Poster #51 - Associations between Positive Parenting, Cortical Thickness, and Depressive Symptoms in Young, Typically Developing Children

• In Event: Poster Session 12

Abstract

Positive parenting is associated with beneficial outcomes in childrens’ socioemotional, behavioral, and cognitive development (Landry et al., 2008). For example, parental responsiveness has been shown to buffer against maladaptive outcomes in children with depressive symptoms (Korom et al., 2021). However, the literature exploring associations between parenting and cortical thickness (CT) in ‘normative’ samples is sparse. Findings that do exist are mixed and/or are largely limited to children older than eight years of age (Farber et al., 2020). Moreover, literature remains inconclusive on the relative clinical significance of these brain-behavior associations.

The present study examined links between positive parenting, depressive symptoms, and CT in young children. Based on previous literature we hypothesized that positive parenting would be associated with decreased depressive symptoms and increased CT.

Data were drawn from a larger study examining brain and behavior development in 4-to 8-year-old typically developing children. Parents completed the Childhood Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ). Children (n=69, Mage=6.35±1.09, 55.1% female) were scanned using a Siemens 3.0T scanner. A standard resolution (.9mm3) T1-weighted structural scan was acquired and processed in FreeSurfer v5.2. White/pial boundaries were inspected manually, edits were made when necessary (Botforf et al., 2018), and CT labels were derived from the Desikan-Killany atlas.

A priori regions of interest were chosen from the literature associating these regions with either depression or parenting (Kok, et al., 2018; Zhou et al., 2021) (e.g., see Figure 1). All analyses controlled for age and sex. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to construct a latent variable, positive parenting, composed of three dimensions: autonomy granting (α =.73), warmth (α =.71), and regulation (α = .76).

The measurement model of positive parenting was saturated. Standardized factor loadings were above .51 (p < .001). Positive parenting was related to bilateral precentral CT (β = .31, p= .01), RH pars triangularis CT (β = .32, p= .02), such that greater positive parenting was associated with thicker cortices. Positive parenting was related to CDI (β = -.37, p= .003), such that greater positive parenting was associated with lower depression scores.

The ROIs were not related to children’s CDI scores (p’s>.23).

Further analyses found warmth moderated the relationship between CDI scores and LH caudal anterior cingulate thickness (β = .36, p<.01) and RH caudal anterior cingulate (β = .31, p<.01). Autonomy granting moderated the relationship between CDI scores and RH pars triangularis (β = .28, p<.05). All moderations exhibited similar empirical patterns (e.g., see Figure 2).

Collectively, findings suggest positive parenting impacts child neuroanatomy and depressive symptoms. Limitations include using non-observational measures and structural, rather than functional, data; however, the current study adds to the growing literature focusing on the neuroanatomical and behavioral impact of positive parenting on young children and extends previous research to younger children. Future analyses will explore these associations using whole brain analysis and examine potential sex differences in CT, given literature suggesting that males and females may be differentially impacted by parenting (Chad-Friedman et al., 2020).

Authors

• Brooke Hannah Kohn, University of Maryland - College Park
  Presenting Author

• Adriane Davis, University of Maryland - College Park

• Zehua Cui, University of Maryland - College Park

• Mark Wehland, University of Maryland

• Tracy Riggins, University of Maryland - College Park