Abstract
The present study examined the combined influences of maternal depression and attachment security on infants' brain activity and autonomic activity. Brain electrical activity, heart rate, and vagal tone were recorded from 159 13-15 month old infants of depressed, subthreshold depressed, and nondepressed mothers during a baseline and two social interaction conditions. Attachment behavior was observed during the traditional Strange Situation. It was found that infants of depressed mothers exhibited reduced left relative to right frontal brain activity during all conditions. Moreover, regardless of mother's depression status, insecurely attached infants exhibited relative reduced left frontal brain activity. Infants of depressed mothers were also found to exhibit higher heart rates across all conditions. These results indicate that both maternal depression and attachment security are associated with alterations in infants' psychophysiological responses.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 135-149 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Infant Behavior and Development |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 2001 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Attachment
- Brain activity
- Heart rate
- Maternal depression
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
Cite this
Autonomic and brain electrical activity in securely- and insecurely-attached infants of depressed mothers. / Dawson, Geraldine; Ashman, Sharon B.; Hessl, David R; Spieker, Susan; Frey, Karin; Panagiotides, Heracles; Embry, Lara.
In: Infant Behavior and Development, Vol. 24, No. 2, 02.2001, p. 135-149.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Autonomic and brain electrical activity in securely- and insecurely-attached infants of depressed mothers
AU - Dawson, Geraldine
AU - Ashman, Sharon B.
AU - Hessl, David R
AU - Spieker, Susan
AU - Frey, Karin
AU - Panagiotides, Heracles
AU - Embry, Lara
PY - 2001/2
Y1 - 2001/2
N2 - The present study examined the combined influences of maternal depression and attachment security on infants' brain activity and autonomic activity. Brain electrical activity, heart rate, and vagal tone were recorded from 159 13-15 month old infants of depressed, subthreshold depressed, and nondepressed mothers during a baseline and two social interaction conditions. Attachment behavior was observed during the traditional Strange Situation. It was found that infants of depressed mothers exhibited reduced left relative to right frontal brain activity during all conditions. Moreover, regardless of mother's depression status, insecurely attached infants exhibited relative reduced left frontal brain activity. Infants of depressed mothers were also found to exhibit higher heart rates across all conditions. These results indicate that both maternal depression and attachment security are associated with alterations in infants' psychophysiological responses.
AB - The present study examined the combined influences of maternal depression and attachment security on infants' brain activity and autonomic activity. Brain electrical activity, heart rate, and vagal tone were recorded from 159 13-15 month old infants of depressed, subthreshold depressed, and nondepressed mothers during a baseline and two social interaction conditions. Attachment behavior was observed during the traditional Strange Situation. It was found that infants of depressed mothers exhibited reduced left relative to right frontal brain activity during all conditions. Moreover, regardless of mother's depression status, insecurely attached infants exhibited relative reduced left frontal brain activity. Infants of depressed mothers were also found to exhibit higher heart rates across all conditions. These results indicate that both maternal depression and attachment security are associated with alterations in infants' psychophysiological responses.
KW - Attachment
KW - Brain activity
KW - Heart rate
KW - Maternal depression
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035255544&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0035255544&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0163-6383(01)00075-3
DO - 10.1016/S0163-6383(01)00075-3
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0035255544
VL - 24
SP - 135
EP - 149
JO - Infant Behavior and Development
JF - Infant Behavior and Development
SN - 0163-6383
IS - 2
ER -