1
|
van Dijk MT, Talati A, Barrios PG, Crandall AJ, Lugo-Candelas C. Prenatal depression outcomes in the next generation: A critical review of recent DOHaD studies and recommendations for future research. Semin Perinatol 2024; 48:151948. [PMID: 39043475 DOI: 10.1016/j.semperi.2024.151948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Prenatal depression, a common pregnancy-related risk with a prevalence of 10-20 %, may affect in utero development and socioemotional and neurodevelopmental outcomes in the next generation. Although there is a growing body of work that suggests prenatal depression has an independent and long-lasting effect on offspring outcomes, important questions remain, and findings often do not converge. The present review examines work carried out in the last decade, with an emphasis on studies focusing on mechanisms and leveraging innovative technologies and study designs to fill in gaps in research. Overall, the past decade of research continues to suggest that prenatal depression increases risk for offspring socioemotional problems and may alter early brain development by affecting maternal-fetal physiology during pregnancy. However, important limitations remain; lack of diversity in study samples, inconsistent consideration of potential confounders (e.g., genetics, postnatal depression, parenting), and restriction of examination to narrow time windows and single exposures. On the other hand, exciting work has begun uncovering potential mechanisms underlying transmission, including alterations in mitochondria functioning, epigenetics, and the prenatal microbiome. We review the evidence to date, identify limitations, and suggest strategies for the next decade of research to detect mechanisms as well as sources of plasticity and resilience to ensure this work translates into meaningful, actionable science that improves the lives of families.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M T van Dijk
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, United States; New York State Psychiatric Institute, United States
| | - A Talati
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, United States; New York State Psychiatric Institute, United States
| | | | - A J Crandall
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, United States; New York State Psychiatric Institute, United States
| | - C Lugo-Candelas
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, United States; New York State Psychiatric Institute, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Fu X, Bolton SH, Morningstar M, Mattson WI, Feng X, Nelson EE. Young Children of Mothers with a History of Depression Show Attention Bias to Sad Faces: An Eye-tracking Study. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2024; 52:1469-1483. [PMID: 38713348 PMCID: PMC11420269 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-024-01205-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Maternal depression is a predictor of the emergence of depression in the offspring. Attention bias (AB) to negative emotional stimuli in children may serve as a risk factor for children of depressed parents. The present study aimed to examine the effect of maternal major depressive disorder (MDD) history on AB to emotional faces in children at age four, before the age of onset for full-blown psychiatric symptoms. The study also compared AB patterns between mothers and their offspring. Fifty-eight mothers and their four-year-old children participated in this study, of which 27 high-risk (HR) children had mothers with MDD during their children's lifetime. Attention to emotional faces was measured in both children and their mothers using an eye-tracking visual search task. HR children exhibited faster detection and longer dwell time toward the sad than happy target faces. The low-risk (LR) children also displayed a sad bias but to a lesser degree. Children across both groups showed AB towards angry target faces, likely reflecting a normative AB pattern. Our findings indicate that AB to sad faces may serve as an early marker of depression risk. However, we provided limited support for the mother-child association of AB. Future research is needed to examine the longitudinal intergenerational transmission of AB related to depression and possible mechanisms underlying the emergence of AB in offspring of depressed parents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxue Fu
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, 29201, Columbia, SC, USA.
