Developmental psychobiology最新文献

The present study sought to build on prior research by examining within-system (sympathetic nervous system [SNS] × SNS) and cross-system (SNS × parasympathetic nervous system [PNS]) interactions between measures of autonomic reactivity to social stress as predictors of anxiety. The physiological responses (respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA], skin conductance level [SCL], and pre-ejection period [PEP]) of 123 preadolescents (Mage = 12.03 years) were measured continuously during a lab protocol designed to simulate common peer evaluation experiences. Preadolescents completed measures of global anxiety and real-time, context-specific anxiety during the social-evaluative stress protocol. The within-system interaction between PEP reactivity (PEPR) and SCL reactivity (SCLR) was associated with context-specific anxiety, such that a significant positive association was observed between SCLR and context-specific anxiety at higher levels of PEPR but not lower levels of PEPR. In addition, the cross-system interaction between RSA reactivity (RSAR) and PEPR was a significant predictor of global anxiety, such that a significant negative association was observed between RSAR and global anxiety at higher levels of PEPR, but not lower levels of PEPR. An increase in SCL coupled with shortening of PEP may reflect SNS hyperreactivity to social-evaluative stress and contribute to concurrent anxiety, whereas blunted RSAR to social stress combined with a shortening of PEP may reflect a nonreciprocal cardiac response and contribute to global anxiety.

Developmental psychobiology and neuroscience hold the promise to improve children's lives but also the peril to entrench marginalization when insights are misapplied or stripped of context. Diversification tilts us towards promise, but as political forces threaten inclusive research practices and public trust in science, developmental researchers face a critical moment. This paper argues that science democratization—grounded in care, inclusivity, and shared authority—can make our science more rigorous, relevant, and resilient. We begin by reviewing how gender, ethnoracial, and cognitive diversity among researchers and participants has expanded the field's reach and sharpened its questions. We then turn to democratization as a relational stance centering care and agency, with the enhancement of our science as a consequence. To ground this approach, we describe an illustrative gender-inclusion event led by the Community Neuroscience Initiative (CNI), which brought together scientists and community members for dialogue, shared learning, and collaboration. Finally, we offer readings, practical recommendations, and open questions for readers interested in applying these ideas to their own work. Written collaboratively with input from all stakeholders involved, this manuscript offers a timely vision for a more ethical, inclusive, and impactful developmental psychobiology and neuroscience.

Emerging evidence suggests that the maternal brain undergoes significant change during pregnancy, which may serve to prepare the individual for caregiving, including increased maternal responsiveness. It has been proposed that fetal movement may play a role in shaping maternal neurodevelopment during pregnancy, including increasing responsiveness to infant cues. In the current study, we examined links between fetal movement and neural responses to infant cues in 22 primiparous pregnant women. We recorded fetal movement via Doppler-based actocardiography, assessing the total number and duration of fetal movements. We also recorded high-density-array EEG while women viewed distress and neutral infant faces and examined the P300 (attentional processing) and N170 (perceptual processing) ERP amplitudes elicited by those faces. For the P300, we found that higher fetal movement counts and longer durations of fetal movement were associated with greater P300 responses to distress, but not neutral, infant faces. Our findings were comparable when adjusting for gestational weeks, time between lab visits, psychological risk, and fetal sex. For the N170, there were no associations between fetal movement and N170 amplitudes. Our results provide the first evidence that fetal movement activity may contribute to maternal neurodevelopment; specifically, women with more active fetuses evidence heightened neural responding to infant distress consistent with greater allocation of attention to these salient infant cues.

Prenatal supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been reported to improve cognitive outcomes in infancy and early childhood in some studies. Existent studies have examined the effects of some dose of DHA against a true placebo; this report is the first to describe the effects of different doses of prenatal DHA on infant visual attention at 4 and 6 months of age. In a follow-up to a Phase III registered clinical trial (NCT02709239) designed to evaluate the effects of two prenatal doses of DHA supplementation (200 or 800 mg daily) on maternal physiology and fetal neurodevelopment, we assessed 215 infants delivered to these mothers at 4 and 6 months on a visual habituation task augmented with heart rate (HR) to assess visual stimulus processing, and a gap–overlap task to assess engagement and disengagement of attention. Infants of mothers supplemented with 800 mg/day of DHA had shorter look durations (indicative of more rapid visual learning) during habituation at both ages and a somewhat more mature pattern of HR-defined phases of attention. However, DHA dose did not affect infant HR, nor did it affect infant performance in the gap–overlap attention task. Results are consistent with positive effects of prenatal DHA supplementation on later outcomes, with higher benefit seen for a higher dose.

