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Parental mental illness and child brain structure: A diffusion MRI study of emotion regulation related pathways

Timo Schweikert1, Klara Hagelweide2, Lena-Mareike Krüger1

  • 1Department of Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.

Neuroimage
|March 12, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Children at-risk for mental illness show altered white matter (WM) pathways, particularly those for emotion regulation. Parenting behaviors and stress are linked to WM microstructure, highlighting early environmental influences on brain development.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychiatry

Background:

  • Children of parents with mental illness (at-risk) have a higher risk of developing mental health issues.
  • The neurobiological basis for this increased risk is not well understood.
  • This study investigates white matter (WM) differences in at-risk children and their relationship with emotion regulation and environmental factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore white matter (WM) differences between children at-risk for mental illness and controls.
  • To examine the association between parenting behaviors, parenting stress, and WM microstructural properties.
  • To investigate the role of emotion regulation pathways in these associations.

Main Methods:

  • Diffusion-weighted imaging was used to assess WM properties in 64 children (28 at-risk, 36 controls).
  • Five emotion-related WM pathways were analyzed.
  • Multiple regression analyses examined group differences and associations with parenting factors, controlling for covariates.

Main Results:

  • At-risk children exhibited altered WM in the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF).
  • Dysfunctional parenting was associated with widespread WM alterations across multiple pathways, including the corpus callosum (CC) genu and bilateral dorsal cingulum.
  • Lower partnership support correlated with alterations in the CC genu; no association was found between WM and children's emotion regulation.

Conclusions:

  • Findings suggest altered WM pathways, especially those involved in emotion regulation, in children at-risk for mental illness.
  • Parenting behavior and stress are associated with WM microstructure, indicating the influence of early environmental factors on brain development.
  • Further longitudinal research is necessary to establish causality and long-term effects.
Abstract

Keywords:
At-riskCOPMIEmotionFiber pathwaysTransgenerational transmissionWhite matter

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