Mauro
- Unit of Neuroscience, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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The Mother-Baby Bond: Role of Past and Current Relationships. CHILDREN 2023; 10:children10030421. [PMID: 36979979 PMCID: PMC10046950 DOI: 10.3390/children10030421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
During the perinatal period, up to 25% of women experience difficulties in relating to their child. The mother-child bond promotes the transition to motherhood, protects the woman from depression, and protects the child from the intergenerational transmission of the disease. This study prospectively investigated if the relationship with the co-parent, the attachment style, and the bond that women had with their parents influenced the mother-fetus and then mother-child bond. We also explored the role of depression and anxiety. One hundred nineteen pregnant women were enrolled. We administered clinical interviews and psychometric tools. A telephone interview was conducted at 1, 3, and 6 months of follow-up. Maternal insecure attachment style (r = −0.253, p = 0.006) and women’s dyadic adjustment in the couple’s relationships (r = 0.182, p = 0.049) were correlated with lower maternal–fetal attachment. Insecure attachment styles and depression correlate with bottle-feeding rather than breastfeeding. The bond women had with their mothers, not their fathers, was associated with breastfeeding. Depression (OR = 0.243, p = 0.008) and anxiety (OR = 0.185, p = 0.004; OR = 0.304, p < 0.0001) were related to mother-infant bonding. Close relationships, past and present, affect the bond with the fetus and the child differently. Psychotherapy can provide reassuring and restorative intersubjective experiences.
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Horowitz-Kraus T, Gashri C. Multimodal Approach for Characterizing the Quality of Parent-Child Interaction: A Single Synchronization Source May Not Tell the Whole Story. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12020241. [PMID: 36829518 PMCID: PMC9952901 DOI: 10.3390/biology12020241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The interaction between the parent and child is essential for the child's cognitive and emotional development and sets the path for future well-being. These interactions, starting from birth, are necessary for providing the sensory stimulation the child needs in the critical time window of brain development. The characterization of parent-child interactions is traditionally performed by human decoding. This approach is considered the leading and most accurate way of characterizing the quality of these interactions. However, the development of computational tools and especially the concept of parent-child synchronization opened up an additional source of data characterizing these interactions in an objective, less human-labor manner. Such sources include brain-to-brain, voice/speech, eye contact, motor, and heart-rate synchronization. However, can a single source synchronization dataset accurately represent parent-child interaction? Will attending to the same stimulation, often resulting in a higher brain-to-brain synchronization, be considered an interactive condition? In this perspective, we will try to convey a new concept of the child-parent interaction synchronization (CHIPS) matrix, which includes the different sources of signals generated during an interaction. Such a model may assist in explaining the source of interaction alterations in the case of child/parent developmental/emotional or sensory deficits and may open up new ways of assessing interventions and changes in parent-child interactions along development. We will discuss this interaction during one of the parent-child joint activities providing opportunities for interaction, i.e., storytelling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus
- Educational Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion, Haifa 3200003, Israel
- Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion, Haifa 3200003, Israel
- Neuropsychology Department, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +972-522-989298
| | - Carmel Gashri
- Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion, Haifa 3200003, Israel
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Asymmetric Prefrontal Cortex Activation Associated with Mutual Gaze of Mothers and Children during Shared Play. Symmetry (Basel) 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/sym14050998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Mother–child shared play provides rich opportunities for mutual symmetrical interactions that serve to foster bond formation in dyads. Mutual gaze, a symmetrical behaviour that occurs during direct eye contact between two partners, conveys important cues of social engagement, affect and attention. However, it is not known whether the prefrontal cortical areas responsible for higher-order social cognition of mothers and children likewise exhibit neural symmetry; that is, similarity in direction of neural activation in mothers and children. This study used functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning on 22 pairs of mothers and their preschool-aged children as they engaged in a 10-min free-play session together. The play interaction was video recorded and instances of mutual gaze were coded for after the experiment. Multivariate linear regression analyses revealed that neural asymmetry occurred during mother–child mutual gaze, where mothers showed a deactivation of prefrontal activity whereas children showed an activation instead. Findings suggest that mothers and children may employ divergent prefrontal mechanisms when engaged in symmetrical behaviours such as mutual gaze. Future studies could ascertain whether the asymmetric nature of a parent–child relationship, or potential neurodevelopmental differences in social processing between adults and children, significantly contribute to this observation.
