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Shekhar S, Hirvi P, Maria A, Kotilahti K, Tuulari JJ, Karlsson L, Karlsson H, Nissilä I. Maternal prenatal depressive symptoms and child brain responses to affective touch at two years of age. J Affect Disord 2024; 356:177-189. [PMID: 38508459 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.092] [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] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Touch is an essential form of mother-child interaction, instigating better social bonding and emotional stability. METHODS We used diffuse optical tomography to explore the relationship between total haemoglobin (HbT) responses to affective touch in the child's brain at two years of age and maternal self-reported prenatal depressive symptoms (EPDS). Affective touch was implemented via slow brushing of the child's right forearm at 3 cm/s and non-affective touch via fast brushing at 30 cm/s and HbT responses were recorded on the left hemisphere. RESULTS We discovered a cluster in the postcentral gyrus exhibiting a negative correlation (Pearson's r = -0.84, p = 0.015 corrected for multiple comparisons) between child HbT response to affective touch and EPDS at gestational week 34. Based on region of interest (ROI) analysis, we found negative correlations between child responses to affective touch and maternal prenatal EPDS at gestational week 14 in the precentral gyrus, Rolandic operculum and secondary somatosensory cortex. The responses to non-affective touch did not correlate with EPDS in these regions. LIMITATIONS The number of mother-child dyads was 16. However, by utilising high-density optode arrangements, individualised anatomical models, and video and accelerometry to monitor movement, we were able to minimize methodological sources of variability in the data. CONCLUSIONS The results show that maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy may be associated with reduced child responses to affective touch in the temporoparietal cortex. Responses to affective touch may be considered as potential biomarkers for psychosocial development in children. Early identification of and intervention in maternal depression may be important already during early pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shashank Shekhar
- Duke University School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Durham, NC, USA; University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Finland; University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Finland
| | - Pauliina Hirvi
- Aalto University, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Finland; Aalto University, Department of Mathematics and Systems Analysis, Finland
| | - Ambika Maria
- University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Finland; University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Finland
| | - Kalle Kotilahti
- Aalto University, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Finland
| | - Jetro J Tuulari
- University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Finland; University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Finland; Turku Collegium for Science, Medicine and Technology, TCSMT, University of Turku, Finland
| | - Linnea Karlsson
- University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Finland; University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Finland; University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Hasse Karlsson
- University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Finland; University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Finland
| | - Ilkka Nissilä
- Aalto University, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Finland.
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Hacohen-Brown S, Gilboa-Schechtman E, Zaidel A. Modality-specific effects of threat on self-motion perception. BMC Biol 2024; 22:120. [PMID: 38783286 PMCID: PMC11119305 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01911-3] [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: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Threat and individual differences in threat-processing bias perception of stimuli in the environment. Yet, their effect on perception of one's own (body-based) self-motion in space is unknown. Here, we tested the effects of threat on self-motion perception using a multisensory motion simulator with concurrent threatening or neutral auditory stimuli. RESULTS Strikingly, threat had opposite effects on vestibular and visual self-motion perception, leading to overestimation of vestibular, but underestimation of visual self-motions. Trait anxiety tended to be associated with an enhanced effect of threat on estimates of self-motion for both modalities. CONCLUSIONS Enhanced vestibular perception under threat might stem from shared neural substrates with emotional processing, whereas diminished visual self-motion perception may indicate that a threatening stimulus diverts attention away from optic flow integration. Thus, threat induces modality-specific biases in everyday experiences of self-motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shira Hacohen-Brown
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Eva Gilboa-Schechtman
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Adam Zaidel
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel.