| | - Scout H Bolton
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | | | - Whitney I Mattson
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Xin Feng
- Department of Human and Family Sciences, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Eric E Nelson
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kosakowski HL, Cohen MA, Herrera L, Nichoson I, Kanwisher N, Saxe R. Cortical Face-Selective Responses Emerge Early in Human Infancy. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0117-24.2024. [PMID: 38871455 PMCID: PMC11258539 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0117-24.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
In human adults, multiple cortical regions respond robustly to faces, including the occipital face area (OFA) and fusiform face area (FFA), implicated in face perception, and the superior temporal sulcus (STS) and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), implicated in higher-level social functions. When in development, does face selectivity arise in each of these regions? Here, we combined two awake infant functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) datasets to create a sample size twice the size of previous reports (n = 65 infants; 2.6-9.6 months). Infants watched movies of faces, bodies, objects, and scenes, while fMRI data were collected. Despite variable amounts of data from each infant, individual subject whole-brain activation maps revealed responses to faces compared to nonface visual categories in the approximate location of OFA, FFA, STS, and MPFC. To determine the strength and nature of face selectivity in these regions, we used cross-validated functional region of interest analyses. Across this larger sample size, face responses in OFA, FFA, STS, and MPFC were significantly greater than responses to bodies, objects, and scenes. Even the youngest infants (2-5 months) showed significantly face-selective responses in FFA, STS, and MPFC, but not OFA. These results demonstrate that face selectivity is present in multiple cortical regions within months of birth, providing powerful constraints on theories of cortical development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heather L Kosakowski
- Department of Psychology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
| | - Michael A Cohen
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002
| | - Lyneé Herrera
- Psychology Department, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80210
| | - Isabel Nichoson
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118
| | - Nancy Kanwisher
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Rebecca Saxe
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Xia R, Heise MJ, Bowman LC. Parental emotionality is related to preschool children's neural responses to emotional faces. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2024; 19:nsad078. [PMID: 38123451 PMCID: PMC10868131 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsad078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to accurately decode others' facial expressions is essential for successful social interaction. Previous theories suggest that aspects of parental emotionality-the frequency, persistence and intensity of parents' own emotions-can influence children's emotion perception. Through a combination of mechanisms, parental emotionality may shape how children's brains specialize to respond to emotional expressions, but empirical data are lacking. The present study provides a direct empirical test of the relation between the intensity, persistence and frequency of parents' own emotions and children's neural responses to perceiving emotional expressions. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded as typically developing 3- to 5-year-old children (final Ns = 59 and 50) passively viewed faces expressing different emotional valences (happy, angry and fearful) at full and reduced intensity (100% intense expression and 40% intense expression). We examined relations between parental emotionality and children's mean amplitude ERP N170 and negative central responses. The findings demonstrate a clear relation between parental emotionality and children's neural responses (in the N170 mean amplitude and latency) to emotional expressions and suggest that parents may influence children's emotion-processing neural circuitry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruohan Xia
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Center for Mind and Brain, 202 Cousteau Pl, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Megan J Heise
- Division of HIV, Infectious Disease, and Global Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Lindsay C Bowman
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Center for Mind and Brain, 202 Cousteau Pl, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kim HJ, Lee D, Ri HS, Choi J, Choi J, Rhee SJ, Baik J, Hwang BY, Park G, Cha J, Lee SD. Objective Assessment of Perioperative Anxiety using Functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy in Elderly Patients: A Prospective Randomized Observational Pilot Study. Int J Med Sci 2023; 20:1763-1773. [PMID: 37928873 PMCID: PMC10620860 DOI: 10.7150/ijms.89287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Assessing and managing patient anxiety is essential to reduce postoperative complications in elderly patients. However, monitoring patient anxiety objectively is impossible. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the level of fNIRS signals and anxiety in patients aged 65 and older undergoing artificial joint replacement surgery. Material and Methods: Sixty patients aged ≥65 years scheduled for elective total knee arthroplasty under spinal anesthesia were included. To differentiate the degree of anxiety, the patients were randomly divided into three groups, each consisting of 20 patients (group 1: administered normal saline as a placebo; groups 2 and 3: administered dexmedetomidine at a rate of 0.2 and 0.5 μg/kg/h, respectively, for 10 min). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy was measured continuously for 10 min in each session (session 1: pre-anesthetic period; session 2: immediately after the spinal anesthesia period; session 3: normal saline or dexmedetomidine receiving period) in all patients. Vital signs were measured thrice at 5-min intervals during each session. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory -S (STAI-S) and Ramsay Sedation Scale (RSS) scores were assessed at the end of each session. Results: The STAI-S score was significantly correlated with power of bandwidth (p = 0.034). In addition, the RSS score was significantly correlated with BW 1, 2, and 3 (p = 0.010, p < 0.001, and p = 0.003, respectively). Conclusion: The STAI-S score and BW 3 were significantly correlated, suggesting that fNIRS might help objectively and directly monitor anxiety levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyae Jin Kim
