Publicação
The Midas Touch: The Role of Maternal Touch in Neuronal Processing of Joint Attention in 10-Month-Old Infants
| Resumo: | Touch has been linked to socioemotional and cognitive development in infancy and might play an important role in the establishment of joint attention (JA). Typically emerging around 9 months of age, it refers to the infant’s capacity to coordinate attention with a social partner towards an object. Maternal touch and joint attention have both been associated with increased brain activity in the superior temporal sulcus (STS), temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and the medial prefrontal-cortex (mPFC), key areas of the social brain. To our knowledge, the contribution of maternal touch to JA processing remains underexplored. Thus, the present study examined the association between maternal touch and neuronal processing of JA stimuli in 10- months-old infants. Participants were 26 healthy, full-term born infants and their mothers. Maternal touch was coded using a 10-minute mother-infant interaction and categorized into the following categories: instrumental, attentional directing, playful, static, affectionate, regulatory, and intrusive touch. Neuronal processing of JA stimuli was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) targeting bilateral PFC, STS and TPJ regions, while the infant was exposed to a JA condition (the researcher showed a picture book to the infant while making eye contact, smiling, talking to and pointing to the pictures on the book) and a baseline condition (the researcher hold a toy in front of the infant without any type of direct interaction). More maternal attentional directing touch was associated with infants’ greater brain response to JA stimuli over bilateral PFC regions. Moreover, less affectionate touch was associated with greater brain response over the bilateral PFC. These findings suggest that early tactile experiences with caregivers may contribute to the neural underpinnings of early sociocognitive markers that emerge within relational contexts, such as JA. |
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| Autores principais: | Carvalho, Mariana Marques de |
| Assunto: | Affective Touch Attentional Directing Touch, Maternal Touch, Joint Attention fNIRS Toque Afetivo Toque de Direcionamento Atencional Toque Materno Atenção Partilhada fNIRS |
| Ano: | 2025 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso embargado |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade de Coimbra |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Estudo Geral - Universidade de Coimbra |
| Resumo: | Touch has been linked to socioemotional and cognitive development in infancy and might play an important role in the establishment of joint attention (JA). Typically emerging around 9 months of age, it refers to the infant’s capacity to coordinate attention with a social partner towards an object. Maternal touch and joint attention have both been associated with increased brain activity in the superior temporal sulcus (STS), temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and the medial prefrontal-cortex (mPFC), key areas of the social brain. To our knowledge, the contribution of maternal touch to JA processing remains underexplored. Thus, the present study examined the association between maternal touch and neuronal processing of JA stimuli in 10- months-old infants. Participants were 26 healthy, full-term born infants and their mothers. Maternal touch was coded using a 10-minute mother-infant interaction and categorized into the following categories: instrumental, attentional directing, playful, static, affectionate, regulatory, and intrusive touch. Neuronal processing of JA stimuli was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) targeting bilateral PFC, STS and TPJ regions, while the infant was exposed to a JA condition (the researcher showed a picture book to the infant while making eye contact, smiling, talking to and pointing to the pictures on the book) and a baseline condition (the researcher hold a toy in front of the infant without any type of direct interaction). More maternal attentional directing touch was associated with infants’ greater brain response to JA stimuli over bilateral PFC regions. Moreover, less affectionate touch was associated with greater brain response over the bilateral PFC. These findings suggest that early tactile experiences with caregivers may contribute to the neural underpinnings of early sociocognitive markers that emerge within relational contexts, such as JA. |
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