Parent's unpredictable behavior may impair brain circuit formation

Researchers are conducting pioneering research upon the fact that unpredictable parental behaviors, together with unpredictable environment, such as lack of proper routines and frequent disasters, disrupt optimal emotional brain circuit development in children, increasing their vulnerability to mental illness and substance abuse.

The study is published in the Science Journal.

Now, Complex emotional and cognitive human behavior involves many decisions and actions and are also executed by brain circuits. They receive numerous streams of information which promote activity of the neurons in these circuits.. In early life, as these emotional circuits are developing, and parents are the proximate primary environment: They are the source of information that influences the child's brain maturation.

The study results showed that during the early postnatal period, maternal behaviors did influence synaptic connectivity. Research involving infants and children hence suggested that unpredictable patterns of maternal behaviors are associated with later deficits in emotional control and behaviors. These effects persist even after correction for other early-life variables such as maternal sensitivity to the infant's needs, socioeconomic status and maternal depressive symptoms.