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Lotter LD, Nehls S, Losse E, Dukart J, Chechko N. Temporal dissociation between local and global functional adaptations of the maternal brain to childbirth: a longitudinal assessment. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01880-9. [PMID: 38769432 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01880-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
The maternal brain undergoes significant reorganization during birth and the postpartum period. However, the temporal dynamics of these changes remain unclear. Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, we report on local and global brain function alterations in 75 mothers in their first postpartum week, compared to 23 nulliparous women. In a subsample followed longitudinally for the next six months, we observed a temporal and spatial dissociation between changes observed at baseline (cluster mass permutation: pFWE < 0.05). Local activity and connectivity changes in widespread neocortical regions persisted throughout the studied time period (ANCOVAs vs. controls: pFDR < 0.05), with preliminary evidence linking these alterations to behavioral and psychological adaptations (interaction effect with postpartum time: uncorrected p < 0.05). In contrast, the initially reduced whole-brain connectivity of putamen-centered subcortical areas returned to control levels within six to nine weeks postpartum (linear and quadratic mixed linear models: pFDR < 0.05). The whole-brain spatial colocalization with hormone receptor distributions (Spearman correlations: pFDR < 0.05) and preliminary blood hormone associations (interaction effect with postpartum time: uncorrected p < 0.05) suggested that the postpartum restoration of progesterone levels may underlie this rapid normalization. These observations enhance our understanding of healthy maternal brain function, contributing to the identification of potential markers for pathological postpartum adaptation processes, which in turn could underlie postpartum psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon D Lotter
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
- Max Planck School of Cognition; Stephanstrasse 1A, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Susanne Nehls
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM-10), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Elena Losse
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Juergen Dukart
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Natalya Chechko
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM-10), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
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Pritschet L, Taylor CM, Cossio D, Santander T, Grotzinger H, Faskowitz J, Handwerker DA, Layher E, Chrastil ER, Jacobs EG. Neuroanatomical changes observed over the course of a human pregnancy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.14.571688. [PMID: 38168195 PMCID: PMC10760186 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.14.571688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Pregnancy is a period of profound hormonal and physiological change experienced by millions of women annually, yet the neural changes unfolding in the maternal brain throughout gestation have not been studied in humans. Leveraging precision imaging, we mapped neuroanatomical changes in an individual from preconception through two years postpartum. Pronounced decreases in gray matter volume and cortical thickness were evident across the brain, which stand in contrast to increases in white matter microstructural integrity, ventricle volume, and cerebrospinal fluid, with few regions untouched by the transition to motherhood. This dataset serves as the first comprehensive map of the human brain across gestation, providing an open-access resource for the brain imaging community to stimulate further exploration and discovery.
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3
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Orchard ER, Chopra S, Ooi LQR, Chen P, An L, Jamadar SD, Yeo BTT, Rutherford HJV, Holmes AJ. Protective role of parenthood on age-related brain function in mid- to late-life. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.03.592382. [PMID: 38746272 PMCID: PMC11092769 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.03.592382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
The experience of parenthood can profoundly alter one's body, mind, and environment, yet we know little about the long-term associations between parenthood and brain function and aging in adulthood. Here, we investigate the link between number of children parented (parity) and age on brain function in 19,964 females and 17,607 males from the UK Biobank. In both females and males, increased parity was positively associated with functional connectivity, particularly within the somato/motor network. Critically, the spatial topography of parity-linked effects was inversely correlated with the impact of age on functional connectivity across the brain for both females and males, suggesting that a higher number of children is associated with patterns of brain function in the opposite direction to age-related alterations. These results indicate that the changes accompanying parenthood may confer benefits to brain health across the lifespan, highlighting the importance of future work to understand the associated mechanisms.
