Neurobiology of maternal sensitivity and delight among high-risk mothers: An event-related potential study

Maltreating mothers often struggle to respond sensitively to their children's distress and to show delight in their children. The present study used event-related potential (ERP) methodology to examine the neurobiology of these parenting deficits among mothers at risk for maltreating their children. In a randomized clinical trial, high-risk mothers participated in the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up intervention (ABC; n = 25) or a control intervention (n = 27). Following the intervention, mothers' ERP responses were compared to ERP responses of low-risk comparison mothers (n = 34). In a task designed to tap maternal sensitivity, mothers categorized images of children with varying emotional expressions. Relative to high-risk mothers who participated in a control intervention, high-risk ABC mothers showed larger ERP responses (N170 and LPP) to emotional faces compared to neutral faces. High-risk ABC mothers' ERP responses resembled those of low-risk comparison mothers who also showed differentiated ERP responses to emotional versus neutral faces. In a second task designed to tap maternal delight, mothers passively viewed pictures of their own children versus other children. We did not find group differences in mothers' ERP responses to images of their own children versus other children. Finally, we also found associations between mothers' ERP responses and their behavioral displays of sensitivity and delight/synchrony. Findings add to our understanding of the neurobiology of deficits in parenting among high-risk mothers and suggest that these deficits are changeable through a parenting intervention.