Mounting evidence suggests that maternal stress is associated with infants’ brain activity, but the role of maternal stress during pregnancy is not yet understood. The present preregistered investigation examines associations between prenatal maternal stress (physiological and perceived) and infant brain activity at 1 month of age. A sample of diverse mother–infant dyads (N = 160) participated (55% female; 39% White). Maternal physiological stress was not associated with infant EEG power. In contrast, higher maternal perceived stress was associated with decreased absolute theta power (β = −0.035, p = 0.042). Higher maternal perceived stress was also associated with decreased absolute (β = −0.016, p = 0.038) and relative (β = −0.047, p = 0.039) alpha power. These findings suggest that maternal perceived stress during pregnancy is associated with infant brain activity shortly after birth.

Objective: This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of Family Nurture Intervention (FNI) in the NICU on enhancing early brain activity of preterm infants. This unit-wide implementation of FNI is referred to as Family Nurture Care (FNC). Methods: This was a single-center prospective phased effectiveness study conducted in two sequential phases in the NICU (NCT03267043). In Phase I, all mother–infant dyads received the baseline standard care (SC), and in Phase II, all mother–infant dyads received SC supplemented with FNC starting at NICU admission. Preterm infants (25–34 weeks gestational age) and their mothers were eligible for participation. Preterm infants (25–34 weeks gestational age) were sequentially assigned to receive standard care (SC, Phase I) or FNC (Phase II) during their NICU stay. The primary outcome was EEG power assessed at two ages, ∼35 weeks (SC, n = 34; FNC, n = 28) and near to term (SC, n = 28; FNC, n = 27). FNC consisted of repeated calming sessions (∼3 times/week) facilitated by nurture specialists during which mothers engaged in emotional expression during clothed or skin-to-skin holding, vocal soothing, and eye contact. EEGs were collected from 128 leads. EEG power was computed using fast Fourier transforms. Results: Infants receiving FNC were found to have significantly higher brain activity (EEG power) at 35 weeks in the left frontal polar region. The effects at lower frequencies 4–15 Hz ranged from 26% to 44% with effect sizes exceeding 0.60. Conclusions: FNI is practicable as standard of care in the NICU and leads to enhanced brain activity early in life. Significance: FNC is designed to facilitate the emotional connection and coregulation between mothers and infants in the NICU, resulting in profound effects on early brain development.

Prevalence rates for substance exposure during pregnancy are increasing, with cannabis emerging as one of the most common substances used. Infants with prenatal cannabis exposure face a greater risk of neurobehavioral vulnerabilities. The current study sought to examine the association between prenatal cannabis exposure and newborn neurobehavior, while also considering potential moderators (i.e., tobacco exposure and household income). The study included 115 pregnant individuals and their newborns enrolled in the Atlanta African American Maternal-Child cohort. Researchers quantitatively measured biomarkers of cannabis (COOH-THC) and tobacco smoke (COT) in urine samples collected at enrollment. Self-reported substance use was also collected during the first trimester of pregnancy. Newborn neurobehavior was assessed at 1 month of age (M = 25.3 days’ old, SD = 14.41) using the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale. There were no significant main effects of self-reported prenatal cannabis use or prenatal COOH-THC concentrations on newborn neurobehavior. Additionally, tobacco exposure did not moderate these associations. Significant interactions were found between household income and prenatal COOH-THC levels in predicting newborn attention and arousal. Specifically, cannabis-exposed newborns exhibited attenuated attention and heightened arousal if they were from low-income households. Our findings highlight the potential role that socioeconomic factors may play in influencing behavior associated with prenatal exposures.