1-114 - Early life exposure to unpredictable maternal signals influences child development: A cross species approach.

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

This symposium assembles international experts to present and discuss the influence of maternal signals during fetal and early postnatal life on cognitive and emotional development and the potential implications for mental health. The application of a cross species approaches to these questions is implemented to allow for a better understanding of plausible biological mechanisms underlying the association between early experiences and subsequent development. The first presentation utilizes an experimental rodent model and demonstrates that exposure to unpredictable maternal signals during the neonatal period leads to reduction in sucrose preference and in peer-play, two measures of the ability to experience pleasure associated with depression risk. The second presentation evaluates the consequences of unpredictable maternal sensory signals in human infants on later child cognitive development. The third talk considers the effect of patterns of maternal stress during the prenatal period and maternal care during the postnatal period on child emotional development. Taken as a whole, these talks underscore the importance of looking longitudinally at patterns of maternal sensory signals and their influence on child development. These presentations will be discussed by an internationally recognized expert on the impact of early adversity on child neurodevelopment.

Sub Unit

• Biology and Neuroscience

Chair

• Elysia Poggi Davis, University of Denver

Discussant

• Charles A. Nelson, Harvard Medical School

Individual Presentations

• Fragmentation and unpredictability of neonatal experience predict adolescent emotional outcome - Jenny Molet, University of California Irvine; Kevin Heins, University of California Irvine; Hal Stern, University of California Irvine; Presenting Author: Tallie Z Zeev Baram, University of California-Irvine

• Does Predictability of Maternal Sensory Signals Influence Child Cognitive Development? - Presenting Author: Elysia Poggi Davis, University of Denver; Stephanie Stout, University of Denver; Brian Vegetabile, University of California Irvine; Curt A Sandman, University of California Irvine; Laura M Glynn, Chapman University

• Unpredictability of maternal perinatal stress symptoms and caretaking behavior associate with child’s emotional regulation - Presenting Author: Riika Korja, University of Turku, Finland; Saara Nolvi, University of Turku, Finland; Linnea Karlsson, University of Turku, Finland; Hetti Lahtela, University of Turku, Finland; Eija Sinerva, University of Turku, Finland; Hasse Karlsson, University of Turku, Finland