Diffusion tensor imaging of white-matter structural features of maltreating mothers and their associations with intergenerational chain of childhood abuse
Abstract Child abuse causes lifelong adverse outcomes for both physical and mental health, although many are resilient. Efforts to prevent this issue from the parental side require an understanding of the neurobiological basis that leads abusive parents to perpetrate abuse and the influence of the i...
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| Format: | Article |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-53666-0 |
| _version_ | 1797266848684703744 |
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| author | Sawa Kurata Shota Nishitani Natasha Y. S. Kawata Akiko Yao Takashi X. Fujisawa Hidehiko Okazawa Akemi Tomoda |
| author_facet | Sawa Kurata Shota Nishitani Natasha Y. S. Kawata Akiko Yao Takashi X. Fujisawa Hidehiko Okazawa Akemi Tomoda |
| author_sort | Sawa Kurata |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Child abuse causes lifelong adverse outcomes for both physical and mental health, although many are resilient. Efforts to prevent this issue from the parental side require an understanding of the neurobiological basis that leads abusive parents to perpetrate abuse and the influence of the intergenerational chain of childhood abuse. Therefore, this study was conducted to compare the brain white-matter fiber structures between 11 maltreating mothers who had been recognized as having conducted child abuse prior to the intervention and 40 age-matched control mothers using tract-based spatial statistics. There was a significantly reduced axial diffusivity (AD) and a similar trend in fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right corticospinal tract in maltreating mothers compared to control mothers. Therefore, maltreating mothers may have excessive control over the forcefulness of voluntary movements. These features also decreased as the number of childhood abuse experiences increased, suggesting that an intergenerational chain of child abuse may also be involved. Other aspects observed were that the higher the current depressive symptoms, the lower the AD and FA values; however, they were not related to parental practice or empathy. These results corroborate the neurobiological features that perpetrate behaviors in abusive mothers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-25T01:07:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-866b7551b542417a97443354b7ed3f33 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T01:07:13Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-866b7551b542417a97443354b7ed3f332024-03-10T12:09:41ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-03-0114111110.1038/s41598-024-53666-0Diffusion tensor imaging of white-matter structural features of maltreating mothers and their associations with intergenerational chain of childhood abuseSawa Kurata0Shota Nishitani1Natasha Y. S. Kawata2Akiko Yao3Takashi X. Fujisawa4Hidehiko Okazawa5Akemi Tomoda6Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka UniversityDivision of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka UniversityResearch Center for Child Mental Development, University of FukuiResearch Center for Child Mental Development, University of FukuiDivision of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka UniversityLife Science Innovation Center, School of Medical Sciences, University of FukuiDivision of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka UniversityAbstract Child abuse causes lifelong adverse outcomes for both physical and mental health, although many are resilient. Efforts to prevent this issue from the parental side require an understanding of the neurobiological basis that leads abusive parents to perpetrate abuse and the influence of the intergenerational chain of childhood abuse. Therefore, this study was conducted to compare the brain white-matter fiber structures between 11 maltreating mothers who had been recognized as having conducted child abuse prior to the intervention and 40 age-matched control mothers using tract-based spatial statistics. There was a significantly reduced axial diffusivity (AD) and a similar trend in fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right corticospinal tract in maltreating mothers compared to control mothers. Therefore, maltreating mothers may have excessive control over the forcefulness of voluntary movements. These features also decreased as the number of childhood abuse experiences increased, suggesting that an intergenerational chain of child abuse may also be involved. Other aspects observed were that the higher the current depressive symptoms, the lower the AD and FA values; however, they were not related to parental practice or empathy. These results corroborate the neurobiological features that perpetrate behaviors in abusive mothers.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-53666-0 |
| spellingShingle | Sawa Kurata Shota Nishitani Natasha Y. S. Kawata Akiko Yao Takashi X. Fujisawa Hidehiko Okazawa Akemi Tomoda Diffusion tensor imaging of white-matter structural features of maltreating mothers and their associations with intergenerational chain of childhood abuse Scientific Reports |
| title | Diffusion tensor imaging of white-matter structural features of maltreating mothers and their associations with intergenerational chain of childhood abuse |
| title_full | Diffusion tensor imaging of white-matter structural features of maltreating mothers and their associations with intergenerational chain of childhood abuse |
| title_fullStr | Diffusion tensor imaging of white-matter structural features of maltreating mothers and their associations with intergenerational chain of childhood abuse |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diffusion tensor imaging of white-matter structural features of maltreating mothers and their associations with intergenerational chain of childhood abuse |
| title_short | Diffusion tensor imaging of white-matter structural features of maltreating mothers and their associations with intergenerational chain of childhood abuse |
| title_sort | diffusion tensor imaging of white matter structural features of maltreating mothers and their associations with intergenerational chain of childhood abuse |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-53666-0 |
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