The neural developmental pathway among adolescents who experienced early caregiving adversity
Date
2024
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Adolescents who experienced early caregiving adversity are vulnerable to various negative consequences, including suboptimal brain development. The period of adolescence is critical for brain development, with brain development in this period marked by significant myelination. Preliminary work leveraging data from a randomized controlled trial of the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) intervention shows that improving parenting quality in infancy causally alters white matter development in middle childhood. The current follow-up study aims to test whether previously reported positive effects of ABC on white matter connectivity persist when the adolescents are 14 years old. The sample consisted of 101 participants whose parents were randomized to receive either the ABC intervention (N = 37) or an active control intervention (N = 32) in infancy due to Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement, as well as low-risk, no-CPS history comparison adolescents (N = 32). All participants completed diffusion MRI (dMRI) at ages 14. A whole brain connectometry analysis suggested that ABC adolescents had stronger white matter connectivity than the control intervention counterparts. The significant white matter pathways not only were consistent with prior work but also showed a new pattern of strengthened fasciculi. Results indicate that ABC participation in infancy continues to buffer against the neurodevelopmental risks associated with childhood maltreatment, after more than a decade, after completing the intervention. These findings highlight the effect of improving parenting quality during infancy on children’s neurobiological development, particularly in adolescence where myelination takes priority. ☐ Keywords: early caregiving adversity, white matter connectivity, longitudinal study
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Keywords
Early caregiving adversity, Longitudinal study, White matter connectivity, Brain development, Myelination