Sensitive periods in early life largely overlap with developmental stages in which the child is dependent on the mother, thus providing a pathway through which maternal signals shape development ( Kuzawa and Quinn 2009). 2002 Willfuhr and Gagnon 2013) so central is this care for the survival of the species, some have argued that the development of parental behavior may be one of the primary forces shaping the evolution of the mammalian brain (c.f. Parental care (particularly that from the mother) is a primary determinant of child survival in humans ( Pavard et al.
Together, our findings across species demonstrate that patterns of maternal signals influence brain circuit maturation, promoting resilience or vulnerability to mental illness.ġ.1. Introduction: Why Parental (Especially Maternal) Signals? In experimental models, fragmented/ unpredictable maternal care patterns directly induce aberrant synaptic connectivity and disturbed maturation of cognitive and emotional brain circuits, with commensurate memory problems and anhedonia-like behaviors. We find that unpredictable maternal mood and behavior presage risk for child and adolescent psychopathology. Here we identify a novel dimension of maternal signals: their patterns and especially their predictability/unpredictability, as an important determinant of children’s neurodevelopment. Existing literature on maternal signals has focused almost exclusively on their quality and valence (e.g. Because parents are a dominant source of signals to the developing child, parental signals–beginning with maternal signals in utero–are primary contributors to children’s mental health.
Mental illnesses originate early in life, governed by environmental and genetic factors.
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