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Wu Y, De Asis-Cruz J, Limperopoulos C. Brain structural and functional outcomes in the offspring of women experiencing psychological distress during pregnancy. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02449-0. [PMID: 38418579 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02449-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
In-utero exposure to maternal psychological distress is increasingly linked with disrupted fetal and neonatal brain development and long-term neurobehavioral dysfunction in children and adults. Elevated maternal psychological distress is associated with changes in fetal brain structure and function, including reduced hippocampal and cerebellar volumes, increased cerebral cortical gyrification and sulcal depth, decreased brain metabolites (e.g., choline and creatine levels), and disrupted functional connectivity. After birth, reduced cerebral and cerebellar gray matter volumes, increased cerebral cortical gyrification, altered amygdala and hippocampal volumes, and disturbed brain microstructure and functional connectivity have been reported in the offspring months or even years after exposure to maternal distress during pregnancy. Additionally, adverse child neurodevelopment outcomes such as cognitive, language, learning, memory, social-emotional problems, and neuropsychiatric dysfunction are being increasingly reported after prenatal exposure to maternal distress. The mechanisms by which prenatal maternal psychological distress influences early brain development include but are not limited to impaired placental function, disrupted fetal epigenetic regulation, altered microbiome and inflammation, dysregulated hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis, altered distribution of the fetal cardiac output to the brain, and disrupted maternal sleep and appetite. This review will appraise the available literature on the brain structural and functional outcomes and neurodevelopmental outcomes in the offspring of pregnant women experiencing elevated psychological distress. In addition, it will also provide an overview of the mechanistic underpinnings of brain development changes in stress response and discuss current treatments for elevated maternal psychological distress, including pharmacotherapy (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and non-pharmacotherapy (e.g., cognitive-behavior therapy). Finally, it will end with a consideration of future directions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Wu
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, 20010, USA
| | | | - Catherine Limperopoulos
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, 20010, USA.
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, 20010, USA.
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Trujillo-Villarreal LA, Cruz-Carrillo G, Angeles-Valdez D, Garza-Villarreal EA, Camacho-Morales A. Paternal Prenatal and Lactation Exposure to a High-Calorie Diet Shapes Transgenerational Brain Macro- and Microstructure Defects, Impacting Anxiety-Like Behavior in Male Offspring Rats. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0194-23.2023. [PMID: 38212114 PMCID: PMC10863632 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0194-23.2023] [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: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to high-energy diets (HED) increases the susceptibility to behavioral alterations in the male offspring. We addressed whether prenatal HED primes the transgenerational inheritance of structural brain changes impacting anxiety/depression-like behavior in the offspring. For this, we used female Wistar rats exposed to a HED [cafeteria (CAF) diet, n = 6] or chow [control (CON) n = 6] during development. Anxiety and depression-like behavior were evaluated in filial 1 (F1), filial 2 (F2), and filial 3 (F3) male offspring using the open field (OFT), elevated plus maze, novelty suppressed feeding (NSFT), tail suspension (TST), and forced swimming tests. Structural brain changes were identified by deformation-based morphometry (DBM) and diffusion tensor imaging using ex vivo MRI. We found that the F1, F2, and F3 offspring exposed to CAF diet displayed higher anxious scores including longer feeding latency during the NSFT, and in the closed arms, only F1 offspring showed longer stay on edges during the OFT versus control offspring. DBM analysis revealed that CAF offspring exhibited altered volume in the cerebellum, hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus preserved up to the F3 generation of anxious individuals. Also, F3 CAF anxious exhibited greater fractional anisotropy and axial diffusivity (AD) in the amygdala, greater apparent diffusion coefficient in the corpus callosum, and greater AD in the hippocampus with respect to the control. Our results suggest that prenatal and lactation exposure to HED programs the transgenerational inheritance of structural brain changes related to anxiety-like behavior in the male offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A Trujillo-Villarreal
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo Leon 64460, Mexico
- Neurometabolism Unit, Center for Research and Development in Health Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo Leon 64460, Mexico
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Queretaro 76230, Mexico
| | - Gabriela Cruz-Carrillo
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo Leon 64460, Mexico
- Neurometabolism Unit, Center for Research and Development in Health Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo Leon 64460, Mexico
| | - Diego Angeles-Valdez
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Queretaro 76230, Mexico
| | - Eduardo A Garza-Villarreal
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Queretaro 76230, Mexico
| | - Alberto Camacho-Morales
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo Leon 64460, Mexico
- Neurometabolism Unit, Center for Research and Development in Health Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo Leon 64460, Mexico
