Causal effects of enhanced parenting on resting-state graph properties of high-risk adolescents
Date
2024
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
The present study investigates the sustained causal effects of the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) intervention on adolescent brain network properties, approximately 11 years post-intervention. Leveraging data from a longitudinal randomized controlled trial, the study elucidates causal relationships between early caregiving interventions and resting-state brain network organization during adolescence. Primary analyses revealed that adolescents who received the ABC intervention exhibited distinct global and local network properties compared to those in the active control group (DEF). Specifically, adolescents in the ABC group demonstrated lower current-flow global efficiency and more hierarchical network structures, indicating intervention-driven modulation of neurodevelopmental trajectories. Node-specific analyses further unveiled differences in clustering coefficients and communicability distances of specific brain regions, suggesting nuanced effects of early interventions on local connectivity patterns. Secondary analyses elucidated that some of these intervention effects on global network properties may be driven by parental positive regard during infancy, highlighting the underlying neural mechanisms influenced by early caregiving experiences. Despite acknowledged limitations such as sample size constraints, the study underscores the potential of the ABC intervention to shape the developmental trajectory of the connectome, offering insights into the neural pathways through which early enhanced care may get under the skin of at-risk adolescents. Overall, these findings contribute to our understanding of the long-term impact of ABC on brain development and provide implications for promoting healthy socioemotional outcomes in vulnerable populations.
Description
Keywords
Brain development, Intervention, Magnetic resonance imaging, Network properties, Parenting, Resting-state functional connectivity