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4
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Dehsarvi A, Al-Wasity S, Stefanov K, Wiseman SJ, Ralston SH, Wardlaw JM, Emsley R, Bachmair EM, Cavanagh J, Waiter GD, Basu N. Characterizing the Neurobiological Mechanisms of Action of Exercise and Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions for Rheumatoid Arthritis Fatigue: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Brain Study. Arthritis Rheumatol 2024; 76:522-530. [PMID: 37975154 DOI: 10.1002/art.42755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Chronic fatigue is a major clinical unmet need among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Current therapies are limited to nonpharmacological interventions, such as personalized exercise programs (PEPs) and cognitive-behavioral approaches (CBAs); however, most patients still continue to report severe fatigue. To inform more effective therapies, we conducted a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain study of PEPs and CBAs, nested within a randomized controlled trial (RCT), to identify their neurobiological mechanisms of fatigue reduction in RA. METHODS A subgroup of patients with RA (n = 90), participating in an RCT of PEPs and CBAs for fatigue, undertook a multimodal MRI brain scan following randomization to either usual care (UC) alone or in addition to PEPs and CBAs and again after the intervention (six months). Brain regional volumetric, functional, and structural connectivity indices were curated and then computed employing a causal analysis framework. The primary outcome was fatigue improvement (Chalder fatigue scale). RESULTS Several structural and functional connections were identified as mediators of fatigue improvement in both PEPs and CBAs compared to UC. PEPs had a more pronounced effect on functional connectivity than CBAs; however, structural connectivity between the left isthmus cingulate cortex (L-ICC) and left paracentral lobule (L-PCL) was shared, and the size of mediation effect ranked highly for both PEPs and CBAs (ßAverage = -0.46, SD 0.61; ßAverage = -0.32, SD 0.47, respectively). CONCLUSION The structural connection between the L-ICC and L-PCL appears to be a dominant mechanism for how both PEPs and CBAs reduce fatigue among patients with RA. This supports its potential as a substrate of fatigue neurobiology and a putative candidate for future targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Dehsarvi
- The Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Salim Al-Wasity
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- College of Engineering, University of Wasit, Wasit, Iraq
| | - Kristian Stefanov
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Stewart J Wiseman
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Stuart H Ralston
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Joanna M Wardlaw
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | | | - Jonathan Cavanagh
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Gordon D Waiter
- The Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Neil Basu
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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Phillips JS, Adluru N, Chung MK, Radhakrishnan H, Olm CA, Cook PA, Gee JC, Cousins KAQ, Arezoumandan S, Wolk DA, McMillan CT, Grossman M, Irwin DJ. Greater white matter degeneration and lower structural connectivity in non-amnestic vs. amnestic Alzheimer's disease. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1353306. [PMID: 38567286 PMCID: PMC10986184 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1353306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Multimodal evidence indicates Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by early white matter (WM) changes that precede overt cognitive impairment. WM changes have overwhelmingly been investigated in typical, amnestic mild cognitive impairment and AD; fewer studies have addressed WM change in atypical, non-amnestic syndromes. We hypothesized each non-amnestic AD syndrome would exhibit WM differences from amnestic and other non-amnestic syndromes. Materials and methods Participants included 45 cognitively normal (CN) individuals; 41 amnestic AD patients; and 67 patients with non-amnestic AD syndromes including logopenic-variant primary progressive aphasia (lvPPA, n = 32), posterior cortical atrophy (PCA, n = 17), behavioral variant AD (bvAD, n = 10), and corticobasal syndrome (CBS, n = 8). All had T1-weighted MRI and 30-direction diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). We performed whole-brain deterministic tractography between 148 cortical and subcortical regions; connection strength was quantified by tractwise mean generalized fractional anisotropy. Regression models assessed effects of group and phenotype as well as associations with grey matter volume. Topological analyses assessed differences in persistent homology (numbers of graph components and cycles). Additionally, we tested associations of topological metrics with global cognition, disease duration, and DWI microstructural metrics. Results Both amnestic and non-amnestic patients exhibited lower WM connection strength than CN participants in corpus callosum, cingulum, and inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculi. Overall, non-amnestic patients had more WM disease than amnestic patients. LvPPA patients had left-lateralized WM degeneration; PCA patients had reductions in connections to bilateral posterior parietal, occipital, and temporal areas. Topological analysis showed the non-amnestic but not the amnestic group had more connected components than controls, indicating persistently lower connectivity. Longer disease duration and cognitive impairment were associated with more connected components and fewer cycles in individuals' brain graphs. Discussion We have previously reported syndromic differences in GM degeneration and tau accumulation between AD syndromes; here we find corresponding differences in WM tracts connecting syndrome-specific epicenters. Determining the reasons for selective WM degeneration in non-amnestic AD is a research priority that will require integration of knowledge from neuroimaging, biomarker, autopsy, and functional genetic studies. Furthermore, longitudinal studies to determine the chronology of WM vs. GM degeneration will be key to assessing evidence for WM-mediated tau spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey S. Phillips
- Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Nagesh Adluru
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Moo K. Chung
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Hamsanandini Radhakrishnan
- Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Christopher A. Olm
- Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Philip A. Cook
- Penn Image Computing and Science Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - James C. Gee
- Penn Image Computing and Science Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Katheryn A. Q. Cousins
- Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sanaz Arezoumandan
- Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - David A. Wolk
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Penn Memory Center, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Corey T. McMillan
- Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Murray Grossman
- Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - David J. Irwin
- Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Jamalabadi H, Hahn T, Winter NR, Nozari E, Ernsting J, Meinert S, Leehr EJ, Dohm K, Bauer J, Pfarr JK, Stein F, Thomas-Odenthal F, Brosch K, Mauritz M, Gruber M, Repple J, Kaufmann T, Krug A, Nenadić I, Kircher T, Dannlowski U, Derntl B. Interrelated effects of age and parenthood on whole-brain controllability: protective effects of parenthood in mothers. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1085153. [PMID: 37920384 PMCID: PMC10618679 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1085153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Controllability is a measure of the brain's ability to orchestrate neural activity which can be quantified in terms of properties of the brain's network connectivity. Evidence from the literature suggests that aging can exert a general effect on whole-brain controllability. Mounting evidence, on the other hand, suggests that parenthood and motherhood in particular lead to long-lasting changes in brain architecture that effectively slow down brain aging. We hypothesize that parenthood might preserve brain controllability properties from aging. Methods In a sample of 814 healthy individuals (aged 33.9 ± 12.7 years, 522 females), we estimate whole-brain controllability and compare the aging effects in subjects with vs. those without children. We use diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to estimate the brain structural connectome. The level of brain control is then calculated from the connectomic properties of the brain structure. Specifically, we measure the network control over many low-energy state transitions (average controllability) and the network control over difficult-to-reach states (modal controllability). Results and conclusion In nulliparous females, whole-brain average controllability increases, and modal controllability decreases with age, a trend that we do not observe in parous females. Statistical comparison of the controllability metrics shows that modal controllability is higher and average controllability is lower in parous females compared to nulliparous females. In men, we observed the same trend, but the difference between nulliparous and parous males do not reach statistical significance. Our results provide strong evidence that parenthood contradicts aging effects on brain controllability and the effect is stronger in mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamidreza Jamalabadi
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tim Hahn
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Nils R. Winter
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Erfan Nozari
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Jan Ernsting
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Susanne Meinert
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Elisabeth J. Leehr
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina Dohm
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Jochen Bauer
- Department of Clinical Radiology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Julia-Katharina Pfarr
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Frederike Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Florian Thomas-Odenthal
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Brosch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Marco Mauritz
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Marius Gruber
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Jonathan Repple
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Tobias Kaufmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Axel Krug
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Igor Nenadić
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Marburg, Germany
| | - Tilo Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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7
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Li D, Nguyen P, Zhang Z, Dunson D. Tree representations of brain structural connectivity via persistent homology. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1200373. [PMID: 37901431 PMCID: PMC10603366 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1200373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain structural connectome is generated by a collection of white matter fiber bundles constructed from diffusion weighted MRI (dMRI), acting as highways for neural activity. There has been abundant interest in studying how the structural connectome varies across individuals in relation to their traits, ranging from age and gender to neuropsychiatric outcomes. After applying tractography to dMRI to get white matter fiber bundles, a key question is how to represent the brain connectome to facilitate statistical analyses relating connectomes to traits. The current standard divides the brain into regions of interest (ROIs), and then relies on an adjacency matrix (AM) representation. Each cell in the AM is a measure of connectivity, e.g., number of fiber curves, between a pair of ROIs. Although the AM representation is intuitive, a disadvantage is the high-dimensionality due to the large number of cells in the matrix. This article proposes a simpler tree representation of the brain connectome, which is motivated by ideas in computational topology and takes topological and biological information on the cortical surface into consideration. We demonstrate that our tree representation preserves useful information and interpretability, while reducing dimensionality to improve statistical and computational efficiency. Applications to data from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) are considered and code is provided for reproducing our analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Didong Li
