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Neural Responses to Caregivers after Early Life Threat Experiences

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Title: Neural Responses to Caregivers after Early Life Threat Experiences
Language: English
Authors: Nicolas Murgueitio (ORCID 0000-0002-1204-5324), Michelle Shipkova (ORCID 0000-0001-9010-5313), Lucy A. Lurie (ORCID 0000-0002-4895-9988), Micaela Rodriguez, Laura Machlin, Maresa Tate, Sneha Boda, Zoe Priddy, Cathi B. Propper, Katie A. McLaughlin, Regina M. Sullivan, Margaret A. Sheridan
Source: Developmental Science. 2026 29(1).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 16
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (DHHS/NIH)
Contract Number: R01MH115004
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Early Experience, Cognitive Processes, Brain, Mothers, Parent Child Relationship, Interaction, Adoption, Social Services, Child Welfare, Cues, Young Children, Brain Hemisphere Functions, Social Cognition, Child Neglect
DOI: 10.1111/desc.70104
ISSN: 1363-755X
1467-7687
Abstract: Evidence from rodent studies highlights the mother as a safety cue that regulates fear and biology. However, when infant rats are exposed to rough maternal care (i.e., threat), their brains show atypical patterns of activity in response to maternal cues. In humans, childhood adversity (i.e., international adoption, involvement with Child Protective Services) is also associated with differential neural responses to caregiver cues. However, to date, no studies have tested the hypothesis that childhood adversity characterized by threat (e.g., physical abuse, domestic violence) influences neural responses to caregiver cues in children, as suggested by the rodent literature. This study investigates associations between threat experiences and neural responses to caregiver cues in young children using fMRI. The sample included 148 young children (52.02% Male; M[subscript age] = 6.45 years). Across the entire sample, children demonstrated heightened recruitment in regions associated with salience detection, visual processing, and social cognition in response to caregiver cues (relative to stranger cues). Moreover, threat experiences were associated with greater recruitment of the insula in response to caregiver cues (relative to stranger cues), even when controlling for deprivation experiences. The present findings contribute to a growing field of research linking childhood adversity to brain function, suggesting that experiences of threat may disrupt how children process caregiver cues at the neural level. Moreover, these results are in line with rodent studies that underscore threat as a potential disruptor of dyadic interaction between children and their caregivers.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1492059
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Neural Responses to Caregivers after Early Life Threat Experiences
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nicolas+Murgueitio%22">Nicolas Murgueitio</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1204-5324">0000-0002-1204-5324</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Michelle+Shipkova%22">Michelle Shipkova</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9010-5313">0000-0001-9010-5313</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lucy+A%2E+Lurie%22">Lucy A. Lurie</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4895-9988">0000-0002-4895-9988</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Micaela+Rodriguez%22">Micaela Rodriguez</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Laura+Machlin%22">Laura Machlin</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Maresa+Tate%22">Maresa Tate</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sneha+Boda%22">Sneha Boda</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zoe+Priddy%22">Zoe Priddy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cathi+B%2E+Propper%22">Cathi B. Propper</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Katie+A%2E+McLaughlin%22">Katie A. McLaughlin</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Regina+M%2E+Sullivan%22">Regina M. Sullivan</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Margaret+A%2E+Sheridan%22">Margaret A. Sheridan</searchLink>
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: 16
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (DHHS/NIH)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Early+Experience%22">Early Experience</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cognitive+Processes%22">Cognitive Processes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Brain%22">Brain</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mothers%22">Mothers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Child+Relationship%22">Parent Child Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interaction%22">Interaction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adoption%22">Adoption</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Services%22">Social Services</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+Welfare%22">Child Welfare</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cues%22">Cues</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Young+Children%22">Young Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Brain+Hemisphere+Functions%22">Brain Hemisphere Functions</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Cognition%22">Social Cognition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+Neglect%22">Child Neglect</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1111/desc.70104
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  Data: 1363-755X<br />1467-7687
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  Data: Evidence from rodent studies highlights the mother as a safety cue that regulates fear and biology. However, when infant rats are exposed to rough maternal care (i.e., threat), their brains show atypical patterns of activity in response to maternal cues. In humans, childhood adversity (i.e., international adoption, involvement with Child Protective Services) is also associated with differential neural responses to caregiver cues. However, to date, no studies have tested the hypothesis that childhood adversity characterized by threat (e.g., physical abuse, domestic violence) influences neural responses to caregiver cues in children, as suggested by the rodent literature. This study investigates associations between threat experiences and neural responses to caregiver cues in young children using fMRI. The sample included 148 young children (52.02% Male; M[subscript age] = 6.45 years). Across the entire sample, children demonstrated heightened recruitment in regions associated with salience detection, visual processing, and social cognition in response to caregiver cues (relative to stranger cues). Moreover, threat experiences were associated with greater recruitment of the insula in response to caregiver cues (relative to stranger cues), even when controlling for deprivation experiences. The present findings contribute to a growing field of research linking childhood adversity to brain function, suggesting that experiences of threat may disrupt how children process caregiver cues at the neural level. Moreover, these results are in line with rodent studies that underscore threat as a potential disruptor of dyadic interaction between children and their caregivers.
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      – Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Early Experience
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cognitive Processes
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      – SubjectFull: Cues
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      – SubjectFull: Young Children
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