Improving maternal bonding through Real-time fMRI Neurofeedback in Mothers with Postpartum Bonding Problems

Abstract Maternal bonding, the first emotional connection a mother forms with her infant, is typically supported by neural reward-system activation, yet around 10% of mothers experience difficulties forming this bond. This longitudinal study examined N = 61 mothers (n= 31 with postpartum bonding problems (BP)) during the first year postpartum. Mothers with BP were randomly and double-blind assigned to three sessions of real-time fMRI-neurofeedback (NFB), targeting either the ventral striatum (VS) or the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Post-intervention, the VS group exhibited a significantly greater increase in maternal bonding, compared to the ACC group. Additional, clinical improvements were observed in observed mother-infant interaction, namely dyadic reciprocity and negative emotional states, particularly after ACC-NFB. Training targeting the VS resulted in increased striatal activity towards the infant stimuli. Despite the small sample, results indicate beneficial effects of NFB on maternal bonding and mother-infant interaction quality.