Effects of an Attachment-Based Intervention on Child Protective Services--Referred Mothers' Event-Related Potentials to Children's Emotions

Abstract

This study examined the neurobiology of maternal sensitivity to children's emotions among mothers involved with Child Protective Services (CPS) and low-risk comparison mothers (M(age) = 31.6 years). CPS-referred mothers participated in the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) intervention or a control intervention. Mothers' event-related potentials (ERPs) were measured while they categorized images of children with crying, laughing, and neutral expressions. CPS-referred ABC mothers (n = 19) and low-risk comparison mothers (n = 30) showed a larger enhancement of ERP responses for emotional faces relative to neutral faces than CPS-referred control mothers (n = 21). Additionally, the magnitude of ERP responses to emotional faces was associated with observed maternal sensitivity. Findings add to the understanding of the neurobiology of deficits in parenting and suggest that these deficits are changeable through a parenting intervention.

Figure 1

Group differences in maternal sensitivity at pre-intervention (baseline) and post-intervention follow-up (concurrent with event-related potentials (ERP) assessment) for the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC; experimental intervention) group, Developmental Education for Families (DEF; control intervention) group, and Low-risk comparison group

Figure 2

Grand-averaged event-related potentials (ERP) of low-risk, Child Protective Services-referred (CPS-referred) ABC (Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up), and CPS-referred DEF (Developmental Education for Families) mothers while viewing crying, laughing, and neutral children’s faces in the emotional faces task. Left (P7) and right (P8) electrodes were selected for measuring the N170 in the time window from 140 –180 ms.

Figure 3

Grand-averaged event-related potentials (ERP) of low-risk, Child Protective Services-referred (CPS-referred) ABC (Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up), and CPS-referred DEF (Developmental Education for Families) mothers while viewing crying, laughing, and neutral children’s faces in the emotional faces task. The Pz electrode was selected for measuring the late positive potential (LPP) in the time window from 300 – 650 ms.