The association of parental childhood maltreatment exposure on cortical development of 5-year-olds

Abstract

Background: Childhood maltreatment exposure (CME) can cause pathophysiological stress on the individual it affects. CME can be the neglection or abuse of the child, which can activate the biological stress response system and even cause mental trauma. It has been shown that maternal stress can affect the brain development of an infant. Less is known on the paternal side of stress effects on the development of the child’s brain. The aim of this study is to find association in both maternal and paternal CME and child brain development at 5 years of age. Methods: Participating families (n=166) were gathered from the FinnBrain longitudinal cohort study. Parental CME were evaluated with the Trauma and Distress Scale (TADS) at gestational week 14. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T1-weighted structural brain data was gathered at the 5-year age point from the children with a 3 Tesla MRI system. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was utilized to analyse the data. Results: The findings of the study were seen in multiple regions of the brain and varied in both positive and negative associations. Maternal CME was associated with smaller brain volumes in the right dorsal prefrontal cortex when studying both sexes of the children at the same time. Negative association could also be seen in the right fusiform gyrus, the right dorsal prefrontal cortex and the left anterolateral part of the dorsal prefrontal cortex in girls. Positive association was found in the left dorsal prefrontal cortex, the left precuneus, the right middle temporal gyrus, the left middle occipital gyrus and in both sides in the superior temporal gyrus in boys. Paternal CME was associated with larger clusters around the left posterior cerebellum, the left superior frontal gyrus and the right supramarginal gyrus in girls. In boys, positive association was seen in the left posterior thalamic radiation. Conclusion: This study provides evidence of association between parental CME and the brain development in five-year-old children. It shares similar results gathered from earlier maternal CME studies in showing both positive and negative associations in grey matter volume in brain areas responsible of emotional and behavioural regulation. Additionally, the study provides evidence supporting the association of the father’s CME and the brain’s structural properties of their offspring.