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Turk E, van den Heuvel MI, Sleurs C, Billiet T, Uyttebroeck A, Sunaert S, Mennes M, Van den Bergh BRH. Maternal anxiety during pregnancy is associated with weaker prefrontal functional connectivity in adult offspring. Brain Imaging Behav 2023; 17:595-607. [PMID: 37380807 PMCID: PMC10733226 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-023-00787-1] [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: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The connectome, constituting a unique fingerprint of a person's brain, may be influenced by its prenatal environment, potentially affecting later-life resilience and mental health. METHODS We conducted a prospective resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging study in 28-year-old offspring (N = 49) of mothers whose anxiety was monitored during pregnancy. Two offspring anxiety subgroups were defined: "High anxiety" (n = 13) group versus "low-to-medium anxiety" (n = 36) group, based on maternal self-reported state anxiety at 12-22 weeks of gestation. To predict resting-state functional connectivity of 32 by 32 ROIs, maternal state anxiety during pregnancy was included as a predictor in general linear models for both ROI-to-ROI and graph theoretical metrics. Sex, birth weight and postnatal anxiety were included as covariates. RESULTS Higher maternal anxiety was associated with weaker functional connectivity of medial prefrontal cortex with left inferior frontal gyrus (t = 3.45, pFDR < 0.05). Moreover, network-based statistics (NBS) confirmed our finding and revealed an additional association of weaker connectivity between left lateral prefontal cortex with left somatosensory motor gyrus in the offspring. While our results showed a general pattern of lower functional connectivity in adults prenatally exposed to maternal anxiety, we did not observe significant differences in global brain networks between groups. CONCLUSIONS Weaker (medial) prefrontal cortex functional connectivity in the high anxiety adult offspring group suggests a long-term negative impact of prenatal exposure to high maternal anxiety, extending into adulthood. To prevent mental health problems at population level, universal primary prevention strategies should aim at lowering maternal anxiety during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Turk
- Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Tilburg University, Warandelaan 2, 5037AB, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
| | - Marion I van den Heuvel
- Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Tilburg University, Warandelaan 2, 5037AB, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - Charlotte Sleurs
- Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Tilburg University, Warandelaan 2, 5037AB, Tilburg, The Netherlands
- Department of Oncology, Catholic University of Leuven, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Anne Uyttebroeck
- Department of Oncology, Catholic University of Leuven, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Maarten Mennes
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bea R H Van den Bergh
- Health Psychology Research Group, Catholic University of Leuven, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Welfare, Public Health and Family, Flemish Government, Brussels, Belgium
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Kemp J, Chenji S, MacMaster F, Bray S, Kopala-Sibley DC. Associations between parental depression and anxiety symptom severity and their Offspring's cortical thickness and subcortical volume. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 166:139-146. [PMID: 37774665 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Depression and anxiety are associated with grey matter changes in subcortical regions in adults and adolescents. Parent psychopathology is associated with offspring brain structure, but it's unclear whether altered brain structure in children is associated with severity of parental depression and anxiety symptoms. We examined 123 youth (Mean age = 13.64; 62% female) with no clinically significant history of depression or anxiety and one parent diagnosed with current or past depressive or anxiety disorders. Parents completed the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview to assess diagnostic status and the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 to assess current symptom severity. Youth underwent T1 weighted structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans. Bivariate analyses revealed higher parental depressive severity was not significantly associated with offspring grey matter. Parental anxiety severity was significantly associated with less left global surface area. When controlling for offspring age, sex and intracranial volume (ICV), offspring right surface area was negatively associated with parental depressive severity at a trend level. In previously depressed parents, greater parental depressive severity was significantly associated with offspring decreased left and right surface area. There were no significant associations between parental anxiety severity in previously depressed parents and offspring subcortical or cortical brain regions. These results highlight associations between parental depressive symptom severity and offspring brain structure and suggest that even within an already high-risk group of adolescents, there may be altered cortical surface area depending on parent symptom severity. This may help identify youth most at risk for developing a mood disorder and could help further early intervention and identification efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Kemp
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada; Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| | - Sneha Chenji
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada; Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Frank MacMaster
- IWK Health, Halifax, NS, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Signe Bray
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada; Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Daniel C Kopala-Sibley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada; Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Calgary, AB, Canada