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Phuc Nguyen
- Department of Statistical Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Zhengwu Zhang
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - David Dunson
- Department of Statistical Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
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8
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Mahzarnia A, Stout JA, Anderson RJ, Moon HS, Yar Han Z, Beck K, Browndyke JN, Dunson DB, Johnson KG, O’Brien RJ, Badea A. Identifying vulnerable brain networks associated with Alzheimer's disease risk. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:5307-5322. [PMID: 36320163 PMCID: PMC10399292 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The selective vulnerability of brain networks in individuals at risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) may help differentiate pathological from normal aging at asymptomatic stages, allowing the implementation of more effective interventions. We used a sample of 72 people across the age span, enriched for the APOE4 genotype to reveal vulnerable networks associated with a composite AD risk factor including age, genotype, and sex. Sparse canonical correlation analysis (CCA) revealed a high weight associated with genotype, and subgraphs involving the cuneus, temporal, cingulate cortices, and cerebellum. Adding cognitive metrics to the risk factor revealed the highest cumulative degree of connectivity for the pericalcarine cortex, insula, banks of the superior sulcus, and the cerebellum. To enable scaling up our approach, we extended tensor network principal component analysis, introducing CCA components. We developed sparse regression predictive models with errors of 17% for genotype, 24% for family risk factor for AD, and 5 years for age. Age prediction in groups including cognitively impaired subjects revealed regions not found using only normal subjects, i.e. middle and transverse temporal, paracentral and superior banks of temporal sulcus, as well as the amygdala and parahippocampal gyrus. These modeling approaches represent stepping stones towards single subject prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Mahzarnia
- Radiology Department, Duke University Medical School, Durham, 27710 NC, USA
| | - Jacques A Stout
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical School, Durham, 27710 NC, USA
| | - Robert J Anderson
- Radiology Department, Duke University Medical School, Durham, 27710 NC, USA
| | - Hae Sol Moon
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, 27710 NC, USA
| | - Zay Yar Han
- Radiology Department, Duke University Medical School, Durham, 27710 NC, USA
| | - Kate Beck
- Neurology Department, Duke University Medical School, Durham, 27710 NC, USA
| | - Jeffrey N Browndyke
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department, Duke University Medical School, Durham, 27710 NC, USA
| | - David B Dunson
- Statistical Sciences, Trinity College, Duke University, Durham, 27710 NC, USA
| | - Kim G Johnson
- Neurology Department, Duke University Medical School, Durham, 27710 NC, USA
| | - Richard J O’Brien
- Neurology Department, Duke University Medical School, Durham, 27710 NC, USA
| | - Alexandra Badea
- Radiology Department, Duke University Medical School, Durham, 27710 NC, USA
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical School, Durham, 27710 NC, USA
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, 27710 NC, USA
- Neurology Department, Duke University Medical School, Durham, 27710 NC, USA
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9
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Orchard ER, Voigt K, Chopra S, Thapa T, Ward PGD, Egan GF, Jamadar SD. The maternal brain is more flexible and responsive at rest: effective connectivity of the parental caregiving network in postpartum mothers. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4719. [PMID: 36959247 PMCID: PMC10036465 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31696-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The field of neuroscience has largely overlooked the impact of motherhood on brain function outside the context of responses to infant stimuli. Here, we apply spectral dynamic causal modelling (spDCM) to resting-state fMRI data to investigate differences in brain function between a group of 40 first-time mothers at 1-year postpartum and 39 age- and education-matched women who have never been pregnant. Using spDCM, we investigate the directionality (top-down vs. bottom-up) and valence (inhibition vs excitation) of functional connections between six key left hemisphere brain regions implicated in motherhood: the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens. We show a selective modulation of inhibitory pathways related to differences between (1) mothers and non-mothers, (2) the interactions between group and cognitive performance and (3) group and social cognition, and (4) differences related to maternal caregiving behaviour. Across analyses, we show consistent disinhibition between cognitive and affective regions suggesting more efficient, flexible, and responsive behaviour, subserving cognitive performance, social cognition, and maternal caregiving. Together our results support the interpretation of these key regions as constituting a parental caregiving network. The nucleus accumbens and the parahippocampal gyrus emerging as 'hub' regions of this network, highlighting the global importance of the affective limbic network for maternal caregiving, social cognition, and cognitive performance in the postpartum period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwina R Orchard
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Katharina Voigt
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Sidhant Chopra
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Tribikram Thapa
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Phillip G D Ward
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Gary F Egan
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sharna D Jamadar
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia.
