Mother-infant interactions and regional brain volumes in infancy: an MRI study

Vaheshta Sethna; Ines Pote; Siying Wang; Maria Gudbrandsen; Anna Blasi; Caroline McCusker; Eileen Daly; Emily Perry; Kerrie P. H. Adams; Maria Kuklisova-Murgasova; Paula Busuulwa; Sarah Lloyd-Fox; Lynne Murray; Mark H. Johnson; Steven C. R. Williams; Declan G. M. Murphy; Michael C. Craig; Grainne M. McAlonan

doi:10.1007/s00429-016-1347-1

Mother-infant interactions and regional brain volumes in infancy: an MRI study

Vaheshta Sethna, Ines Pote, Siying Wang, Maria Gudbrandsen, Anna Blasi, Caroline McCusker, Eileen Daly, Emily Perry, Kerrie P. H. Adams, Maria Kuklisova-Murgasova, Paula Busuulwa, Sarah Lloyd-Fox, Lynne Murray, Mark H. Johnson, Steven C. R. Williams, Declan G. M. Murphy, Michael C. Craig, Grainne M. McAlonan

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Abstract

It is generally agreed that the human brain is responsive to environmental influences, and that the male brain may be particularly sensitive to early adversity. However, this is largely based on retrospective studies of older children and adolescents exposed to extreme environments in childhood. Less is understood about how normative variations in parent–child interactions are associated with the development of the infant brain in typical settings. To address this, we used magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the relationship between observational measures of mother–infant interactions and regional brain volumes in a community sample of 3- to 6-month-old infants (N = 39). In addition, we examined whether this relationship differed in male and female infants. We found that lower maternal sensitivity was correlated with smaller subcortical grey matter volumes in the whole sample, and that this was similar in both sexes. However, male infants who showed greater levels of positive communication and engagement during early interactions had smaller cerebellar volumes. These preliminary findings suggest that variations in mother–infant interaction dimensions are associated with differences in infant brain development. Although the study is cross-sectional and causation cannot be inferred, the findings reveal a dynamic interaction between brain and environment that may be important when considering interventions to optimize infant outcomes.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2379-2388
Journal	Brain structure & function
Volume	222
Issue number	5
Early online date	3 Dec 2016
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-016-1347-1
Publication status	Published - Jul 2017

Keywords

Mother-infant interaction
Infant brain structure
MRI
Infancy
Sex differences
Maternal sensitivity
Infant cerebellum

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Sethna, V., Pote, I., Wang, S., Gudbrandsen, M., Blasi, A., McCusker, C., Daly, E., Perry, E., Adams, K. P. H., Kuklisova-Murgasova, M., Busuulwa, P., Lloyd-Fox, S., Murray, L., Johnson, M. H., Williams, S. C. R., Murphy, D. G. M., Craig, M. C., & McAlonan, G. M. (2017). Mother-infant interactions and regional brain volumes in infancy: an MRI study. Brain structure & function, 222(5), 2379-2388. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-016-1347-1

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abstract = "It is generally agreed that the human brain is responsive to environmental influences, and that the male brain may be particularly sensitive to early adversity. However, this is largely based on retrospective studies of older children and adolescents exposed to extreme environments in childhood. Less is understood about how normative variations in parent–child interactions are associated with the development of the infant brain in typical settings. To address this, we used magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the relationship between observational measures of mother–infant interactions and regional brain volumes in a community sample of 3- to 6-month-old infants (N = 39). In addition, we examined whether this relationship differed in male and female infants. We found that lower maternal sensitivity was correlated with smaller subcortical grey matter volumes in the whole sample, and that this was similar in both sexes. However, male infants who showed greater levels of positive communication and engagement during early interactions had smaller cerebellar volumes. These preliminary findings suggest that variations in mother–infant interaction dimensions are associated with differences in infant brain development. Although the study is cross-sectional and causation cannot be inferred, the findings reveal a dynamic interaction between brain and environment that may be important when considering interventions to optimize infant outcomes.",

keywords = "Mother-infant interaction, Infant brain structure, MRI, Infancy, Sex differences, Maternal sensitivity, Infant cerebellum",