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Mattoni M, Hopman HJ, Dadematthews A, Chan SSM, Olino TM. Specificity of associations between parental psychopathology and offspring brain structure. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2023; 334:111684. [PMID: 37499380 PMCID: PMC10530479 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2023.111684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Multiple forms of parental psychopathology have been associated with differences in subcortical brain volume. However, few studies have considered the role of comorbidity. Here, we examine if alterations in child subcortical brain structure are specific to parental depression, anxiety, mania, or alcohol/substance use parental psychopathology, common across these disorders, or altered by a history of multiple disorders. We examined 6581 children aged 9 to 10 years old from the ABCD study with no history of mental disorders. We found several significant interactions such that the effects of a parental history of depression, anxiety, and substance use problems on amygdala and striatal volumes were moderated by comorbid parental history of another disorder. Interactions tended to suggest smaller volumes in the presence of a comorbid disorder. However, effect sizes were small, and no associations remained significant after correcting for multiple comparisons. Results suggest that associations between familial risk for psychopathology and offspring brain structure in 9-10-year-olds are modest, and relationships that do exist tend to implicate the amygdala and striatal regions and are moderated by a comorbid parental psychopathology history. Several methodological factors, including controlling for intracranial volume and other forms of parental psychopathology and excluding child psychopathology, likely contribute to inconsistencies in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Mattoni
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Helene J Hopman
- Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China
| | | | - Sandra S M Chan
- Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Thomas M Olino
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Fňašková M, Říha P, Nečasová M, Preiss M, Rektor I. Lifelong effects of prenatal and early postnatal stress on the hippocampus, amygdala, and psychological states of Holocaust survivors. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13835. [PMID: 37620426 PMCID: PMC10449780 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40618-3] [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: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
This study focuses on hippocampal and amygdala volume, seed-based connectivity, and psychological traits of Holocaust survivors who experienced stress during prenatal and early postnatal development. We investigated people who lived in Central Europe during the Holocaust and who, as Jews, were in imminent danger. The group who experienced stress during their prenatal development and early postnatal (PreP) period (n = 11) were compared with a group who experienced Holocaust-related stress later in their lives: in late childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood (ChA) (n = 21). The results of volumetry analysis showed significantly lower volumes of both hippocampi and the right amygdala in the PreP group. Seed-based connectivity analysis revealed increased connectivity from the seed in the right amygdala to the middle and posterior cingulate cortex, caudate, and inferior left frontal operculum in the PreP group. Psychological testing found higher levels of traumatic stress symptoms (TCS-40) and lower levels of well-being (SOS-10) in the PreP group than in the ChA group. The results of our study demonstrate that extreme stress experienced during prenatal and early postnatal life has a profound lifelong impact on the hippocampus and amygdala and on several psychological characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Fňašková
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Brain and Mind Research Programme, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
- First Department of Neurology, St Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Pavel Říha
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Brain and Mind Research Programme, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
- First Department of Neurology, St Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Markéta Nečasová
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Brain and Mind Research Programme, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
- First Department of Neurology, St Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Marek Preiss
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Brain and Mind Research Programme, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
- National Institute of Mental Health (Czechia), Prague, Czechia
| | - Ivan Rektor
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Brain and Mind Research Programme, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia.
- First Department of Neurology, St Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia.
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Foo SS, Chen W, Jung KL, Azamor T, Choi UY, Zhang P, Comhair SA, Erzurum SC, Jehi L, Jung JU. Immunometabolic rewiring in long COVID patients with chronic headache. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.06.531302. [PMID: 36945569 PMCID: PMC10028820 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.06.531302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Almost 20% of patients with COVID-19 experience long-term effects, known as post-COVID condition or long COVID. Among many lingering neurologic symptoms, chronic headache is the most common. Despite this health concern, the etiology of long COVID headache is still not well characterized. Here, we present a longitudinal multi-omics analysis of blood leukocyte transcriptomics, plasma proteomics and metabolomics of long COVID patients with chronic headache. Long COVID patients experienced a state of hyper-inflammation prior to chronic headache onset and maintained persistent inflammatory activation throughout the progression of chronic headache. Metabolomic analysis also revealed augmented arginine and lipid metabolisms, skewing towards a nitric oxide-based pro-inflammation. Furthermore, metabolisms of neurotransmitters including serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, and GABA were markedly dysregulated during the progression of long COVID headache. Overall, these findings illustrate the immuno-metabolomics landscape of long COVID patients with chronic headache, which may provide insights to potential therapeutic interventions.
