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Mother-child closeness and adolescent structural neural networks: a prospective longitudinal study of low-income

Sunghyun H Hong1,2, Felicia A Hardi1, Scott Tillem1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.

Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
|November 8, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Strong mother-child bonds are linked to better brain organization in adolescents. This connection supports more integrated and robust neural networks, crucial for positive youth development.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Adolescent Development

Background:

  • Mother-child closeness is vital for positive youth development.
  • Neural pathways linking closeness and brain organization remain understudied.
  • Research is needed to understand how this bond affects adolescent brain structure.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between mother-child closeness and brain structural connectivity in adolescents.
  • To examine how closeness, reported by both mothers and children, relates to network integration, robustness, and segregation.
  • To explore longitudinal effects of closeness on brain organization from age 9 to 15.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study with a sample of 181 adolescents (76% African American, 54% female) from low-income families.
  • Assessed mother-child closeness using reports from both mother and child at ages 9 and 15.
  • Analyzed structural connectivity using network metrics (global efficiency, transitivity, modularity) at age 15.

Main Results:

  • Greater mother-child closeness correlated with increased global efficiency and transitivity at age 15.
  • Closeness reported at age 15 by both mother and child predicted network metrics.
  • Closeness reported at age 9 did not predict these network metrics.
  • No significant association found between closeness and network modularity.

Conclusions:

  • Mother-child closeness is associated with enhanced structural white matter organization in the adolescent brain.
  • Adolescents with higher mother-child closeness exhibit more integrated and robust neural networks.
  • These findings highlight the neurobiological impact of close parent-child relationships on adolescent brain development.

Keywords:
adolescent brain developmentmaternal closenesspositive parentingstructural connectivity organizations

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