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Patterns of brain activation in foster children and nonmaltreated children during an inhibitory control task
Jacqueline Bruce1, Philip A Fisher, Alice M Graham
1Oregon Social Learning Center.
Insights
Children in foster care exposed to adversity show similar behavioral inhibitory control but distinct brain activation patterns compared to non-maltreated peers. Early adversity impacts the neural substrates of self-control.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
Background:
- Children in foster care often experience adverse events like neglect and multiple transitions.
- These adverse experiences are linked to negative impacts on inhibitory control and neural development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare behavioral performance and brain activation during an inhibitory control task in foster children and non-maltreated children.
- To investigate the neural correlates of inhibitory control following early life adversity.
Main Methods:
- Used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a go/no go task.
- Compared 11 maltreated foster children with 11 non-maltreated children (ages 9-12).
Main Results:
- No significant differences in behavioral performance on the inhibitory control task between groups.
- Non-maltreated children showed greater activation in regions like the right anterior cingulate cortex during correct no-go trials.
- Foster children exhibited stronger activation in the left inferior parietal lobule during incorrect no-go trials.
Conclusions:
- Early adversity in foster children is associated with altered neural activation patterns during inhibitory control.
- Findings suggest that early life adversity impacts the neural substrates underlying self-control in children.
Abstract:
Children in foster care have often encountered a range of adverse experiences, including neglectful and/or abusive care and multiple caregiver transitions. Prior research findings suggest that such experiences negatively affect inhibitory control and the underlying neural circuitry. In the current study, event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging was employed during a go/no go task that assesses inhibitory control to compare the behavioral performance and brain activation of foster children and nonmaltreated children. The sample included two groups of 9- to 12-year-old children: 11 maltreated foster children and 11 nonmaltreated children living with their biological parents. There were no significant group differences on behavioral performance on the task. In contrast, patterns of brain activation differed by group. The nonmaltreated children demonstrated stronger activation than did the foster children across several regions, including the right anterior cingulate cortex, the middle frontal gyrus, and the right lingual gyrus, during correct no go trials, whereas the foster children displayed stronger activation than the nonmaltreated children in the left inferior parietal lobule and the right superior occipital cortex, including the lingual gyrus and cuneus, during incorrect no go trials. These results provide preliminary evidence that the early adversity experienced by foster children impacts the neural substrates of inhibitory control.
