In our most recent study, we explored the relationship between a baby’s brain connectivity during sleep and its family environment. Brain connectivity refers to the way different regions of the brain communicate and work together. The brain is made up of many different parts that each have a specific function, like seeing, hearing, moving, and thinking. However, these parts do not work in isolation – they need to coordinate with each other to carry out complex tasks.
In this study, we were interested in how various factors in the family environment might be related to differences in the strength of connectivity between regions of the brain during sleep in infants. By studying these relationships, we were able to gain insights into early brain development and the role of the family environment in shaping it.
We found that the sleeping brain’s connectivity varied depending on the family environment. Specifically, the following factors were related to differences in the sleeping brain’s connectivity:
- Room-sharing: infants sharing a room with their parents or siblings had stronger connectivity over frontal and central brain regions during sleep.
- Maternal anxiety: infants whose mothers were more concerned about their baby’s sleep had weaker connectivity over the back of the head during sleep.
These findings suggest that the family environment is intertwined with a developing brain’s connectivity during sleep and show the importance of considering family factors when studying early brain development. The study could help inform interventions to support healthy infant sleep and development.
Reference:
Markovic A, Schoch SF, Huber R, Kohler M, Kurth S (2023). The sleeping brain’s connectivity and family environment: characterizing sleep EEG coherence in an infant cohort. Scientific Reports, 13(1):1-11.
Thanks:
Oleg Sergeichik on Unsplash for picture material
OpenAI ChatGPT for support in texting this blog