Protective Role of Parenthood on Age-Related Brain Function
Poster No:
1273
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Edwina Orchard1, Sidhant Chopra1, Leon Ooi2, Pansheng Chen3, Lijun An2, Sharna Jamadar4, B. T. Thomas Yeo2, Helena Rutherford1, Avram Holmes5
Institutions:
1Yale University, New Haven, CT, 2National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore, 3National University of Singapore, Queenstown, Queenstown, 4Monash University, Melbourne, NA, 5Department of Psychiatry, Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ
First Author:
Co-Author(s):
Introduction:
Parenthood is a largely ubiquitous experience, yet little is known about how the extreme environmental and biological changes of parenting impact humans across their lifespan. Emerging research in humans and non-human animals suggests parenting may confer long-term benefits to cognition and brain structure, however the effect on brain function remains unknown.
Methods:
Here, we investigate the effect of number of children parented (parity), and age on brain function using a large population-based adult sample of females (N=19,964) and males (N=17,607) from the UK Biobank. For each participant, we mapped brain-wide inter-regional functional connectivity between 419 brain regions.
To characterize the effect of parity and age on brain function, we examined the Spearman correlation with functional connectivity at each edge, using the Network Based Statistic (NBS) for inference at the level of connected-components of edges showing a common effect.
To characterize the effect of parity and age on brain function, we examined the Spearman correlation with functional connectivity at each edge, using the Network Based Statistic (NBS) for inference at the level of connected-components of edges showing a common effect.
Results:
In both sexes, we observed widespread increases in functional connectivity associated with increased parity (pFWE<.001; Fig1A-B), largely concentrated within the somato/motor network, and between the default network and the rest of the brain. While these effects could indicate neural changes resulting from the early stages of parenthood that stabilize and endure throughout the lifespan, it also could indicate networks and regions that are impacted at later stages. As we show an association between number of children parented (parity) and brain function, this suggests a cumulative impact of parenthood on brain function, such that having additional children continues to alter brain function in a dose-dependent manner.
We find widespread functional connectivity decreases associated with age (pFWE<.001; Fig1D-E), largely within the somato/motor networks, and increases between subcortical and association networks and the rest of the brain. This pattern of dysconnectivity has been described in studies characterizing normative ageing trajectories, where the dysconnectivity of the somatomotor network is among the first age-related functional brain changes, consistent with our mid-life sample.
Both the effect of parity (r=.67; p<.001; Fig1C) and age (r=.90;p<0.001; Fig1F) on functional connectivity were consistent between females and males.
Critically, we find that the effects of parity on functional connectivity were negatively correlated with the effects of age on functional connectivity for females (r=-.41; p<.001; Fig1G), and males (r=-.56; p<.001; Fig1H), suggesting that an increasing number of children is associated with patterns of brain function that are in the opposite direction to age-related brain changes in both sexes.
We find widespread functional connectivity decreases associated with age (pFWE<.001; Fig1D-E), largely within the somato/motor networks, and increases between subcortical and association networks and the rest of the brain. This pattern of dysconnectivity has been described in studies characterizing normative ageing trajectories, where the dysconnectivity of the somatomotor network is among the first age-related functional brain changes, consistent with our mid-life sample.
Both the effect of parity (r=.67; p<.001; Fig1C) and age (r=.90;p<0.001; Fig1F) on functional connectivity were consistent between females and males.
Critically, we find that the effects of parity on functional connectivity were negatively correlated with the effects of age on functional connectivity for females (r=-.41; p<.001; Fig1G), and males (r=-.56; p<.001; Fig1H), suggesting that an increasing number of children is associated with patterns of brain function that are in the opposite direction to age-related brain changes in both sexes.
·Figure1
Conclusions:
Overall, our results align with prior work in humans and animals to suggest that parity may be protective against age-related brain changes, with the biological and environmental changes accompanying parenthood conferring benefits to brain health across the lifespan.
As these relationships exist consistently for both males and females, they implicate the parental environment. This could include direct parenting mechanisms which alter the brain via behavioral actions of caregiving. If so, this could imply that these effects may also exist for other types of caregiving experience, with a potential impact for non-gestational parents of all genders, as well as for any other person with a strong relationship with or responsibility for children, including grandparents, and childcare workers.
As these relationships exist consistently for both males and females, they implicate the parental environment. This could include direct parenting mechanisms which alter the brain via behavioral actions of caregiving. If so, this could imply that these effects may also exist for other types of caregiving experience, with a potential impact for non-gestational parents of all genders, as well as for any other person with a strong relationship with or responsibility for children, including grandparents, and childcare workers.
Emotion, Motivation and Social Neuroscience:
Social Neuroscience Other 2
Lifespan Development:
Lifespan Development Other 1
Modeling and Analysis Methods:
Connectivity (eg. functional, effective, structural)
Keywords:
ADULTS
Development
FUNCTIONAL MRI
NORMAL HUMAN
Plasticity
Somatosensory
Other - Parenthood
1|2Indicates the priority used for review