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Bezanson S, Nichols ES, Duerden EG. Postnatal maternal distress, infant subcortical brain macrostructure and emotional regulation. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2023; 328:111577. [PMID: 36512951 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2022.111577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal distress is associated with an increased risk for adverse emotional development in infants, including difficulties with emotion regulation. Prenatal maternal distress has been associated with alterations in infant brain development. However, less is known about these associations with postnatal maternal distress, despite this being an important modifiable risk factor that can promote healthy brain development and emotional outcomes in infants. METHODS & RESULTS Infants underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and mothers completed standardized questionnaires concerning their levels of perceived distress 2-5 months postpartum. Infant emotion regulation was assessed at 8-11 months via maternal report. When examining the associations between maternal distress and infant macrostructure, maternal anxiety was associated with infant right pallidum volumes. Increased display of negative emotions at 8-11 months of age was associated with smaller hippocampal volumes and this association was stronger in girls than boys. CONCLUSION Findings suggest that postnatal maternal distress may be associated with early infant brain development and emphasize the importance of maternal mental health, supporting previous work. Furthermore, macrostructural properties of infant subcortical structures may be further investigated as potential biomarkers to identify infants at risk of adverse emotional outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Bezanson
- Neuroscience Program, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emily S Nichols
- Applied Psychology, Faculty of Education, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emma G Duerden
- Neuroscience Program, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Applied Psychology, Faculty of Education, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Children's Health Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
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Li Q, Wang W, Hu Z. Amygdala's T1-weighted image radiomics outperforms volume for differentiation of anxiety disorder and its subtype. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1091730. [PMID: 36911127 PMCID: PMC10001895 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1091730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Anxiety disorder is the most common psychiatric disorder among adolescents, with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) being a common subtype of anxiety disorder. Current studies have revealed abnormal amygdala function in patients with anxiety compared with healthy people. However, the diagnosis of anxiety disorder and its subtypes still lack specific features of amygdala from T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The purpose of our study was to investigate the feasibility of using radiomics approach to distinguish anxiety disorder and its subtype from healthy controls on T1-weighted images of the amygdala, and provide a basis for the clinical diagnosis of anxiety disorder. METHODS T1-weighted MR images of 200 patients with anxiety disorder (including 103 GAD patients) as well as 138 healthy controls were obtained in the Healthy Brain Network (HBN) dataset. We extracted 107 radiomics features for the left and right amygdala, respectively, and then performed feature selection using the 10-fold LASSO regression algorithm. For the selected features, we performed group-wise comparisons, and use different machine learning algorithms, including linear kernel support vector machine (SVM), to achieve the classification between the patients and healthy controls. RESULTS For the classification task of anxiety patients vs. healthy controls, 2 and 4 radiomics features were selected from left and right amygdala, respectively, and the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of linear kernel SVM in cross-validation experiments was 0.6739±0.0708 for the left amygdala features and 0.6403±0.0519 for the right amygdala features; for classification task for GAD patients vs. healthy controls, 7 and 3 features were selected from left and right amygdala, respectively, and the cross-validation AUCs were 0.6755±0.0615 for the left amygdala features and 0.6966±0.0854 for the right amygdala features. In both classification tasks, the selected amygdala radiomics features had higher discriminatory significance and effect sizes compared with the amygdala volume. DISCUSSION Our study suggest that radiomics features of bilateral amygdala potentially could serve as a basis for the clinical diagnosis of anxiety disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingfeng Li
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenzheng Wang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhishan Hu
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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Manning KY, Long X, Watts D, Tomfohr-Madsen L, Giesbrecht GF, Lebel C. Prenatal Maternal Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Associations With Infant Brain Connectivity. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:701-708. [PMID: 35871095 PMCID: PMC9110020 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has caused substantially elevated distress in pregnant individuals, which has the potential to affect the developing infant brain. Our main objective was to understand how prenatal distress was related to infant brain structure and function and whether social support moderated the associations. METHODS The Pregnancy during the COVID-19 Pandemic (PdP) cohort study collected Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Anxiety scale, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and Social Support Effectiveness Questionnaire data from a population-based sample of pregnant individuals living in Canada (N = 8602). For a subsample of participants, their infants (n = 75) underwent magnetic resonance imaging at 3 months of age to examine whether prenatal maternal distress was associated with infant brain architecture, including the role of social support as a potential protective factor. RESULTS Overall, 33.4% of participants demonstrated clinically elevated depression symptoms and 47.1% of participants demonstrated clinically elevated anxiety symptoms. We identified lower social support as a significant predictor of clinically elevated prenatal maternal distress (t8598 = -22.3, p < .001). Fifty-eight diffusion image datasets (20 female/38 male, 92 ± 14 days old) and 41 functional datasets (13 female/28 male, 92 ± 14 days old) were included in our analysis after removal of poor-quality images and infants without postpartum maternal distress scores. We found significant relationships between prenatal maternal distress and infant amygdala-prefrontal microstructural and functional connectivity measures, and we demonstrate for the first time that social support moderates these relationships. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest a potentially long-lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and show that social support acts as a possible mediator not just for pregnant individuals but also developing infants. These findings provide timely evidence to inform clinical practice and policy surrounding the care of pregnant individuals and highlight the importance of social support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Y Manning
