Biology subjects

Bornstein, M. H.

Publications and source records attributed to Bornstein, M. H..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

Deficits in neural encoding of speech in preterm infants

Preterm children show developmental cognitive and language deficits that can be subtle and sometimes undetectable until later in life. Studies of brain development in children who are born preterm have largely focused on vascular and gross anatomical characteristics rather than pathophysiological processes that may contribute to these developmental deficits. Neural encoding of speech as reflected in EEG recordings is predictive of future language development and could provide insights into those pathophysiological processes. We recorded EEG from 45 preterm ([≤] 34 weeks of gestation) and 45 full-term ([≥] 38 weeks) Chinese-learning infants 0 to 12 months of (corrected) age during natural sleep. Each child listened to three speech stimuli that differed in lexically meaningful pitch (2 native and 1 non-native speech categories). EEG measures associated with synchronization and gross power of the frequency following response (FFR) were examined. ANCOVAs revealed no main effect of stimulus nativeness but main effects of age, consistent with earlier studies. A main effect of prematurity also emerged, with synchronization measures showing stronger group differences than power. By detailing differences in FFR measures related to synchronization and power, this study brings us closer to identifying the pathophysiological pathway to often subtle language problems experienced by preterm children.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Enlarged Ingroup Effect: How a Shared Culture Shapes In-Group Perception

Increasing levels of migration and constant redefinition of a sense of belonging characterize modern societies. Thus, social perception of people from different ethnicities as in-group or out-group members is influenced by a shared culture that might go beyond ethnicity. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we aim to study how sharing a common culture changes the social perceptions of in-groups and out-groups. We presented same- and different-race faces to young adults living in an integrated multicultural society. Same- and different-race faces were primed by images of environmental context that promotes identification with the participants ethnicity or a common shared culture. We found that same and different-race faces recruit similar brain networks only when associated with an environmental context, which promoted identification with a common shared culture. These results support a possible emergent phenomenon in multicultural societies that we call enlarged multi-ethnic in-group effect, which may form the basis of a potential new way to categorize oneself and others in terms of membership.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Disapproval from romantic partners, friends and parents: source of criticism regulates prefrontal cortex activity

The prevalence of criticism in everyday social situations, and its empirically demonstrated association with psychopathology, highlight the importance of understanding neural mechanisms underlying the perception and response of individuals to criticism. However, neuroimaging studies to date have been limited largely to maternal criticism. The present study aims to investigate neural responses to criticism originating from three different relationship types: romantic partners, friends, and parents. Perceived criticism ratings for these relationships from 49 participants were collected. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy was used to measure changes in oxygenated haemoglobin levels in the prefrontal cortex when participants read vignettes describing three different scenarios of criticism. Participants were randomly assigned to 3 groups where the given description of the relationship of the protagonist to the source of criticism for each vignette was randomised. A significant interaction between relationship type and perceived criticism ratings for mothers was found in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Compared to low perceived criticism, high perceived criticism individuals showed increased activation reading vignettes describing criticism from romantic partners and parents but decreased activation for those from friends. Findings contribute to understanding neural responses to criticism as observed from a third-party perspective. Future studies can look into differentiating neural responses of personalised experiences of criticism and third-party observations.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Maternal Anxious Attachment Style is Associated with Reduced Mother-Child Brain-to-Brain Synchrony

Synchrony in developmental science reflects the coordination of mother and child to the same mental state. Mentalisation processes are influenced by individual attachment styles. A mother with an anxious-related attachment style tends to engage in emotional mentalisation that relies on her childs social cues. During an everyday joint activity of watching television shows together, we hypothesised that anxiously-attached mothers are less able to match their mental state to characters in the shows as their attention is likely detracted from the show and directed towards the child. We predict that this mismatch in mothers and childs emotional states would be reflected in reduced dyadic brain-to-brain synchrony. To test this hypothesis, we profiled mothers Maternal Anxiety score using the Preoccupation and Need for Approval subscales of the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ) and used functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning with 33 mother-child dyads to measure prefrontal cortex (PFC) synchrony while the dyads watched three 1-min animation videos together. Greater Maternal Anxiety is associated with less synchrony in the medial right prefrontal cluster implicated in mentalisation processes. Anxiously-attached mothers appear to exhibit less brain-to-brain synchrony with their child which suggests differences in intersubjective shared experiences that potentially undermines the quality of bonding during everyday joint activities.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2019

Specific domains of early parenting, their heritability and differential association with adolescent behavioural and emotional disorders and academic achievement

BackgroundVariations in parenting across large populations have rarely been described. It also remains unclear which specific domains of parenting are important for which specific offspring developmental outcomes. The study describes different domains of early parenting behaviours, their genetic heritability, and then determines the extent to which specific domains of parenting are associated with later offspring outcomes.\n\nMethodsParenting behaviours (birth to 3 years) were extracted from self-reported questionnaires administered to 12,358 mothers from the UK-based birth cohort study, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, and modelled as a latent factor using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Genetic heritability and correlations between parenting factors were estimated using wide complex trait analysis. Offspring emotional, behavioural and academic outcomes were assessed at age 16 years using the self-reported Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire, the Development and Well-Being Assessment, and grades achieved in national English Language examination.\n\nResultsThree parenting factors were derived: parental enjoyment, conflictual relationships and stimulation; all showed low genetic heritability. There was no evidence of associations between parenting factors and offspring depressed mood. Stimulation was associated with better English grades after controlling for maternal education (standardised {beta}=0.058, p=0.007), and enjoyment was negatively associated with English grades ({beta}=-0.082, p=0.002). Conflictual relationships were associated with higher risk of offspring behavioural disorders after controlling for behavioural problems at age 3 years ({beta}=0.227, p=0.007). Higher enjoyment reduced the association between conflict and behavioural problems (interaction term {beta}=0.113, p<0.001).\n\nConclusionsWe found evidence for predictive specificity of early parenting domains for offspring outcomes in adolescence. Early stimulation, unlike enjoyment, promoted later educational achievement. Conflictual relationships were associated with greater risk of behavioural problems, buffered by increased enjoyment. These findings hold implications for parenting interventions, guiding their focus according to specificity of parenting domains and their long-term outcomes in children.

epidemiology↗