Towards understanding neurocognitive mechanisms of parenting: Maternal behaviors and structural brain network organization in late childhood

Abstract

A substantial body of knowledge suggests that exposure to adverse family environments – including violence and neglect – influences many aspects of brain development. Relatively less attention has been directed toward the influence of “normative” differences in parenting behaviors. Given the rapid brain reorganization during late childhood, parenting behaviors are particularly likely to impact the structure of the brain during this time. This study investigated associations between maternal parenting behaviors and the organization of structural brain networks in late childhood, as measured by structural covariance. One hundred and forty‐five typically developing 8‐year‐olds and their mothers completed questionnaire measures and two observed interaction tasks; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were obtained from the children. Measures of maternal negative, positive, and communicative behavior were derived from the interaction tasks. Structural covariance networks based on partial correlations between cortical thickness estimates were constructed and estimates of modularity were obtained using graph theoretical analysis. High levels of negative maternal behavior were associated with low modularity. Minimal support was found for an association between positive maternal behaviors and modularity and between maternal communicative behaviors and modularity. Our findings suggest that variation in negative maternal behavior is associated with the structural organization of brain networks in children.

Maternal warmth is associated with network segregation across late childhood: A longitudinal neuroimaging study

“…In the larger sample, at Time 1, higher levels of negative maternal behavior were associated with lower modularity. No support was found for an association between positive maternal behaviors and modularity and between maternal communicative behaviors and modularity ( Richmond et al, 2021 ).…”

“…In a cross-sectional study, our group demonstrated an association between higher levels of negative affective maternal behaviors and decreased local network efficiency and modularity in children ( Richmond et al, 2019 , 2021 ). Higher levels of positive affective maternal behaviors were associated with increased local network efficiency.…”

“…We hypothesized that non-optimal parenting behaviors, i.e., more negative and less positive behaviors, would be associated with lower local efficiency and lower modularity at age 10. We also expected, given (a) local efficiency and modularity, derived from SC networks, appear to be on a downward trajectory during late childhood ( Khundrakpam et al, 2013 ) and (b) non-optimal parenting behaviors in late childhood are associated with decreased local efficiency and modularity, that over time non-optimal parenting may accelerate changes in these network measures ( Richmond et al, 2019 , 2021 ). We also hypothesized that non-optimal parenting behaviors would be associated with larger changes in local efficiency and modularity from age 8 to 10 (reflecting accelerated brain development), although this was a tentative hypothesis given other work showing poor parenting practices to be associated with delayed brain development (e.g., Whittle et al, 2016 ).…”

Investigating default mode network connectivity disruption in children of mothers with depression

“…52 However, late childhood (before the onset of puberty) involves important brain reorganisation in terms of synaptic pruning, cortical thinning and white matter restructuring. [53][54][55] Brain functions and structural network organisation in late childhood have been linked with dimensions of the mother-child relationship, including reciprocity, 56 intrusiveness, controlling parenting 57 and maternal mind-mindedness, autonomy support 58 and cooperation. 59 Maternal depression in late childhood is associated with low mother-child reciprocity, which compromises key social abilities, such as empathy and engagement.…”

Mothers’ Attachment Representations and Children’s Brain Structure

“…For example, abundant research demonstrates that mothers’ representations relate to children’s attachment security (e.g., van IJzendoorn, 1995 ; Steele et al, 2014 ), and an emerging body of research indicates that children’s attachment security is related to individual differences in brain structure (see Long et al, 2020 , for a review; see Puhlmann et al, 2021 , for evidence in adolescence, see also Ilyka et al, 2021 ). Furthermore, in addition to the large body of research demonstrating that mothers’ attachment representations guide caregiving behavior (e.g., Huth-Bocks et al, 2014 ; Jones et al, 2015 ), some research demonstrates that normative variation in caregiving relates to individual differences in children’s cortical and subcortical brain structures ( Kok et al, 2015 ; Rifkin-Graboi et al, 2015 ; Farber et al, 2020 ; Ilyka et al, 2021 ; Richmond et al, 2021 ). Thus, although there is some indication of a possible indirect link between mothers’ attachment representations and children’s brain development, no research to date has examined the direct link or mechanisms through which this relation might occur.…”