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia.
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Melbourne, Australia.
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10
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Orchard ER, Rutherford HJV, Holmes AJ, Jamadar SD. Matrescence: lifetime impact of motherhood on cognition and the brain. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:302-316. [PMID: 36609018 PMCID: PMC9957969 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Profound environmental, hormonal, and neurobiological changes mark the transition to motherhood as a major biosocial life event. Despite the ubiquity of motherhood, the enduring impact of caregiving on cognition and the brain across the lifespan is not well characterized and represents a unique window of opportunity to investigate human neural and cognitive development. By integrating insights from the human and animal maternal brain literatures with theories of cognitive ageing, we outline a framework for understanding maternal neural and cognitive changes across the lifespan. We suggest that the increased cognitive load of motherhood provides an initial challenge during the peripartum period, requiring continuous adaptation; yet when these demands are sustained across the lifespan, they result in increased late-life cognitive reserve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwina R Orchard
- Yale Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | | | - Avram J Holmes
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sharna D Jamadar
- Turner Institute of Brain and Mental Health & Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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11
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Mapping the effects of pregnancy on resting state brain activity, white matter microstructure, neural metabolite concentrations and grey matter architecture. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6931. [PMID: 36414622 PMCID: PMC9681770 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33884-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
While animal studies have demonstrated a unique reproduction-related neuroplasticity, little is known on the effects of pregnancy on the human brain. Here we investigated whether pregnancy is associated with changes to resting state brain activity, white matter microstructure, neural metabolite concentrations and grey matter architecture using a comprehensive pre-conception cohort study. We show that pregnancy leads to selective and robust changes in neural architecture and neural network organization, which are most pronounced in the Default Mode Network. These neural changes correlated with pregnancy hormones, primarily third-trimester estradiol, while no associations were found with other factors such as osmotic effects, stress and sleep. Furthermore, the changes related to measures of maternal-fetal bonding, nesting behavior and the physiological responsiveness to infant cues, and predicted measures of mother-infant bonding and bonding impairments. These findings suggest there are selective pregnancy-related modifications in brain structure and function that may facilitate peripartum maternal processes of key relevance to the mother-infant dyad.
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12
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Matos J, Peralta G, Heyse J, Menetre E, Seeck M, van Mierlo P. Diagnosis of Epilepsy with Functional Connectivity in EEG after a Suspected First Seizure. Bioengineering (Basel) 2022; 9:690. [PMID: 36421091 PMCID: PMC9687589 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering9110690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is regarded as a structural and functional network disorder, affecting around 50 million people worldwide. A correct disease diagnosis can lead to quicker medical action, preventing adverse effects. This paper reports the design of a classifier for epilepsy diagnosis in patients after a first ictal episode, using electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings. The dataset consists of resting-state EEG from 629 patients, of which 504 were retained for the study. The patient's cohort exists out of 291 patients with epilepsy and 213 patients with other pathologies. The data were split into two sets: 80% training set and 20% test set. The extracted features from EEG included functional connectivity measures, graph measures, band powers and brain asymmetry ratios. Feature reduction was performed, and the models were trained using Machine Learning (ML) techniques. The models' evaluation was performed with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). When focusing specifically on focal lesional epileptic patients, better results were obtained. This classification task was optimized using a 5-fold cross-validation, where SVM using PCA for feature reduction achieved an AUC of 0.730 ± 0.030. In the test set, the same model achieved 0.649 of AUC. The verified decrease is justified by the considerable diversity of pathologies in the cohort. An analysis of the selected features across tested models shows that functional connectivity and its graph measures have the most considerable predictive power, along with full-spectrum frequency-based features. To conclude, the proposed algorithms, with some refinement, can be of added value for doctors diagnosing epilepsy from EEG recordings after a suspected first seizure.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Matos
- Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Guilherme Peralta
- Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Jolan Heyse
- Department of Electronics and Information Systems, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Eric Menetre
- EEG and Epilepsy Unit, University Hospital of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Margitta Seeck
- EEG and Epilepsy Unit, University Hospital of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pieter van Mierlo
- Department of Electronics and Information Systems, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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13
