A Preliminary Study Investigating Maternal Neurocognitive Mechanisms Underlying a Child-Supportive Parenting Intervention

Abstract

Although interventions that promote child-supportive parenting for children have been shown to positively impact caregiving behaviors as well as child behavioral and neurobiological functioning, less is known about which aspects of maternal brain functioning are affected by such interventions. In the present study, we conducted a preliminary evaluation of the impact of the Filming Interactions to Nurture Development (FIND) video coaching program on mothers with at least one child age four or younger. We employed a waitlist control design with pre-post data. Compared to mothers in the control condition (n = 16), mothers who received FIND (n = 16) showed changes in neural measures of inhibitory control and behavioral measures of parenting self-evaluation during a series of functional neuroimaging tasks. Specifically, we found a group by time interaction in clusters in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and insula for the Correct Stop > Correct Go contrast of the stop signal task (SST), where FIND increased brain activity associated with inhibitory control compared to mothers in the control condition; and FIND increased mothers' endorsement of child-supportive parenting traits in the parenting self-evaluation task (PSET). Exploratory moderators, study limitations, and the implications of these findings for strength-based parenting programs are discussed.

Keywords: filming interactions to nurture development; inhibitory control; parenting self-evaluation; strength-based parenting programs; video coaching.

Figure 1

Group by time effects on behavior during the stop signal task (SST) and parenting self-evaluation task (PSET). The Filming Interactions to Nurture Development (FIND) group showed (A) a significant decrease in stop-signal response time (SSRT), F_(1,28) = 8.53, p = 0.007, not seen in the CTL group, p = 0.8, (B) a significant increase in endorsement of DS traits, F_(1,29) = 12.45, p = 0.001, not seen in the CTL group, p = 0.82, and (C) a significant decrease in endorsement of DU traits over time, F_(1,29) = 4.87, p = 0.035, which the CTL group also showed, F_(1,29) = 5.07, p = 0.032. Note: *p < 0.05. Error bars indicate 95% confidence interval.

Figure 2

Recruitment of regions implicated in inhibitory control during the SST (Correct Stop > Correct Go) at baseline across the entire sample (N = 37).

Figure 3

Group by time effects on brain activation during the SST revealed significant clusters in the left temporal pole extending into the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the left insula that were driven by increases in these regions in the FIND group and decreases in the CTL group over time (N = 32). This effect is decomposed by group and time on the left panel. Error bars indicate 95% confidence interval.

Figure 4

Recruitment of regions implicated in self-processing during the PSET (Self > Change) at baseline across the entire sample (N = 37).