Neglectful maternal caregiving involves altered brain volume in empathy-related areas
Fecha
2020Autor
Rodrigo, María José
León, Inmaculada
García-Pentón, Lorna
Hernández-Cabrera, Juan Andrés
Quiñones, Ileana
Metadatos
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Rodrigo, M., León, I., García-Pentón, L., Hernández-Cabrera, J., & Quiñones, I. (2020). Neglectful maternal caregiving involves altered brain volume in empathy-related areas. Development and Psychopathology, 32(4), 1534-1543. doi:10.1017/S0954579419001469
Resumen
The maternal brain undergoes adaptations to sensitive caregiving that are critical for infant well-being.We investigated structural alterations
associated with neglectful caregiving and their effects on mother–child interactive behavior. High-resolution 3D volumetric images were
obtained on 25 neglectful (NM) and 23 non-neglectful control (CM) mothers. Using voxel-based morphometry, we compared differences
in gray and white matter (GM and WM, respectively) volume. Mothers completed an empathy scale and participated with their children in a
play task (Emotional Availability Scale, EA). Neglectful mothers showed smaller GM volume in the right insula, anterior/middle cingulate
(ACC/MCC), and right inferior frontal gyrus and less WM volume in bilateral frontal regions than did CM. A greater GM volume was
observed in the right fusiform and cerebellum in NM than in CM. Regression analyses showed a negative effect of greater fusiform GM
volume and a positive effect of greater right frontal WM volume on EA. Mediation analyses showed the role of emotional empathy in
the positive effect of the insula and right inferior frontal gyrus and in the negative effect of the cerebellum on EA. Neglectful mothering
involves alterations in emotional empathy-related areas and in frontal areas associated with poor mother–child interactive bonding,
indicating how critical these areas are for sensitive caregiving.