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Kurata S, Hiraoka D, Ahmad Adlan AS, Jayanath S, Hamzah N, Ahmad-Fauzi A, Fujisawa TX, Nishitani S, Tomoda A. Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Parenting Stress Across Asian Countries: A Cross-National Study. Front Psychol 2021; 12:782298. [PMID: 34992567 PMCID: PMC8724041 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.782298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: In a previous study, we demonstrated that the accumulation of parenting stress during prolonged school closures and restrictions on daily activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan indicates the need for mental health intervention for parents at higher risk of parenting stress. However, few studies have focused on parenting stress in other Asian countries, although they have experienced higher numbers of infections. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether parenting stress among caregivers increased across Asia due to school closures and restrictions on activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and to examine whether there were any country-specific, cross-country, or cross-regional risk factors for increased parenting stress. Methods: We conducted an online survey immediately after the number of new cases in India significantly increased (September-November 2020). We measured parenting stress, anxiety, and fear associated with the COVID-19 crisis, as evaluated by the Parenting Stress Index, Short-Form (PSI-SF), and the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), across three Asian countries-India (n = 142), Malaysia (n = 69), and Japan (n = 182)-in addition to the United States (n = 203). We also investigated whether respondents had adverse childhood experiences (ACE) as a risk factor for parenting stress. Results: For all countries, we found significant increases in participants' current parenting stress levels, compared to what they recalled regarding their lives before COVID-19-related restrictions and school closures were enacted. Textual analysis qualitatively identified common terms related to parenting stress across all countries. We also found a statistical model that indicated ACE in parents was a critical risk factor for higher parenting stress via increasing anxiety and fear related to the pandemic. Conclusion: These results indicate the need to improve the mental health of caregivers who are at risk for higher levels of parenting stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Asian countries as well as Western countries. These results indicate that there is a need to improve the mental health of caregivers who are at risk for higher levels of parenting stress during the COVID-19 pandemic globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sawa Kurata
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, 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
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychological Medicine, University of Fukui Hospital, Fukui, Japan
| | - Daiki Hiraoka
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Aida Syarinaz Ahmad Adlan
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | | - Norhamizan Hamzah
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Aishah Ahmad-Fauzi
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Takashi X. Fujisawa
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, 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
- Life Science Innovation Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Shota Nishitani
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, 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
- Life Science Innovation Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Akemi Tomoda
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, 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
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychological Medicine, University of Fukui Hospital, Fukui, Japan
- Life Science Innovation Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
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Schneider I, Neukel C, Bertsch K, Fuchs A, Möhler E, Zietlow AL, Brunner R, Wolf RC, Herpertz SC. Early life maltreatment affects intrinsic neural function in mothers. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 143:176-182. [PMID: 34500346 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Early life maltreatment (ELM) has an impact on brain functions involved in parenting and is associated with impaired maternal sensitivity. Here, we investigated the influence of ELM on intrinsic neural function and its associations with maternal sensitivity in mothers without a current episode of a mental disorder. Twenty-seven mothers with ELM and 29 mothers without ELM were examined using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, followed by Amplitude of Low Frequency Fluctuations, regional homogeneity and seed-based functional connectivity analyses. Videotaped interactions between mothers and their school-aged children were conducted to assess maternal sensitivity based on the Emotional Availability Scales. Regional and functional connectivity measures were used to investigate associations between intrinsic activity and emotional availability. Mothers with ELM showed reduced maternal sensitivity and lower intrinsic neural activity in the right superior frontal gyrus, the left precuneus, the left middle occipital gyrus, and the parietal cortex (left angular and right supramarginal gyrus) compared to mothers without ELM (p < .001, whole-brain). Amplitude of Low Frequency Fluctuations in the superior frontal gyrus was positively associated with maternal sensitivity across all participants (p = .002). The data suggest a behavioral and neural signature of ELM even in currently mentally healthy mothers. In particular, effects of ELM were found in distinct brain regions involved in social cognition and executive control. These ELM-related alterations may be associated with maternal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Schneider
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Voßstr. 4, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Corinne Neukel
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Voßstr. 4, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katja Bertsch
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Voßstr. 4, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Anna Fuchs
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eva Möhler
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Saarland University Medical Center, Germany
| | - Anna-Lena Zietlow
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Romuald Brunner
- Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Robert Christian Wolf
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Voßstr. 4, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sabine C Herpertz
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Voßstr. 4, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany
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