Amanda N Noroña-Zhou1,2, Alyssa Morgan2, Laura M Glynn3, Curt A Sandman4, Tallie Z Baram5,6,7, Hal S Stern8, Elysia Poggi Davis1,2,4. 1. Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA. 2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz, Aurora, CO, USA. 3. Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA. 4. Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA. 5. Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA. 6. Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA. 7. Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA. 8. Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is associated with poor physical and mental health. Early-life adversity may dysregulate cortisol response to subsequent stress. This study examines the association between patterns of maternal behavior and infant stress response to a challenge. Specifically, we test whether infant exposure to unpredictable maternal sensory signals is related to the cortisol response to a painful stressor. METHOD: Participants were 102 mothers and their children enrolled in a longitudinal study. Patterns of maternal sensory signals were evaluated at 6 and 12 months during a 10-min mother-infant play episode. Entropy rate was calculated as a quantitative measure of the degree of unpredictability of maternal sensory signals (visual, auditory, and tactile) exhibited during the play episode. Infant saliva samples were collected for cortisol analysis before and after inoculation at 12 months. RESULTS: Unpredictable patterns of maternal sensory signals were associated with a blunted infant cortisol response to a painful stressor. This relation persisted after evaluation of covariates including maternal sensitivity and maternal psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that unpredictable patterns of maternal sensory signals are one process through which caregiving affects the function of infant stress response systems.
BACKGROUND: Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is associated with poor physical and mental health. Early-life adversity may dysregulate cortisol response to subsequent stress. This study examines the association between patterns of maternal behavior and infantstress response to a challenge. Specifically, we test whether infant exposure to unpredictable maternal sensory signals is related to the cortisol response to a painful stressor. METHOD:Participants were 102 mothers and their children enrolled in a longitudinal study. Patterns of maternal sensory signals were evaluated at 6 and 12 months during a 10-min mother-infant play episode. Entropy rate was calculated as a quantitative measure of the degree of unpredictability of maternal sensory signals (visual, auditory, and tactile) exhibited during the play episode. Infant saliva samples were collected for cortisol analysis before and after inoculation at 12 months. RESULTS: Unpredictable patterns of maternal sensory signals were associated with a blunted infantcortisol response to a painful stressor. This relation persisted after evaluation of covariates including maternal sensitivity and maternal psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that unpredictable patterns of maternal sensory signals are one process through which caregiving affects the function of infantstress response systems.
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