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Xiangyu Long
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Dana Watts
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Gerald F Giesbrecht
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Catherine Lebel
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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13
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Demaestri C, Gallo M, Mazenod E, Hong AT, Arora H, Short AK, Stern H, Baram TZ, Bath KG. Resource scarcity but not maternal separation provokes unpredictable maternal care sequences in mice and both upregulate Crh-associated gene expression in the amygdala. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 20:100484. [PMID: 36120094 PMCID: PMC9475315 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) is a major risk factor for the development of pathology, including anxiety disorders. Neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes following ELA are multifaceted and are influenced heavily by the type of adversity experienced and sex of the individual experiencing ELA. It remains unclear what properties of ELA portend differential neurobiological risk and the basis of sex-differences for negative outcomes. Predictability of the postnatal environment has emerged as being a core feature supporting development, with the most salient signals deriving from parental care. Predictability of parental care may be a distinguishing feature of different forms of ELA, and the degree of predictability afforded by these manipulations may contribute to the diversity of outcomes observed across models. Further, questions remain as to whether differing levels of predictability may contribute to differential effects on neurodevelopment and expression of genes associated with risk for pathology. Here, we tested the hypothesis that changes in maternal behavior in mice would be contingent on the type of ELA experienced, directly comparing predictability of care in the limited bedding and nesting (LBN) and maternal separation (MS) paradigms. We then tested whether the predictability of the ELA environment altered the expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone (Crh), a sexually-dimorphic neuropeptide that regulates threat-related learning, in the amygdala of male and female mice. The LBN manipulation reliably increased the entropy of maternal care, a measure that indicates lower predictability between sequences of dam behavior. LBN and MS rearing similarly increased the frequency of nest sorties and licking of pups but had mixed effects on other aspects of dam-, pup-, and nest-related behaviors. Increased expression of Crh-related genes was observed in pups that experienced ELA, with gene expression measures showing a significant interaction with sex and type of ELA manipulation. Specifically, MS was associated with increased expression of Crh-related genes in males, but not females, and LBN primarily increased expression of these genes in females, but not males. The present study provides evidence for predictability as a distinguishing feature of models of ELA and demonstrates robust consequences of these differing experience on sex-differences in gene expression critically associated with stress responding and sex differences in risk for pathology. Type of early life adversity differentially altered quantity of maternal behavior. Limited bedding and nesting increased unpredictable dam behavior. Amygdalar Crh expression in male and female pups were dependent on the type rearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Demaestri
- Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Meghan Gallo
- Doctoral Program in Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc./ New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elisa Mazenod
- Doctoral Program in Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Alexander T Hong
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Hina Arora
- Department of Statistics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Annabel K Short
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Hal Stern
- Department of Statistics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Tallie Z Baram
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of California-Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Kevin G Bath
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc./ New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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14
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Deutsch AR, Vargas MC, Lucchini M, Brink LT, Odendaal HJ, Elliott AJ. Effect of individual or comorbid antenatal depression and anxiety on birth outcomes and moderation by maternal traumatic experiences and resilience. JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS REPORTS 2022; 9:100365. [PMID: 35966253 PMCID: PMC9373828 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadr.2022.100365] [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] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although antenatal depression and anxiety (e.g., negative antenatal mental health; NAMH) are individually associated with preterm birth (PTB) and infant neurological impairment, few studies account for comorbidity. Understanding how NAMH impacts PTB and infant neurological functioning by either singular (depression or anxiety) or comorbid status, as well as the way in which these effects can be moderated by additional risk or protective factors (traumatic experiences and trait resiliency) can contribute further understanding of NAMH effects on birth outcomes. Methods The sample included 3042 mother-infant dyads from U.S. and South Africa cohorts of the Safe Passage Study (N = 3042). A four-category NAMH variable was created to categorize depression-only, anxiety-only, comorbid, or no NAMH statuses. Results There were no NAMH main effects on PTB, however, anxiety-only and comorbid NAMH increased odds of PTB for mothers with higher rates of traumatic life experiences. Anxiety-only and comorbid NAMH were associated with increased odds of newborn neurological impairment, and the effect of comorbid NAMH was stronger for mothers with higher rates of traumatic experiences. Resiliency decreased odds of neurological impairment for mothers who reported depression-only or anxiety-only NAMH. Limitations Limitations included potential artefacts of two cohorts that differed in rates of almost all variables, a single time point for measuring NAMH, and lack of pregnancy-specific NAMH measures. Conclusions Especially when compared to mothers with no NAMH, comorbidity or singular-condition NAMH statuses associate with negative birth outcomes in nuanced ways, especially when considering additional contexts that may foster or protect against NAMH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arielle R. Deutsch
