Parent-Child Inter-Brain Coherence as a Potential New Biomarker for Relationship Quality, Attachment, and Caregiving

• In Event: Understanding Dyadic Biobehavioral Synchrony: Developmental Precursors and Functions

Abstract

Introduction. The last five years have seen an important transformation in the study of the neural basis of parent-child interaction. Initially mostly confined to single-person investigations with low ecological validity, a new generation of studies nowadays simultaneously acquires data from both interacting participants within increasingly naturalistic settings. This enables the novel measurement inter-brain coherence (IBC) – the temporal alignment of brain activation. IBC can subsequently be combined with other coherence measures on the behavioural, physiological, and endocrine level to derive bio-behavioural synchrony (BBS) more globally. It is understood that BBS is high in the case of mutual and intimate social interactions, and especially so for parent-child pairs. Conversely, BBS is thought to decrease when interactions become dissociated and interaction partners more socially distant.
Hypotheses. IBC and BBS during parent-child interaction increases for cooperation (versus independent problem-solving and rest) and varies as a function of interindividual differences in relationship quality, attachment, and caregiving.
Study Population. In a first project (D-CARE), N=66 father-child dyads (father age: M=39.2+/-5.17 years; child age: M=5.32+/-0.31 years; 31 girls) were assessed. In a follow-up project (M-CARE), N=80 mother-child dyads (mother age: M=36.9+/-4.18 years; child age: M=5.37+/-0.24 years; 43 girls) participated.
Methods. We used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning during collaborative versus independent problem solving (and rest) to derive a measure of IBC. We furthermore assessed the association between IBC and interindividual differences in parent-child relationship quality either on a behavioural level coded from video recordings, or by using narrative tools and self-report questionnaires. For the latter interindividual difference measures, we relied on constructs derived from attachment theory and related psychology frameworks.
Results. We found that, compared to individual problem-solving and rest, father-child dyads showed increased IBC in bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and left temporo-parietal junction during cooperative problem-solving – main effect of condition, ꭕ²(3)=22.34, p<.001; cooperation versus individual and rest, t=4.31-5.02, p<.001 (Figure 1AB). We furthermore observed that the father’s attitude toward his role as a parent (assessed with the Role of the Father Questionnaire) was positively related to IBC during the cooperation condition – significant main effect of the Role of the Father, ꭕ²(1)=4.57, p=.033; positive association during cooperation, estimate=0.007, SE=0.003, 95% CI=[0.002 0.013] (Figure 1C). We did not find any significant associations between IBC during cooperation and behavioural reciprocity, paternal sensitivity, and child agency coded from video recordings, nor parenting stress from a self-report questionnaire.
Due to COVID-19, M-CARE data acquisition has been delayed and was only recently completed. The same analyses as for D-CARE will be computed and a comparison between IBC during father- and mother-child dyadic problem solving will be derived. Furthermore, narrative attachment assessment was performed in most of D- and M-CARE dyads in the form of an Adult Attachment Interview in parents and a Story Completion Task in children. Additional analyses will be computed pertaining to the correspondence of parent and child attachment classifications as well as their associations with IBC during cooperation. These findings will, for the first time, reveal associations between narrative attachment measures and IBC & BBS during parent-child interaction.

Authors

• Pascal Vrtička, University of Essex
  Presenting Author

• Trinh Nguyen, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT)
  Non-Presenting Author

• Lars Otto White, Leipzig University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Melanie Kungl, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
  Non-Presenting Author

• Stefanie Hoehl, University of Vienna
  Non-Presenting Author