Synchronous Caregiving from Birth to Adulthood Tunes Humans' Social Brain

Abstract

Mammalian young are born with immature brains and rely on the mothers body and caregiving behavior for maturation of neurobiological systems that sustain adult sociality. However, the parent-child precursors of humans social brain are unknown. We followed human neonates, who received or were deprived of maternal bodily contact, to adulthood, repeatedly measuring mother-child interactive synchrony. We tested the neural basis of empathic accuracy in adulthood and utilized multivariate techniques to distinguish brain regions sensitive to others distinct emotions from those globally activated by the vicarious stance. A network comprising the amygdala, insula, and temporal pole underpinned empathic accuracy, which was shaped by mother-child synchrony across development. Synchronous experiences with mother or father in infancy impacted adults neural empathy, highlighting the benefits of humans bi-parental rearing. Findings demonstrate the centrality of synchronous caregiving across development for tuning humans social brain.