Infant Calming Responses during Maternal Carrying in Humans and Mice

2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24730563
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Educational psychology
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: ESPOSITO Gianluca 独立行政法人理化学研究所, 脳科学総合研究センター, 国際特別研究員 (10618341)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2014-03-31
• Keywords: Infant carrying / 親子間相互関係 / Infant calming response / Carrying in humans / Maternal carrying / Transport Response

Research Abstract

Mother-infant bonding is the earliest and most critical social relationship of mammalian infants. However, the physiological mechanisms regulating these infant behaviors remain largely undefined. In the current project, we have shown a novel set of infant responses during maternal carrying. Infants under 6 months of age carried by a walking mother immediately stopped voluntary movement and crying and exhibited a rapid heart rate decrease. Furthermore, we identified similar responses in mouse pups. Using pharmacologic and genetic interventions in mouse pups, we identified the neural systems regulating the calming response. The loss of the calming response hindered maternal rescue of the pups, suggesting a functional significance for the identified calming response. Our study has demonstrated for the first time that the infant calming response to maternal carrying is a set of central, motor, and cardiac regulations and is a conserved component of mammalian mother-infant interactions.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Cohesión, micro-organización, estructura narrativa y competencias verbales entre tres y once años (2013)
  • Author(s): Iandolo G., Esposito G., & Venuti P
  • Journal Title: el desarrollo narrativo formal. <Spanish> Estudio de Psicologia Volume: 34(2) Pages: 141-160
  • DOI: 10.1174/021093913806751456
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Neural correlates of parent infant interaction. <Japanese> (2013)
  • Author(s): Kuroda K.O., Yoshida S., & Esposito G
  • Journal Title: Japanese Journal of Molecular Psychiatry Volume: 13(4) Pages: 235-235
  • URL: http://www.sentan.com/cgi-bin/db_n.cgi?mode=view_backno&no=993
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Attentio nal shifts between audition and visio n in Autism Spectrum Disorders (2013)
  • Author(s): Occelli V., Esposito G., Venuti P., Ar duino, G.M., & Zampini M
  • Journal Title: Research in Autism Spectrum Disorde rs Volume: 7(4) Pages: 517-525
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.rasd.2012.12.003
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] The Ta kete-Maluma phenomenon in Autism Spectrum Disorders (2013)
  • Author(s): Occelli V., Esposito G., Venuti P., Ar duino, G.M., & Zampini M
  • Journal Title: Perception Volume: 42 (2) Pages: 233-241
  • URL: http://www.perceptionweb.com/abstract.cgi?id=p7357
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Sex Differences in Directional Brain Responses to Infant Hunger Cries (2013)
  • Author(s): De Pisapia N., Bornstein M.H., Rigo P., Esposito G., De Falco S., & Ven uti P
  • Journal Title: Neuroreport Volume: 24(3) Pages: 142-146
  • DOI: 10.1097/WNR.0b013e32835df4fa.
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] The T ransport Response is a filial-specific behavioral response to maternal carr ying in C57BL/6 mice (2013)
  • Author(s): Yoshida S., Esposito G., Ohnishi R., Tsuneoka Y., Okabe S., et al
  • Journal Title: Frontiers in Zoology Volume: 10(1) Pages: 50
  • DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-10-50.
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Componential D econstruction of Infant Distress Voca lizations via Tree-Based Models : A Study of Cry in Autism Spectrum Dis order and Typical Development (2013)
  • Author(s): Esposito G., Nakazawa J., Venuti P., & Bornstein M.H
  • Journal Title: Research in Developmental Disabilities Volume: 34(9) Pages: 2717-272
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2013.05.036
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Motor abnor malities as a putative endophenotyp e for Autism Spectrum Disorders (2013)
  • Author(s): Esposito G, Paşca SP
  • Journal Title: Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience Volume: 23(9) Pages: 7-43
  • DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2013.00043.eCollection2013.
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Infant Calming Responses During Maternal Carrying in Humans and Mice (2013)
  • Author(s): Esposito G., Yoshida S., Ohnishi R., Tsuneoka Y., Rostagno M.dC., et al
  • Journal Title: Current Biology Volume: 23(9) Pages: 739-745
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2013.03.041
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Atypical expression of distress duri ng the separation phase of the Stra nge Situation in infant siblings at hi gh risk for ASD (2013)
  • Author(s): Esposito G., Rostagno M.dC., Venuti P., Haltigan J.D., & Messinger D.M
  • Journal Title: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Volume: 44(4) Pages: 975-980
  • DOI: 10.1007/s10803-013-1940-6.
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Toward a multi-level model of language production (2013)
  • Author(s): Bornstein MH., Esposito G.: Beyond cry and laugh
  • Journal Title: Behav ioral Brain Sciences Volume: 2013(in press)
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Perceptions of distr ess in young children with autism co mpared to typically developing childr en : a cultural comparison between Ja pan and Italy (2012)
  • Author(s): Esposito G., Nakazawa J., Venuti P., Bornstein M.H
  • Journal Title: Research in Developm ental Disabilities Volume: 33(4) Pages: 1059-1067
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2012.01.014
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Species-specific response to human infant faces in the premotor cortex (2012)
  • Author(s): Caria A., de Falco S., Venuti P., Lee S., Esposito G., Rigo P., Birbaumer N., Bornstein MH
