Abstract
Results illustrating an atypical neural processing in the early and late differentiation of infant faces have been obtained with neglectful mothers. The present study explores whether a different pattern of response is observed when using non-infant affective pictures. We examined the event-related evoked potentials and induced delta, theta and alpha activity in 14 neglectful mothers and 14 control mothers elicited while categorizing positive, negative and neutral pictures from the International Affective Picture System. Self-reports of anhedonia and empathy were also recorded. Early posterior negativity, P200 and late positive potential components were modulated by the emotional content of pictures in both groups. However, the LPP waveform had a more delayed and more attenuated maximum in neglectful mothers than in control mothers. Oscillatory responses indicated lower power increases for neglectful mothers than for control mothers in delta (1–4 Hz), theta (4–8 Hz) and lower alpha (8–10 Hz) bands at frontal sites, and a more consistent increase for neglectful mothers in theta and lower alpha bands at occipital sites, especially for negative pictures. These findings help us to better understand the limits of emotional insensitivity in neglectful mothers.
Highlights
The efficient processing of affective stimuli and the appropriate response to these stimuli are crucial for adequate parenting
The study by Rodrigo et al [4] compared the neural response to infant faces in neglectful and control mothers in an attempt to find some neurological bases of maternal insensitivity
Results showed that both groups exhibited greater P200 and late positive potential (LPP) amplitudes at centro-parietal leads in response to crying versus neutral facial expressions, suggesting that infant crying is selected by the brain for sustained processing [11,12]
Summary
The efficient processing of affective stimuli (e.g., infant faces) and the appropriate response to these stimuli are crucial for adequate parenting This sensitivity pattern to infant cues is not always a given in human mothers. The study by Rodrigo et al [4] compared the neural response to infant faces in neglectful and control mothers in an attempt to find some neurological bases of maternal insensitivity. Results showed that both groups exhibited greater P200 and late positive potential (LPP) amplitudes at centro-parietal leads in response to crying versus neutral facial expressions, suggesting that infant crying is selected by the brain for sustained processing [11,12]. Neglectful mothers displayed a lack of increased face-specific N170 amplitude at temporal leads in response to crying versus laughing and neutral expressions, as well as an overall attenuated brain response in LPP to all infant faces, indicating atypical neural patterns in both early and late processing of infant expressions
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