Poster #2 - Child Inhibitory Control in Toddlerhood: Associations with Child Interaction Quality and Preliminary Neural Structural Correlates

• In Event: Poster Session 10

Abstract

Objective: Early childhood inhibitory control (IC) and child interaction quality with the mother are significant predictors of later social-emotional development (Rueda et al., 2005; Mäntymaa et al., 2009). Strong IC skills have been shown to foster the development of social competence (Kochanska et al., 2000; Rhoades et., 2009), whereas poorer skills may predispose children to aggression or antisocial behavior later in life (Hsieh & Chen., 2017; Morgan & Lilenfeld., 2000). IC develops rapidly in early childhood (Rothbart & Bates, 2006) and is considered moderately stable from preschool-age onwards (Holmboe et al., 2018). Even though the significance of IC for later development has been widely reported, its role in early childhood interaction skills and its neural correlates in toddlerhood have not yet been studied. We explored the associations between child IC at 24 and 30 months and child interaction quality (responsiveness and involvement) with the mother at 30 months. We conducted a preliminary exploration of structural neural correlates of IC and child interaction quality in a subsample of children. Methods: We measured IC using the Snack Delay task (Kochanska et al., 2000) and child interaction quality (responsiveness and involvement) with the mother using the Emotional Availability Scales (EAS; Biringen, 2008) at 30 months in a sample of N=350 toddlers from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study (Karlsson et al., 2018). In a subsample, IC was measured also at 24 months (N=27) and structural MRI scans were acquired at 18-24 months (N=9). VBM analysis at the threshold of p <.05 and FDR-corrected at alpha <.05 was performed to detect grey matter clusters associated with IC. Results: Better IC was positively related to better child interaction quality both cross-sectionally at 30 months (B=.13, p=.007) and longitudinally between 24 and 30 months (B=.14, p=.044). For IC at 24 months, the analysis revealed a cluster with less grey matter in the right calcarine sulcus (p<.001) and for IC at 30 months, clusters with more grey matter in the left cerebellum (p=.007), right middle frontal gyrus (p=.018) and right superior occipital gyrus (p=.037) were identified. Implications: These results suggest that better IC in toddlerhood is associated with better child interaction quality with the mother. They also give preliminary support for associations between IC and more grey matter in areas involved in frontoparietal network and visual processing. Replication studies are needed.

Authors

• Pauliina Juntunen, University of Turku
  Presenting Author

• Riikka Korja, University of Turku

• Eeva Eskola, University of Turku

• Hetti Emilia Hakanen, University of Turku

• Eeva Holmberg

• Anniina Karonen, University of Turku

• Marika Otranen

• David J Bridgett, Northern Illinois University

• Elmo P Pulli, University of Turku

• Jetro J Tuulari, University of Turku

• Hasse Karlsson, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku

• Linnea Karlsson, University of Turku

• Saara Nolvi, University of Turku