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Orchard ER, Ward PGD, Egan GF, Jamadar SD. Evidence of Subjective, But Not Objective, Cognitive Deficit in New Mothers at 1-Year Postpartum. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2022; 31:1087-1096. [PMID: 35980243 DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2021.0441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The experience and even existence of cognitive deficits in the postpartum period is uncertain, with only a few scientific studies, reporting inconsistent results. Methods: In this study, we investigate cognition in 86 women (43 first-time mothers 1 year postpartum and 43 non-mothers). Results: Mothers and non-mothers showed no significant differences on measures of objective cognition (verbal memory, working memory, and processing speed or theory of mind). Despite the absence of objective differences, mothers self-reported significantly worse subjective memory than non-mothers. To interpret the difference between objective and subjective measures of memory, we investigated relationships between subjective memory, objective memory, and wellbeing. Mothers, but not non-mothers, showed a positive correlation between subjective and objective measures of memory, indicating mothers are "in-tune" with their memory performance. Mothers also demonstrated a positive relationship between subjective memory and wellbeing (sleep, anxiety, and depression), where better wellbeing correlated with higher subjective memory. This relationship was not apparent in non-mothers. The results suggest that poorer sleep, higher anxiety, and higher depression are related to reports of poorer self-reported memory in mothers. Conclusion: Our results add to our growing understanding of maternal cognition at 1 year postpartum, with no evidence of cognitive differences between mothers and non-mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwina R Orchard
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.,Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Clayton, Australia.,Yale Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, Connecticut, USA
| | - Phillip G D Ward
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.,Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Clayton, Australia
| | - Gary F Egan
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.,Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Clayton, Australia
| | - Sharna D Jamadar
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.,Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Clayton, Australia
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14
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Martínez-García M, Cardenas SI, Pawluski J, Carmona S, Saxbe DE. Recent Neuroscience Advances in Human Parenting. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 27:239-267. [PMID: 36169818 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-97762-7_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The transition to parenthood entails brain adaptations to the demands of caring for a newborn. This chapter reviews recent neuroscience findings on human parenting, focusing on neuroimaging studies. First, we describe the brain circuits underlying human maternal behavior, which comprise ancient subcortical circuits and more sophisticated cortical regions. Then, we present the short-term and long-term functional and structural brain adaptations that characterize the transition to motherhood, discuss the long-term effects of parenthood on the brain, and propose several underlying neural mechanisms. We also review neuroimaging findings in biological fathers and alloparents (such as other relatives or adoptive parents), who engage in parenting without directly experiencing pregnancy or childbirth. Finally, we describe perinatal mental illnesses and discuss the neural responses associated with such disorders. To date, studies indicate that parenthood is a period of enhanced brain plasticity within brain areas critical for cognitive and social processing and that both parenting experience and gestational-related factors can prime such plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Martínez-García
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Sofia I Cardenas
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jodi Pawluski
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), Rennes, France
| | - Susanna Carmona
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Darby E Saxbe
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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15
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Decker AN, Fischer AR, Gunn HE. Socio-Ecological Context of Sleep: Gender Differences and Couples' Relationships as Exemplars. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2022; 24:831-840. [PMID: 36401678 PMCID: PMC9676909 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-022-01393-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW We summarized recent findings on insufficient sleep and insomnia, two prominent sleep issues that impact public health. We demonstrate the socio-ecologial impact of sleep health with findings on gender and couples' relationships as exemplars. RECENT FINDINGS Robust gender differences in sleep duration and insomnia are due to biological and socio-ecological factors. Gender differences in insufficient sleep vary by country of origin and age whereas gender differences in insomnia reflect minoritized identities (e.g., sexual, gender). Co-sleeping with a partner is associated with longer sleep and more awakenings. Gender differences and couples' sleep were affected by intersecting social and societal influences, which supports a socio-ecological approach to sleep. Recent and seminal contributions to sleep health highlight the importance of observing individual sleep outcomes in a socio-ecological context. Novel methodology, such as global measures of sleep health, can inform efforts to improve sleep and, ultimately, public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea N. Decker
- Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, 505 Hackberry Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 USA
| | - Alexandra R. Fischer
- Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, 505 Hackberry Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 USA