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Biomedical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Pusan, South Korea
| | - Dowon Lee
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Biomedical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Pusan, South Korea
| | - Hyun-Su Ri
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
| | | | | | - Seung Joon Rhee
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Biomedical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, South Korea
| | - Jiseok Baik
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Biomedical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Pusan, South Korea
| | - Boo-young Hwang
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Biomedical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Pusan, South Korea
| | - Gayoung Park
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Biomedical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Pusan, South Korea
| | | | - Sang Don Lee
- Department of Urology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, South Korea
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kelsey CM, Modico MA, Richards JE, Enlow MB, Nelson CA. Frontal asymmetry assessed in infancy using functional near-infrared spectroscopy is associated with emotional and behavioral problems in early childhood. Child Dev 2023; 94:563-578. [PMID: 36428283 PMCID: PMC9992105 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Frontal asymmetry (FA), the difference in brain activity between the left versus right frontal areas, is thought to reflect approach versus avoidance motivation. This study (2012-2021) used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to investigate if infant (Mage = 7.63 months; N = 90; n = 48 male; n = 75 White) FA in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex relates to psychopathology in later childhood (Mage = 62.05 months). Greater right FA to happy faces was associated with increased internalizing (η2 = .09) and externalizing (η2 = .06) problems at age 5 years. Greater right FA to both happy and fearful faces was associated with an increased likelihood of a lifetime anxiety diagnosis (R2 > .13). FA may be an informative and early-emerging marker for psychopathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M. Kelsey
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Margaret A. Modico
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - John E. Richards
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Charles A. Nelson
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Fiske A, Scerif G, Holmboe K. Maternal depressive symptoms and early childhood temperament before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2022; 31:e2354. [PMID: 35942046 PMCID: PMC9349650 DOI: 10.1002/icd.2354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is an unexpected and major global event, with the potential to have many and varied impacts on child development. However, the implications of the pandemic for maternal depressive symptoms, early childhood temperament dimensions, and their associations, remain largely unknown. To investigate this, questionnaires were completed by mothers (N = 175) before and during the pandemic when their child was 10- and 16-months old (Study 1), and by an extended group of mothers with young children (6-48 months; 66 additional mothers) during the first and second national lockdowns in the United Kingdom in 2020 (Study 2). Results indicated that while maternal pandemic-related stress decreased over the first 6 months of the pandemic, there was an increase in mothers who reported feeling some level of pandemic-specific depression. Despite this, we did not observe an increase in the severity of global maternal depressive symptoms, or any negative impact of the pandemic on the development of temperament in infancy and early childhood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Fiske
- Department of Experimental PsychologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Gaia Scerif
- Department of Experimental PsychologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Karla Holmboe
- Department of Experimental PsychologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- School of Psychological ScienceUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Chajes JR, Stern JA, Kelsey CM, Grossmann T. Examining the Role of Socioeconomic Status and Maternal Sensitivity in Predicting Functional Brain Network Connectivity in 5-Month-Old Infants. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:892482. [PMID: 35757535 PMCID: PMC9226752 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.892482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Infancy is a sensitive period of human brain development that is plastically shaped by environmental factors. Both proximal factors, such as sensitive parenting, and distal factors, such as socioeconomic status (SES), are known predictors of individual differences in structural and functional brain systems across the lifespan, yet it is unclear how these familial and contextual factors work together to shape functional brain development during infancy, particularly during the first months of life. In the current study, we examined pre-registered hypotheses regarding the interplay between these factors to assess how maternal sensitivity, within the broader context of socioeconomic variation, relates to the development of functional connectivity in long-range cortical brain networks. Specifically, we measured resting-state functional connectivity in three cortical brain networks (fronto-parietal network, default mode network, homologous-interhemispheric connectivity) using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), and examined the associations between maternal sensitivity, SES, and functional connectivity in a sample of 5-month-old infants and their mothers (N = 50 dyads). Results showed that all three networks were detectable during a passive viewing task, and that maternal sensitivity was positively associated with functional connectivity in the default mode network, such that infants with more sensitive mothers exhibited enhanced functional connectivity in this network. Contrary to hypotheses, we did not observe any associations of SES with functional connectivity in the brain networks assessed in this study. This suggests that at 5 months of age, maternal sensitivity is an important proximal environmental factor associated with individual differences in functional connectivity in a long-range cortical brain network implicated in a host of emotional and social-cognitive brain processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johanna R. Chajes
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Jessica A. Stern
