Perceived Maternal Overprotection and Amygdala Functional Connectivity in Children: Implications for Childhood Depressive Symptoms.

BACKGROUND

Parenting significantly influences children's emotional well-being, but the specific nature and neural mechanisms of this influence remain unclear. This study investigated (1) the association between perceived maternal parenting and amygdala resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in childhood and (2) whether amygdala rsFC moderates the relation between perceived maternal parenting and subsequent depressive symptoms.

METHODS

A total of 220 children from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort underwent resting-state fMRI at age 7.5 and assessments of perceived maternal parenting and depressive symptoms at ages 8.5-10.5 using the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI-2) and the child-reported Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). Multiple regression analyses explored associations between maternal parenting (PBI subscales: overprotection and care) and rsFC of the whole amygdala and subnuclei. Moderation analyses evaluated whether amygdala rsFC moderated the relation between maternal parenting and subsequent depressive symptoms in children.

RESULTS

Two neural pathways were identified in relation to perceived maternal overprotection. One pathway showed a positive association between the rsFC of the right (R) basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the R angular gyrus (AG) as well as the left (L) inferior parietal gyrus (IPG). The other pathway showed a negative association with the L superficial amygdala (SFA)-anterior insula (INS) rsFC. The pathway from R amygdala-AG rsFC significantly moderated the strong positive association between perceived maternal overprotection and subsequent depressive symptoms. These associations were independent of maternal depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides insight into the neurobiological basis linking perceived maternal parenting to subsequent depressive symptoms. R amygdala-AG rsFC may serve as a neural marker of variability in children's responses to perceived maternal overprotection, shaping the nature of their depressive symptoms.