- Avera Research Institute
- University of South Dakota School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics
| | | | - Maristella Lucchini
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Developmental Neuroscience
| | - Lucy T. Brink
- Stellenbosch University, School of Medicine and Health Science, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
| | - Hein J. Odendaal
- Stellenbosch University, School of Medicine and Health Science, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
| | - Amy J. Elliott
- Avera Research Institute
- University of South Dakota School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics
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15
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Boots A, Thomason ME, Espinoza-Heredia C, Pruitt PJ, Damoiseaux JS, Roseboom TJ, de Rooij SR. Sex-specific effects of prenatal undernutrition on resting-state functional connectivity in the human brain at age 68. Neurobiol Aging 2022; 112:129-138. [PMID: 35151035 PMCID: PMC9459445 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal nutrition may significantly impact brain aging. Results from the Dutch Famine Birth Cohort indicated that prenatal undernutrition is negatively associated with cognition, brain volumes, perfusion and structural brain aging in late life, predominantly in men. This study investigates the association between prenatal undernutrition and late-life functional brain network connectivity. In an exploratory resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study of 112 participants from the Dutch Famine Birth Cohort, we investigated whether the within- and between-network functional connectivity of the default mode network, salience network and central executive network differ at age 68 in men (N = 49) and women (N = 63) either exposed or unexposed to undernutrition in early gestation. Additionally, we explored sex-specific effects. Compared to unexposed participants, exposed participants revealed multiple clusters of different functional connectivity within and between the three networks studied. Sex-specific analyses suggested a pattern of network desegregation fitting with brain aging in men and a more diffuse pattern of group differences in women. This study demonstrates that associations between prenatal undernutrition and brain network functional connectivity extend late into life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Boots
- Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Moriah E Thomason
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA; Department of Population Health, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA; Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Claudia Espinoza-Heredia
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Patrick J Pruitt
- Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Jessica S Damoiseaux
- Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Tessa J Roseboom
- Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Susanne R de Rooij
- Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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16
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Kemp JVA, Bernier E, Lebel C, Kopala-Sibley DC. Associations Between Parental Mood and Anxiety Psychopathology and Offspring Brain Structure: A Scoping Review. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 2022; 25:222-247. [PMID: 35201543 DOI: 10.1007/s10567-022-00393-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
A family history of mood and anxiety disorders is one of the most well-established risk factors for these disorders in offspring. A family history of these disorders has also been linked to alterations in brain regions involved in cognitive-affective processes broadly, and mood and anxiety disorders specifically. Results from studies of brain structure of children of parents with a history of mood or anxiety disorders (high-risk offspring) have been inconsistent. We followed the PRISMA protocol to conduct a scoping review of the literature linking parental mood and anxiety disorders to offspring brain structure to examine which structures in offspring brains are linked to parental major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety, or bipolar disorder (BD). Studies included were published in peer-reviewed journals between January 2000 and July 2021. Thirty-nine studies were included. Significant associations between parental BD and offspring caudate volume, inferior frontal gyrus thickness, and anterior cingulate cortex thickness were found. Associations were also identified between parental MDD and offspring amygdala and hippocampal volumes, fusiform thickness, and thickness in temporoparietal regions. Few studies have examined associations between parental anxiety and high-risk offspring brain structure; however, one study found associations between parental anxiety symptoms and offspring amygdala structure, and another found similar associations with the hippocampus. The direction of grey matter change across studies was inconsistent, potentially due to the large age ranges for each study and the non-linear development of the brain. Children of parents with MDD and bipolar disorders, or elevated anxiety symptoms, show alterations in a range of brain regions. Results may further efforts to identify children at high risk for affective disorders and may elucidate whether alterations in specific brain regions represent premorbid markers of risk for mood and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer V A Kemp
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. .,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada. .,Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Calgary, AB, Canada. .,Faculty of Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Foothills Hospital Teaching Research and Wellness Building, 3280 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada.