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Caroline M. Kelsey
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Tobias Grossmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Luotonen S, Railo H, Acosta H, Huotilainen M, Lavonius M, Karlsson L, Karlsson H, Tuulari JJ. Auditory Mismatch Responses to Emotional Stimuli in 3-Year-Olds in Relation to Prenatal Maternal Depression Symptoms. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:868270. [PMID: 35655753 PMCID: PMC9152314 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.868270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal depression symptoms are common in pregnant women and can have negative effects on offspring’s emotional development. This study investigated the association between prenatal maternal depression symptoms (assessed with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at 24 weeks of gestation) and auditory perception of emotional stimuli in 3-year-olds (n = 58) from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study. Using electroencephalography (EEG), we examined mismatch responses for happy, sad, and angry sounds presented among neutral stimuli. A positive association between maternal depression symptoms and the emotional mismatch responses in an early time window (80–120 ms) was found, indicating that brain responses of children of mothers with depressive symptoms were weaker to happy sounds, though the results did not survive Bonferroni correction. There were no clear associations in the sad and angry emotional categories. Our results tentatively support that the 3-year-old children of mothers with depression symptoms may be less sensitive to automatically detect happy sounds compared to children whose mothers do not display symptoms of depression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Silja Luotonen
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- *Correspondence: Silja Luotonen,
| | - Henry Railo
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Henriette Acosta
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Minna Huotilainen
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- CICERO Learning, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Maria Lavonius
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Linnea Karlsson
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Hasse Karlsson
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Jetro J. Tuulari
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Turku Collegium for Science, Medicine and Technology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Abraham E, Wang Y, Svob C, Semanek D, Gameroff MJ, Shankman SA, Weissman MM, Talati A, Posner J. Organization of the social cognition network predicts future depression and interpersonal impairment: a prospective family-based study. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:531-542. [PMID: 34162998 PMCID: PMC8674240 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01065-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Deficits in social cognition and functioning are common in major depressive disorder (MDD). Still, no study into the pathophysiology of MDD has examined the social cognition-related neural pathways through which familial risk for MDD leads to depression and interpersonal impairments. Using resting-state fMRI, we applied a graph theoretical analysis to quantify the influence of nodes within the fronto-temporo-parietal cortical social cognition network in 108 generation 2 and generation 3 offspring at high and low-risk for MDD, defined by the presence or absence, respectively, of moderate to severe MDD in generation 1. New MDD episodes, future depressive symptoms, and interpersonal impairments were tested for associations with social cognition nodal influence, using regression analyses applied in a generalized estimating equations approach. Increased familial risk was associated with reduced nodal influence within the network, and this predicted new depressive episodes, worsening depressive symptomatology, and interpersonal impairments, 5-8 years later. Findings remained significant after controlling for current depressive/anxiety symptoms and current/lifetime MDD and anxiety disorders. Path-analysis models indicate that increased familial risk impacted offspring's brain function in two ways. First, high familial risk was indirectly associated with future depression, both new MDD episodes and symptomatology, via reduced nodal influence of the right posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG). Second, high familial risk was indirectly associated with future interpersonal impairments via reduced nodal influence of right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Finally, reduced nodal influence was associated with high familial risk in (1) those who had never had MDD at the time of scanning and (2) a subsample (n = 52) rescanned 8 years later. Together, findings reveal a potential pathway for the intergenerational transmission of vulnerability via the aberrant social cognition network organization and suggest using the connectome of neural network related to social cognition to identify intervention and prevention targets for those particularly at risk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eyal Abraham
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
- Divisions of Translational Epidemiology and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Yun Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Child Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Connie Svob
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Divisions of Translational Epidemiology and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - David Semanek
- Child Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marc J Gameroff
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Divisions of Translational Epidemiology and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stewart A Shankman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, USA
| | - Myrna M Weissman
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Divisions of Translational Epidemiology and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ardesheer Talati
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Divisions of Translational Epidemiology and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan Posner
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
