Abstract
Background
Growing work points to the negative impact of early adverse experiences on the developing
brain. An outstanding question concerns the extent to which early intervention can
normalize trajectories of brain development in at-risk children. We tested this within
the context of a randomized clinical trial of an early parenting program, the Attachment
and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC), delivered to parents and infants monitored for maltreatment
by Child Protective Services.
Methods
Families participated in the randomized clinical trial when children were 2.5 years
of age or younger. Parenting and home adversity was measured at baseline. Children
were followed longitudinally, and resting brain activity was measured electrophysiologically
(n = 106) when children reached 8 years of age. Spectral power was quantified and compared
across children assigned to the experimental intervention (ABC), a control intervention,
and a low-risk comparison group (n = 76) recruited at the follow-up assessment.
Results
Higher early home adversity was associated with electrophysiological profiles indicative
of cortical delays/immaturity in middle childhood, based on relatively greater power
in lower frequency bands (theta, 4–6 Hz, and low alpha, 6–9 Hz) and lower power in
a higher frequency band (high alpha, 9–12 Hz). Children assigned to ABC showed relatively
greater high-frequency power (beta, 12–20 Hz) than children assigned to the control
intervention. Beta power in the ABC did not differ from that of the low-risk comparison
group.
Conclusions
Maltreatment risk and home adversity can affect indicators of middle childhood brain
maturation. Early parenting programs can support more normative patterns of neural
function during middle childhood.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 04, 2018
Accepted:
September 18,
2018
Received in revised form:
September 17,
2018
Received:
February 13,
2018
Identification
Copyright
© 2018 Society of Biological Psychiatry.
ScienceDirect
Access this article on ScienceDirectLinked Article
- Early Caregiving Intervention Holds Promise for Long-term Improvements in Neural Function Following AdversityBiological PsychiatryVol. 85Issue 4
- PreviewThere is substantial agreement that adverse experiences in early life have long-term consequences. In this issue of Biological Psychiatry, Bick et al. (1) link early adversity to neural function in later childhood using a prospective longitudinal study. Their findings indicate that greater exposure to adversity in the early home environment is linearly associated with patterns of relatively immature neurophysiology during middle childhood. Unfortunately, many intervention programs designed to address, remediate, or mitigate these risks are associated with substantial fade-out, suggesting that what may have been promising early returns from interventions are not prolonged in their impact.
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