Parental hostility predicts reduced cortical thickness in males. Issue 3 (12th November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chad‐Friedman, Emma; Botdorf, Morgan; Riggins, Tracy; Dougherty, Lea R.
• Is Part Of: Developmental science. Volume 24:Issue 3(2021)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2020-11-12
• Subjects: cortical thickness -- early childhood -- negative parenting -- sex differences -- surface area; Developmental psychology -- Periodicals; Psychology, Comparative -- Periodicals; 155
• DOI: 10.1111/desc.13052
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1363-755X

Abstract

Abstract: Although impacts of negative parenting on children's brain development are well‐documented, little is known about how these associations may differ for males and females in childhood. We examined interactions between child sex and early and concurrent parental hostility on children's cortical thickness and surface area. Participants included 63 children (50.8% female) assessed during early childhood (Wave 1: M age = 4.23 years, SD = 0.84) and again three years later (Wave 2: M age = 7.19 years, SD = 0.89) using an observational parent–child interaction task. At Wave 2, children completed a structural MRI scan. Analyses focused on regions of interest. After correcting for multiple comparisons, Wave 1 parental hostility predicted males' reduced thickness in middle frontal and fusiform cortices, and Wave 2 parental hostility was concurrently associated with males' reduced thickness in the middle frontal cortex. Interactions between sex and parenting on children's surface area did not survive corrections for multiple comparisons. Our findings provide support for a male‐specific neural vulnerability of hostile parenting across development. Results have important implications for uncovering neural pathways to sex‐differences in psychopathology, learning, and cognitive disabilities. Abstract : For males only, parental hostility during early childhood was prospectively associated with reduced cortical thickness in prefrontal and temporal regions three years later. Similarly, concurrent parental hostility was associated with children's reduced cortical thickness in the middle frontal cortex for males and not females. Findings suggest a male‐specific neural vulnerability to hostile parenting during early childhood in the middle frontal and fusiform cortices.