Study Finds How Grandmothers’ Brain React To The Sight Of Their Grandchildren

Spread the love

Brain News – Researchers scanned grandmothers’ brains when they are seeing photos of their young grandchildren and provided a neural snapshot of this special, inter-generational bond.

In a new study, researchers at Emory University examined 50 healthy grandmothers to understand their brains and how that may relate to the benefits they provide to their families. The participants were asked to complete questionnaires related to their experiences as grandmothers and undergo functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure their brain function when they viewed photos of their grandchildren, an unknown child, the same-sex parent of the grandchild, and an unknown adult.

As per the findings, grandmothers showed stronger activation in an area of their brain associated with emotional empathy when they viewed their grandchildren’s pictures. Similarly, when viewing the photos of their adult child, grandmothers showed stronger activation in an area of the brain associated with cognitive empathy. It suggested that they may be trying to cognitively understand what their adult child is thinking or feeling and why.

The research result stated that grandmothers who had more strongly activated areas associated with cognitive empathy while seeing their grandchildren’s pictures reported that they desired greater involvement in caring for their grandchildren. The researchers compared the result of an earlier study of fathers viewing photos of their children with the findings of the recent study and discovered that grandmothers had more strongly activated regions involved with emotional empathy and motivation, on average, when viewing images of their grandchildren.

“Young children have likely evolved traits to be able to manipulate not just the maternal brain, but the grand maternal brain. An adult child doesn’t have the same cute ‘factor,’ so they may not elicit the same emotional response,” said James Rilling, lead author of the study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. According to him, grandmothers are the most important caregivers next to mothers.

To Know More You May Refer To:

Rilling, J. K., Gonzalez, A., & Lee, M. (2021). The neural correlates of grandmaternal caregiving. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 288(1963). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.1997


Spread the love

Leave a Reply

  • Untreated Vision Problems Could Raise Odds for Dementia: Study Finds

    Untreated Vision Problems Could Raise Odds for Dementia: Study Finds

    Researchers explored how untreated vision problems can lead to dementia.

  • Cyberbullying And Suicide Are Interlinked In Children And Adolescents, Study Claims

    Cyberbullying And Suicide Are Interlinked In Children And Adolescents, Study Claims

    Researchers explored how cyberbullying fuels suicide in the younger populations.

  • WHO Report: 1 In 8 People In The World Live With Mental Disorder

    WHO Report: 1 In 8 People In The World Live With Mental Disorder

    WHO opines on the global mental health crisis and the…

  • Mother-Youth Interactions Help Adolescents Cope With Stress, Study Finds

    Mother-Youth Interactions Help Adolescents Cope With Stress, Study Finds

    Researchers explore the link between adolescents’ mental health and involved…

  • Addiction Remission And The Faulty Brain Circuit: New Study

    Addiction Remission And The Faulty Brain Circuit: New Study

    Researchers explore the link between substance addiction, addiction remission, and…

  • Women’s Brains Can Heat Up More Than That Of Men, Study Finds

    Researchers explored how healthy human brains are hotter than injured…

  • Looking At Yourself During Virtual Chats May Worsen Your Mood; Alcohol May Boost This Effect

    Researchers explore the link between mood, alcohol, and attentional focus…

  • Stress Accelerates Immune Aging, New Study Claims

    Researchers at the University of Southern California explored how stress…

  • Rise In Smoking Among Youth Tells Tales Of Their Poor Mental Health

    Experts explore the link between poor mental health and the…

  • Genes Influence Our Eating Habits, Study Says

    Researchers at the American Society for Nutrition studied how genes…

  • Peer Isolation Lowers Youth Substance Use, Study Finds

    Researchers link social isolation to lowered youth substance abuse and…

  • Can Adults With ADHD Have Excellent Mental Health?

    Researchers explored how people with ADHD can enjoy sound mental…

  • Pet Therapy Lowers Stress In School Children: New Study Says

    Researchers examined the effectiveness of pet therapy.

  • How Can Dopamine Influence Our Ability To Socialize? New Study Finds

    A team of international researchers explored how dopamine in the…

  • Who Wants To Be A Billionaire? This Study Will Surprise You

    A study shows how most people do not support unlimited…

  • Childhood Fitness Prevents Mid-life Dementia, Study Finds

    Australian researchers explored the link between childhood fitness and obesity…

  • Coffee Triggers Spree-Shopping, Study Finds

    Researchers explored how caffeine triggers impulsive shopping.

  • What Are The Reasons For Mental Illness And Their Misdiagnosis In India?

    Experts examine the reasons why mental illness gets frequently misdiagnosed…

  • Does Risky Play For Children Boost Their Mental Health?

    Researchers link risky play for children with sound mental and…

  • Researchers Can Now ‘Bottle’ The Benefits Of Exercise In A Pill

    The study shows how researchers have successfully packed the benefits…

  • Loneliness And Dementia Are Linked, Says Study

    Researchers explored the link between social isolation and dementia.

  • TikTok’s “Hot Girl Walk”: Is It An Exercise Trend Worth Following?

    Experts opine on the mental and physical health benefits of…

  • Do Optimists Live Longer? Science Says Yes!

    Harvard researchers explore the link between optimism and a longer…

  • How A Memory Of Fear Is Formed In The Brain? New Study Reveals

    A team of neuroscientists explored the brain mechanisms behind fear…

  • Postpartum Depression: How To Calm Your Distressed Baby?

    Researchers found that Postpartum depression can disrupt mothers’ soothing signals…

  • Why Humans Don’t Make Optimal Choices? New Study Reveals

    A new theory of economic decision-making aims to help us…

  • Moderate Digital Media Use Enhances Mental Health In Teenagers, Study Finds

    Researchers at Trinity College Dublin explored the link between optimal…