Quality of maternal behaviour during infancy predicts functional connectivity between default mode network and salience network 9 years later.
Fanny Dégeilh, Annie Bernier, Élizabel Leblanc, Véronique Daneault, Miriam H Beauchamp
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience November 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2018.06.003 (opens in new tab)
The journal has published a correction to this paper. Read the correction (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Longitudinal observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 28 |
| Population | Children assessed in infancy and again at age 10 years |
| Duration | Assessments at 13 and 15 months of age and at 10 years of age |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Keywords | Autonomy support Cortico-cortical networks Mind-mindedness Parenting Resting state |
| Key findings | Higher maternal mind-mindedness and autonomy support in infancy predicted stronger negative connectivity between default mode network and salience network regions at age 10. The authors propose this as preliminary evidence that normative variation in early maternal behaviour may have a long-lasting association with functional connectivity between large-scale brain networks. |
Abstract
Infants' experiences are considered to determine to a large degree the strength and effectiveness of neural connections and fine tune the development of brain networks. As one of the most pervasive and potent relational experiences of infancy, parent-child relationships appear to be prime candidates to account for experience-driven differences in children's brain development. Yet, studies linking parenting and functional connectivity are surprisingly scarce, and restricted to the connectivity of limbic structures. Accordingly, this longitudinal study explored whether normative variation in the quality of early maternal behaviour predicts the functional connectivity of large-scale brain networks in late childhood. Maternal mind-mindedness and autonomy support were assessed with 28 children when they were 13 and 15 months old respectively. When children were 10 years of age, children underwent a resting-state functional MRI exam. Functional connectivity was assessed between key regions of the default mode network (DMN), salience network (SN), and frontal-parietal central executive network (CEN). Results revealed that higher mind-mindedness and autonomy support predicted stronger negative connectivity between DMN and SN regions. These findings are the first to provide preliminary evidence suggestive of a long-lasting impact of variation within the normative range of early maternal behaviour on functional connectivity between large-scale brain networks.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A default mode of brain function Normal adult human brain | 2001 | Observational study | |
| Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reflects Structural Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational cohort | |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| The precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex plays a pivotal role in the default mode network: Evidence from a partial correlation network analysis Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Shared genetics and causal relationship between sociability and the brain’s default mode network Psychological Medicine May 22, 2025
- The Origins and Emergence of Self-Representation Annual Review of Developmental Psychology September 4, 2024
- Mediating role of the default mode network on parental acceptance/warmth and psychopathology in youth Brain Imaging and Behavior October 1, 2022
- Default Mode Network Maturation and Environmental Adversities During Childhood. Chronic Stress 2018