Developmental influences on neural responses to emotional stimuli: The role of family history, parental bonding, and adverse childhood experiences

Early childhood and family experience have profound effects on both emotional and neural development. The present study examined the unique associations between three early risk factors for depression—family history of depression, parenting style, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)—and neurophysiological reactivity to emotional stimuli, as indexed by the P300/Late Positive Potential (LPP) complex. Seventy-nine young adults (72.2% females; M = 21.7 years) completed the Family History Screen, Parental Bonding Instrument, and ACE questionnaire and performed an EEG task with pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral images. Linear mixed-effects models revealed that family history of depression and greater ACE scores were associated with reduced P300/LPP complex amplitude to pleasant images and greater P300/LPP complex amplitude to negative images, indicating a pattern of blunted sensitivity to positive stimuli and heightened sensitivity to negative stimuli. Conversely, greater parental care predicted lower LPP amplitude, particularly to negative images, indicative of a protective effect of supportive parenting. No significant associations were found with overprotection. These findings suggest that early experiences and family factors jointly contribute to modulate emotional neural processing, informing developmental pathways of vulnerability and resilience to affective disorders.