author = "Vaheshta Sethna and Ines Pote and Siying Wang and Maria Gudbrandsen and Anna Blasi and Caroline McCusker and Eileen Daly and Emily Perry and Adams, {Kerrie P. H.} and Maria Kuklisova-Murgasova and Paula Busuulwa and Sarah Lloyd-Fox and Lynne Murray and Johnson, {Mark H.} and Williams, {Steven C. R.} and Murphy, {Declan G. M.} and Craig, {Michael C.} and McAlonan, {Grainne M.}",

year = "2017",

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doi = "10.1007/s00429-016-1347-1",

language = "English",

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Sethna, V , Pote, I, Wang, S, Gudbrandsen, M , Blasi, A, McCusker, C, Daly, E , Perry, E, Adams, KPH, Kuklisova-Murgasova, M, Busuulwa, P, Lloyd-Fox, S, Murray, L, Johnson, MH, Williams, SCR , Murphy, DGM , Craig, MC & McAlonan, GM 2017, 'Mother-infant interactions and regional brain volumes in infancy: an MRI study', Brain structure & function, vol. 222, no. 5, pp. 2379-2388. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-016-1347-1

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T1 - Mother-infant interactions and regional brain volumes in infancy

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AU - Sethna, Vaheshta

AU - Pote, Ines

AU - Wang, Siying

AU - Gudbrandsen, Maria

AU - Blasi, Anna

AU - McCusker, Caroline

AU - Daly, Eileen

AU - Perry, Emily

AU - Adams, Kerrie P. H.

AU - Kuklisova-Murgasova, Maria

AU - Busuulwa, Paula

AU - Lloyd-Fox, Sarah

AU - Murray, Lynne

AU - Johnson, Mark H.

AU - Williams, Steven C. R.

AU - Murphy, Declan G. M.

AU - Craig, Michael C.

AU - McAlonan, Grainne M.

PY - 2017/7

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N2 - It is generally agreed that the human brain is responsive to environmental influences, and that the male brain may be particularly sensitive to early adversity. However, this is largely based on retrospective studies of older children and adolescents exposed to extreme environments in childhood. Less is understood about how normative variations in parent–child interactions are associated with the development of the infant brain in typical settings. To address this, we used magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the relationship between observational measures of mother–infant interactions and regional brain volumes in a community sample of 3- to 6-month-old infants (N = 39). In addition, we examined whether this relationship differed in male and female infants. We found that lower maternal sensitivity was correlated with smaller subcortical grey matter volumes in the whole sample, and that this was similar in both sexes. However, male infants who showed greater levels of positive communication and engagement during early interactions had smaller cerebellar volumes. These preliminary findings suggest that variations in mother–infant interaction dimensions are associated with differences in infant brain development. Although the study is cross-sectional and causation cannot be inferred, the findings reveal a dynamic interaction between brain and environment that may be important when considering interventions to optimize infant outcomes.

AB - It is generally agreed that the human brain is responsive to environmental influences, and that the male brain may be particularly sensitive to early adversity. However, this is largely based on retrospective studies of older children and adolescents exposed to extreme environments in childhood. Less is understood about how normative variations in parent–child interactions are associated with the development of the infant brain in typical settings. To address this, we used magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the relationship between observational measures of mother–infant interactions and regional brain volumes in a community sample of 3- to 6-month-old infants (N = 39). In addition, we examined whether this relationship differed in male and female infants. We found that lower maternal sensitivity was correlated with smaller subcortical grey matter volumes in the whole sample, and that this was similar in both sexes. However, male infants who showed greater levels of positive communication and engagement during early interactions had smaller cerebellar volumes. These preliminary findings suggest that variations in mother–infant interaction dimensions are associated with differences in infant brain development. Although the study is cross-sectional and causation cannot be inferred, the findings reveal a dynamic interaction between brain and environment that may be important when considering interventions to optimize infant outcomes.

KW - Mother-infant interaction

KW - Infant brain structure

KW - MRI

KW - Infancy

KW - Sex differences

KW - Maternal sensitivity

KW - Infant cerebellum

U2 - 10.1007/s00429-016-1347-1

DO - 10.1007/s00429-016-1347-1

M3 - Article

SN - 1863-2653

VL - 222

SP - 2379

EP - 2388

JO - Brain structure & function

JF - Brain structure & function

IS - 5

ER -

Mother-infant interactions and regional brain volumes in infancy: an MRI study

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Keywords

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