title: The neural basis of maternal bonding.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Accumulating evidence suggests that mothers show a different pattern of brain responses when viewing their own compared to other infants. However, there is inconsistency across functional imaging studies regarding the key areas involved, and none have examined relationships between brain and behavioural responses to infants. We examined the brain regions activated when mothers viewed videos of their own infant contrasted with an unknown infant, and whether these are associated with behavioural and self-reported measures of mother-infant relations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty right-handed mothers viewed alternating 30-sec blocks of video of own 4-9 month infant and an unfamiliar matched infant, interspersed with neutral video. Whole brain functional magnetic resonance images (fMRI) were acquired on a 1.5T Philips Intera scanner using a TR of 2.55 s. Videotaped mother-infant interactions were systematically evaluated blind to family information to generate behavioural measures for correlational analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Enhanced blood oxygenation functional imaging responses were found in the own versus unknown infant contrast in the bilateral precuneus, right superior temporal gyrus, right medial and left middle frontal gyri and left amygdala. Positive mother-infant interaction (less directive parent behaviour; more positive/attentive infant behaviour) was significantly associated with greater activation in several regions on viewing own versus unknown infant, particularly the middle frontal gyrus. Mothers' perceived warmth of her infant was correlated with activations in the same contrast, particularly in sensory and visual areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study partially replicates previous reports of the brain regions activated in mothers in response to the visual presentation of their own infant. It is the first to report associations between mothers' unique neural responses to viewing their own infant with the quality of her concurrent behaviour when interacting with her infant and with her perceptions of infant warmth. These findings provide support for developing fMRI as a potential biomarker of parenting risk and change.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Women's Mental Health, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ming Wai
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Darragh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Downey
authors.affiliation: Bolton National Health Service Foundation Trust, Bolton, Lancashire, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Hilary
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Strachan
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.affiliation: Centre for Imaging Science, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Steve R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Centre for Women's Mental Health, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Kathryn M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Abel
mesh_terms: D001519:Behavior; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers; D009769:Object Attachment; D013997:Time Factors