| | - Emily Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Catherine Lebel
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Daniel C Kopala-Sibley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Calgary, AB, Canada
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17
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Dufford AJ, Salzwedel AP, Gilmore JH, Gao W, Kim P. Maternal trait anxiety symptoms, frontolimbic resting-state functional connectivity, and cognitive development in infancy. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22166. [PMID: 34292595 PMCID: PMC10775911 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to maternal anxiety symptoms during infancy has been associated with difficulties in development and greater risk for developing anxiety later in life. Although previous studies have examined associations between prenatal maternal distress, infant brain development, and developmental outcomes, it is still largely unclear if there are associations between postnatal anxiety, infant brain development, and cognitive development in infancy. In this study, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine the association between maternal anxiety symptoms and resting-state functional connectivity in the first year of life. We also examine the association between frontolimbic functional connectivity and infant cognitive development. The sample consisted of 21 infants (mean age = 24.15 months, SD = 4.17) that were scanned during their natural sleep using. We test the associations between maternal trait anxiety symptoms and amygdala-anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) functional connectivity, a neural circuit implicated in early life stress exposure. We also test the associations between amygdala-ACC connectivity and cognitive development. We found a significant negative association between maternal trait anxiety symptoms and left amygdala-right ACC functional connectivity (p < .05, false discovery rate corrected). We found a significant negative association between left amygdala-right ACC functional connectivity and infant cognitive development (p < .05). These findings have potential implications for understanding the role of postpartum maternal anxiety symptoms in functional brain and cognitive development in infancy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew P. Salzwedel
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - John H. Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Wei Gao
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Pilyoung Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
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18
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Moog NK, Nolvi S, Kleih TS, Styner M, Gilmore JH, Rasmussen JM, Heim CM, Entringer S, Wadhwa PD, Buss C. Prospective association of maternal psychosocial stress in pregnancy with newborn hippocampal volume and implications for infant social-emotional development. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100368. [PMID: 34355050 PMCID: PMC8319845 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal psychosocial stress during pregnancy can impact the developing fetal brain and influence offspring mental health. In this context, animal studies have identified the hippocampus and amygdala as key brain regions of interest, however, evidence in humans is sparse. We, therefore, examined the associations between maternal prenatal psychosocial stress, newborn hippocampal and amygdala volumes, and child social-emotional development. In a sample of 86 mother-child dyads, maternal perceived stress was assessed serially in early, mid and late pregnancy. Following birth, newborn (aged 5–64 postnatal days, mean: 25.8 ± 12.9) hippocampal and amygdala volume was assessed using structural magnetic resonance imaging. Infant social-emotional developmental milestones were assessed at 6- and 12-months age using the Bayley-III. After adjusting for covariates, maternal perceived stress during pregnancy was inversely associated with newborn left hippocampal volume (β = −0.26, p = .019), but not with right hippocampal (β = −0.170, p = .121) or bilateral amygdala volumes (ps > .5). Furthermore, newborn left hippocampal volume was positively associated with infant social-emotional development across the first year of postnatal life (B = 0.01, p = .011). Maternal perceived stress was indirectly associated with infant social-emotional development via newborn left hippocampal volume (B = −0.34, 95% CIBC [-0.97, −0.01]), suggesting mediation. This study provides prospective evidence in humans linking maternal psychosocial stress in pregnancy with newborn hippocampal volume and subsequent infant social-emotional development across the first year of life. These findings highlight the importance of maternal psychosocial state during pregnancy as a target amenable to interventions to prevent or attenuate its potentially unfavorable neural and behavioral consequences in the offspring. Maternal perceived stress predicted smaller neonatal left hippocampal volume (HCV). Neonatal left HCV was positively associated with infant social-emotional function. Variation in HCV may mediate maternal stress-related effects on child mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora K Moog
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Medical Psychology, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Saara Nolvi
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Medical Psychology, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.,Turku Institute for Advanced Studies, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Finland
| | - Theresa S Kleih
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Medical Psychology, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Styner
- Departments of Psychiatry and Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - John H Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jerod M Rasmussen
- Development, Health, and Disease Research Program, Departments of Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Epidemiology, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Christine M Heim
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Medical Psychology, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, College of Health and Human Development, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Sonja Entringer
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Medical Psychology, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.,Development, Health, and Disease Research Program, Departments of Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Epidemiology, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Pathik D Wadhwa
- Development, Health, and Disease Research Program, Departments of Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Epidemiology, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA.,Departments of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Epidemiology, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Claudia Buss
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Medical Psychology, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.,Development, Health, and Disease Research Program, Departments of Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Epidemiology, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA
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