  • Journal Title: Neuroimage Volume: 60(2) Pages: 884-893
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.12.068
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Differential Brain Responses to Cries of Infants with Autistic Disorder and Typical Development : an fMRI S tudy (2012)
  • Author(s): Venuti P., Caria A., Esposito G., de Pisapia N., Bornstein MH., & de Falc o S
  • Journal Title: Research in Developmental Disa bilities Volume: 33(6) Pages: 2255-2264
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2012.06.011
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] The Bears Family Projective test : eva luating stories of children with emotio nal difficulties (2012)
  • Author(s): Iandolo G., Esposito G., & Venuti P
  • Journal Title: Perceptual and Motor Skills Volume: 114(3) Pages: 883-902
  • URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22913028
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Mater nal functional speech to children (2012)
  • Author(s): Venuti P., de Falco S., Esposito G., Zaninelli M., & Bornstein MH
  • Journal Title: A co mparison of autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, and typical develop ment., Research in Developmental Dis abilities Volume: 33(2) Pages: 506-517
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2011.10.018
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Audiovisual c rossmodal correspondences in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) (2012)
  • Author(s): Occelli V., Esposito G., Venuti P., W alker P., & Zampini M
  • Journal Title: Seeinga nd Perceiving Volume: 25(1) Pages: 44
  • DOI: 10.1163/187847612X646668
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Early mother-infant interaction : Comparative physiological assessment o f infant calming responses in human and mouse (2013)
  • Author(s): G. Esposito, S. Yoshida, K.O. Kuroda
  • Organizer: Society for Neuroscienc e
  • Place of Presentation: San Diego, USA
  • Year and Date: 20131109-13
• [Presentation] Infant Calming Response during M aternal Carrying (2013)
  • Author(s): S. Yoshida, G. Esposito, K.O. Kuroda
  • Organizer: Comparative Study in Humans and Mice, Society for N euroscience
  • Place of Presentation: Sa n Diego, USA
  • Year and Date: 20131109-13
• [Presentation] A cultural com parison between Japan and Italy on how distress is expressed in childre n with autism spectrum disorders (2013)
  • Author(s): P. Venuti, G. Esposito, J. Nakazawa, and MH. Bornstein
  • Organizer: Autism Europe
  • Place of Presentation: Budapest, Hungary
  • Year and Date: 20130926-28
• [Presentation] Attachment B ehavior in early infancy : Comparativ e Physiological Assessment of Transport Response (TR) in Human and Mouse (2013)
  • Author(s): G. Esposito, S. Yoshida, S. Yokota, P. Venuti, S. Okabe, T. Kikusui, T. Ka to, and K.O. Kuroda
  • Organizer: 36th Japan Society of Neurosci ence Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: Kyoto, Japan
  • Year and Date: 20130620-23
• [Presentation] nfant Calming Response s During Maternal Carrying in Mam malian Species (2013)
  • Author(s): G. Esposito
  • Organizer: International Sympo sium for the 10th Anniversary Obser vation and Functional Diagnosis Lab, University of Trento
  • Place of Presentation: Trento, Italy
  • Year and Date: 2013-11-08
• [Presentation] Motor Development as a Putative Endophenotype for Autis m Spectrum Disorders (2013)
  • Author(s): G. Esposito
  • Organizer: University of Firenze
  • Place of Presentation: Firenze, Italy
  • Year and Date: 2013-05-06
• [Presentation] Differential Behavioral and Brain Responses to Cry of Child ren with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typical development (2012)
  • Author(s): G. Esposito
  • Organizer: 1^<st> Austral ian Society for Autism Research Mee ting
  • Place of Presentation: Sydney, Autralia
  • Year and Date: 20121205-07
• [Presentation] Early Attachment Behavior in Mice and Humans (2012)
  • Author(s): G. Esposito, S. Yoshida, S. Yokota, P. Venuti, S. Okabe, T. Kikusui, KO. Kuroda
  • Organizer: Comparative Physiological Assessment of Transpor t Response(TR)
  • Place of Presentation: Nagoya, Japan
  • Year and Date: 20120918-21
• [Presentation] O ntogeny and Regulatory Mechanisms of Mouse Transport Response (2012)
  • Author(s): S. Yoshida, G. Esposito, Y. Tsuneoka, R. Ohnishi, K. Kamiya, M. Hoshino, T. Kikusui, T. Kato, KO. Kuroda
  • Organizer: Filial Contribution to Maternal Carrying, 35th Japan Soceity of Neuroscience Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: Nagoya, Japan
  • Year and Date: 20120918-21
• [Presentation] How is Distress Ex pressed in Children with Autism Sp ectrum Disorders? A Cultural Comparison Between Japan and Italy (2012)
  • Author(s): J. Nakazawa, G. Esposito, P. Venuti, M.H. Bornstein
  • Organizer: 76t h Japan Psychological Association Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: Kawasaki, Japan
  • Year and Date: 20120911-13
• [Presentation] Audiovisual c rossmodal correspondences in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), Worksh op on Concepts, Actions and Objects (2012)
  • Author(s): V. Occelli, G. Esposito, P. Venuti, M. Arduino, M. Zampini
  • Organizer: Functional and Neural Perspectives
  • Place of Presentation: Rovereto, Italy
  • Year and Date: 20120524-27
• [Presentation] Matern al and Paternal Speech to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (2012)
  • Author(s): P. Venuti, A. Bentenuto, S.de Falco, G. Esposito, M.H. Bornstein
  • Organizer: Int'l Meeting for Autism Research
  • Place of Presentation: Toronto, Canada
  • Year and Date: 20120517-19
• [Presentation] Paly a nd Emotional Availability in mother- child interaction with ASD children (2012)
  • Author(s): A. Bentenuto, S.de Falco, G. Esposit o, M.H. Bornstein, P. Venuti
  • Organizer: Int'l Meeting for Autism Research
  • Place of Presentation: Toronto, Canada
  • Year and Date: 20120517-19
• [Remarks]
  • URL: http://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(13)00343-6