Newborn amygdalar volumes are associated with maternal prenatal psychological distress in a sex-dependent way

NeuroImage: Clinical

Jani Saunavaara¹  Jetro J. Tuulari²  Alan Evans³  Harri Merisaari⁴  Linnea Karlsson⁵  Vladimir S. Fonov⁵  Riitta Parkkola⁶  Tuire Lähdesmäki⁷  Niloofar Hashempour⁸  D. Louis Collins⁹  Satu J. Lehtola⁹  John D. Lewis⁹  Noora M. Scheinin⁹  Henriette Acosta^1,10  Hasse Karlsson^1,10 

[1] Center for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland;Corresponding author at: FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, University of Turku, Lemminkäisenkatu 3, 2nd floor, 20520 Turku, Finland.;Department of Child Psychiatry, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland;Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom;Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland;Turku Collegium for Science and Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland;Department of Future Technologies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland;Department of Radiology, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland;FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine University of Turku, Turku, Finland;Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada;

关键词: Prenatal anxiety;    Prenatal depression;    Newborn brain;    Amygdala;    Hippocampus;    Sexual dimorphism;   

DOI  :  

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Maternal psychological distress during pregnancy (PPD)11 prenatal psychosocial distress has been associated with changes in offspring amygdalar and hippocampal volumes. Studies on child amygdalae suggest that sex moderates the vulnerability of fetal brains to prenatal stress. However, this has not yet been observed in these structures in newborns. Newborn studies are crucial, as they minimize the confounding influence of postnatal life.We investigated the effects of maternal prenatal psychological symptoms on newborn amygdalar and hippocampal volumes and their interactions with newborn sex in 123 newborns aged 2–5 weeks (69 males, 54 females). Based on earlier studies, we anticipated small, but statistically significant effects of PPD on the volumes of these structures. Maternal psychological distress was measured at gestational weeks (GW)22 gestational weeks 14, 24 and 34 using Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90, anxiety scale)33 Symptom Checklist-90 and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)44 Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale questionnaires.Newborn sex was found to moderate the relationship between maternal distress symptoms at GW 24 and the volumes of left and right amygdala. This relationship was negative and significant only in males. No significant main effect or sex-based moderation was found for hippocampal volumes.This newborn study provides evidence for a sex-dependent influence of maternal psychiatric symptoms on amygdalar structural development. This association may be relevant to later psychopathology.

【 授权许可】

Unknown