| | - Heather E. Gunn
- Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, 505 Hackberry Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 USA
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16
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Martínez-García M, Paternina-Die M, Desco M, Vilarroya O, Carmona S. Characterizing the Brain Structural Adaptations Across the Motherhood Transition. Front Glob Womens Health 2021; 2:742775. [PMID: 34816246 PMCID: PMC8593951 DOI: 10.3389/fgwh.2021.742775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Women that become mothers face notable physiological adaptations during this life-period. Neuroimaging studies of the last decade have provided grounded evidence that women's brains structurally change across the transition into motherhood. The characterization of this brain remodeling is currently in its early years of research. The current article reviews this scientific field by focusing on our longitudinal (pre-to-post pregnancy) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies in first-time parents and other longitudinal and cross-sectional studies of parents. We present the questions that are currently being answered by the parental brain literature and point out those that have not yet been explored. We also highlight potential confounding variables that need to be considered when analyzing and interpreting brain changes observed during motherhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Martínez-García
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - María Paternina-Die
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Desco
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Oscar Vilarroya
- Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susanna Carmona
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
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17
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Schneider I, Neukel C, Bertsch K, Fuchs A, Möhler E, Zietlow AL, Brunner R, Wolf RC, Herpertz SC. Early life maltreatment affects intrinsic neural function in mothers. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 143:176-182. [PMID: 34500346 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Early life maltreatment (ELM) has an impact on brain functions involved in parenting and is associated with impaired maternal sensitivity. Here, we investigated the influence of ELM on intrinsic neural function and its associations with maternal sensitivity in mothers without a current episode of a mental disorder. Twenty-seven mothers with ELM and 29 mothers without ELM were examined using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, followed by Amplitude of Low Frequency Fluctuations, regional homogeneity and seed-based functional connectivity analyses. Videotaped interactions between mothers and their school-aged children were conducted to assess maternal sensitivity based on the Emotional Availability Scales. Regional and functional connectivity measures were used to investigate associations between intrinsic activity and emotional availability. Mothers with ELM showed reduced maternal sensitivity and lower intrinsic neural activity in the right superior frontal gyrus, the left precuneus, the left middle occipital gyrus, and the parietal cortex (left angular and right supramarginal gyrus) compared to mothers without ELM (p < .001, whole-brain). Amplitude of Low Frequency Fluctuations in the superior frontal gyrus was positively associated with maternal sensitivity across all participants (p = .002). The data suggest a behavioral and neural signature of ELM even in currently mentally healthy mothers. In particular, effects of ELM were found in distinct brain regions involved in social cognition and executive control. These ELM-related alterations may be associated with maternal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Schneider
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Voßstr. 4, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Corinne Neukel
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Voßstr. 4, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katja Bertsch
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Voßstr. 4, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Anna Fuchs
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eva Möhler
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Saarland University Medical Center, Germany
| | - Anna-Lena Zietlow
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Romuald Brunner
- Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Robert Christian Wolf
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Voßstr. 4, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sabine C Herpertz
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Voßstr. 4, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany
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18
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Abstract
To determine whether there are differences in measures of cognitive function between second and third trimester pregnant women compared to non-pregnant controls. This prospective study comprised 40 pregnant and 40 non-pregnant women, 20–40 years old, native-Hebrew speakers who were recruited from the outpatient clinics during a period of nearly 2 years. The patients underwent cognitive and affective evaluation. The performance on the three following tests: difficult and total items of Verbal Paired Associates, the Digit Span—forward and the Naming Objects and Fingers test scores were significantly better among non- pregnant women. All the other test results were similar between the two groups, including the depression scores. On multivariate linear regression analysis, after adjusting for age and years of education , Verbal Paired Associates total score (p = 0.04), and Naming Objects and Fingers (p = 0.01) remained significantly associated with pregnancy, but not Digit Span (p = 0.09). Our study demonstrates an impairment in memory among pregnant women. Furthermore language skills, particularly naming, were also impaired, a finding which has not been previously described.
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