- Child Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Thrasher C, Krol KM, Grossmann T. Mother's engagement with infant linked to infant's responding to threat. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63 Suppl 1:e22224. [PMID: 34964494 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The early development of threat perception in infancy might be dependent on caregiver context, but this link has not yet been studied in human infants. This study examined the emergence of the young infant's response to threat in the context of variations in caregiving behavior. Eighty infant-caregiver dyads (39 female infants, all of western European descent) visited the laboratory when the infant was 5 months old. Each dyad completed a free-play task, from which we coded for the mother's level of engagement: the amount of talking, close proximity, positive affect, and attention directed toward the infant. When the infant was 7 months old, they came back to the laboratory and we used functional near infrared spectroscopy and eye tracking to measure infants' neural and attentional responses to threatening angry faces. In response to threat, infants of more-engaged mothers showed increased brain responses in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex-a brain region associated with emotion regulation and cognitive control among adults-and reduced attentional avoidance. These results point to a role for caregiver behavioral context in the early development of brain systems involved in human threat responding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cat Thrasher
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Kathleen M Krol
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.,Early Social Development Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Grossmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.,Early Social Development Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Juvrud J, Haas SA, Fox NA, Gredebäck G. Infants' Selective Visual Attention Is Dependent on Maternal Affect and Emotional Context. Front Psychol 2021; 12:700272. [PMID: 34603127 PMCID: PMC8481686 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.700272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of selective attention during the first year of life is critical to cognitive and socio-emotional skills. It is also a period that the average child’s interactions with their mother dominate their social environment. This study examined how maternal negative affect and an emotion face prime (mother/stranger) jointly effect selective visual attention. Results from linear mixed-effects modeling showed that 9-month olds (N=70) were faster to find a visual search target after viewing a fearful face (regardless of familiarity) or their mother’s angry face. For mothers with high negative affect, infants’ attention was further impacted by fearful faces, resulting in faster search times. Face emotion interacted with mother’s negative affect, demonstrating a capacity to influence what infants attend in their environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Juvrud
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala Child and Baby Lab, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sara A Haas
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala Child and Baby Lab, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Nathan A Fox
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Gustaf Gredebäck
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala Child and Baby Lab, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Gemignani J, Gervain J. Comparing different pre-processing routines for infant fNIRS data. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 48:100943. [PMID: 33735718 PMCID: PMC7985709 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an important neuroimaging technique in cognitive developmental neuroscience. Nevertheless, there is no general consensus yet about best pre-processing practices. This issue is highly relevant, especially since the development and variability of the infant hemodynamic response (HRF) is not fully known. Systematic comparisons between analysis methods are thus necessary. We investigated the performance of five different pipelines, selected on the basis of a systematic search of the infant NIRS literature, in two experiments. In Experiment 1, we used synthetic data to compare the recovered HRFs with the true HRF and to assess the robustness of each method against increasing levels of noise. In Experiment 2, we analyzed experimental data from a published study, which assessed the neural correlates of artificial grammar processing in newborns. We found that with motion artifact correction (as opposed to rejection) a larger number of trials were retained, but HRF amplitude was often strongly reduced. By contrast, artifact rejection resulted in a high exclusion rate but preserved adequately the characteristics of the HRF. We also found that the performance of all pipelines declined as the noise increased, but significantly less so than if no pre-processing was applied. Finally, we found no difference between running the pre-processing on optical density or concentration change data. These results suggest that pre-processing should thus be optimized as a function of the specific quality issues a give dataset exhibits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Gemignani
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, CNRS & University of Paris, Paris, France.
| | - Judit Gervain
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, CNRS & University of Paris, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
Historically, research characterizing the development of emotion recognition has focused on identifying specific skills and the age periods, or milestones, at which these abilities emerge. However, advances in emotion research raise questions about whether this conceptualization accurately reflects how children learn about, understand, and respond to others’ emotions in everyday life. In this review, we propose a developmental framework for the emergence of emotion reasoning—that is, how children develop the ability to make reasonably accurate inferences and predictions about the emotion states of other people. We describe how this framework holds promise for building upon extant research. Our review suggests that use of the term emotion recognition can be misleading and imprecise, with the developmental processes of interest better characterized by the term emotion reasoning. We also highlight how the age at which children succeed on many tasks reflects myriad developmental processes. This new framing of emotional development can open new lines of inquiry about how humans learn to navigate their social worlds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley L. Ruba
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA;,
| | - Seth D. Pollak
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA;,
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Esposito G, Rigo P, Bornstein MH. Brain imaging technologies to study infant behavior and development. Infant Behav Dev 2020; 60:101461. [DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2020.101461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|