Cited by 81Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and PostpartumFunctional Brain Connectivity StudiesFetal and Pediatric Neurological Disorders

Association of Prenatal Maternal Anxiety With Fetal Regional Brain Connectivity

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De Asis-Cruz, Josepheen, Krishnamurthy, Dhineshvikram, Zhao, Li, Kapse, Kushal, Vezina, Gilbert, Andescavage, Nickie, Quistorff, Jessica, Lopez, Catherine +1 more·2020·JAMA Network Open

Abstract

Importance: Maternal psychological distress during pregnancy is associated with adverse obstetric outcomes and neuropsychiatric deficits in children. Currently unavailable in vivo interrogation of fetal brain function could provide critical insights into the onset and timing of altered neurodevelopmental trajectories. Objective: To investigate the association between prenatal maternal stress, anxiety, and depression and in vivo fetal brain resting state functional connectivity. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study included pregnant women scanned between January 2016 and April 2019. A total of 50 pregnant women with healthy pregnancies were prospectively recruited from low-risk obstetric clinics in the Washington DC area and were scanned at Children's National in Washington DC. Exposures: Maternal stress, anxiety, and depression. Main Outcomes and Measures: The association of prenatal maternal stress, anxiety, and depression with whole-brain connectivity was analyzed using multivariate distance matrix regression. Prenatal maternal stress, anxiety, and depression were assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale, Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory and Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, respectively. Whole-brain connectivity was measured from 100 functionally defined regions of interest. Results: This study analyzed 59 resting-state functional connectivity magnetic resonance image data sets from the fetuses (mean [SD] gestational age, 33.52 [4 weeks]) of 50 healthy pregnant women (mean [SD] age, 33.77 [5.51]). Mean (SD) scores for the questionnaires were as follows: Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory, 26.66 (6.72) (range, 20-48); Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory, 28.09 (6.62) (range, 20-50); Perceived Stress Scale, 9.27 (5.13) (range, 1-25); and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale 3.24 (2.84) (range, 0-14). Prenatal maternal anxiety scores measured using the Spielberger Trait and State Anxiety Inventories were associated with differences in fetal connectivity (Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory: pseudo-R2 = 0.019, P = .04; Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory: pseudo-R2 = 0.021, P = .007). Interhemispheric connections, such as those involving the parietofrontal and occipital association cortices, were associated with reduced maternal prenatal anxiety, and those between the brainstem and sensorimotor areas were associated with higher anxiety scores. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, an association was found between prenatal maternal anxiety and disturbances in fetal brain functional connectivity, suggesting altered fetal programming. Early onset of functional deviations suggests the need for more widespread screening of pregnant women for symptoms of anxiety.

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  1. [28]Spielberger CD, Sydeman SJ. State-trait anxiety inventory and state-trait anger expression inventory. In: Maruish ME, ed. The Use of Psychological Testing for Treatment Planning and Outcome Assessment. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates; 1994:292-321.
  2. [33]Scheinost D, Onofrey JA, Kwon SH,. A fetal fMRI specific motion correction algorithm using 2nd order edge features. Paper presented at: the 2018 IEEE 15th International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging. 2018:1288-1292. Accessed March 8, 2019. http://ieeexplore.ieee.org
  3. [64]Van den Bergh BRH. The influence of maternal emotions during pregnancy on fetal and neonatal behavior. J Prenat Perinat Psychol Health. 1990; 5(2): 119.

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Authors
De Asis-Cruz, J., Krishnamurthy, D., Zhao, L., Kapse, K., Vezina, G., Andescavage, N., Quistorff, J., Lopez, C., & Limperopoulos, C.
Affiliations
  • Division of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology, Children’s National, Washington DC
  • Children's National (US)
Corresponding author
Limperopoulos, Catherine
Venue
JAMA Network Open
Published
2020-12-07
Volume
3
Issue
12
Pages
e2022349
ISSN
2574-3805 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3111635434
Cited by
81
References
91
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 1
FWCI
7.30
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • JAMA Network Open (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL116585)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (U54HD090257)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Fetal and Pediatric Neurological Disorders
Keywords
maternal stress, maternal depression, fetal brain, resting-state functional connectivity, fetal brain development, interhemispheric connectivity, brainstem, gestational age
MeSH terms
Adult, Anxiety, Brain, Female, Gestational Age, Humans, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Prenatal Care, Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Stress, Psychological, Pregnant People, Fetal Development, Young Adult

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