Cited by 138Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and PostpartumAdvanced Neuroimaging Techniques and ApplicationsFetal and Pediatric Neurological Disorders

Association of Prenatal Maternal Depression and Anxiety Symptoms With Infant White Matter Microstructure

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Dean, Douglas C., Planalp, Elizabeth M., Wooten, William, Kecskemeti, Steven R., Adluru, Nagesh, Schmidt, Cory K., Frye, Corrina, Birn, Rasmus M. +8 more·2018·JAMA Pediatrics

Abstract

Importance: Maternal depression and anxiety can have deleterious and lifelong consequences on child development. However, many aspects of the association of early brain development with maternal symptoms remain unclear. Understanding the timing of potential neurobiological alterations holds inherent value for the development and evaluation of future therapies and interventions. Objective: To examine the association between exposure to prenatal maternal depression and anxiety symptoms and offspring white matter microstructure at 1 month of age. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study of 101 mother-infant dyads used a composite of depression and anxiety symptoms measured in mothers during the third trimester of pregnancy and measures of white matter microstructure characterized in the mothers' 1-month offspring using diffusion tensor imaging and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging performed from October 1, 2014, to November 30, 2016. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed at an academic research facility during natural, nonsedated sleep. Main Outcomes and Measures: Brain mapping algorithms and statistical models were used to evaluate the association between maternal depression and anxiety and 1-month infant white matter microstructure as measured by diffusion tensor imaging and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging findings. Results: In the 101 mother-infant dyads (mean [SD] age of mothers, 33.22 [3.99] years; mean age of infants at magnetic resonance imaging, 33.07 days [range, 18-50 days]; 92 white mothers [91.1%]; 53 male infants [52.5%]), lower 1-month white matter microstructure (decreased neurite density and increased mean, radial, and axial diffusivity) was associated in right frontal white matter microstructure with higher prenatal maternal symptoms of depression and anxiety. Significant sex × symptom interactions with measures of white matter microstructure were also observed, suggesting that white matter development may be differentially sensitive to maternal depression and anxiety symptoms in males and females during the prenatal period. Conclusions and Relevance: These data highlight the importance of the prenatal period to early brain development and suggest that the underlying white matter microstructure is associated with the continuum of prenatal maternal depression and anxiety symptoms.

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  • Elevated maternal depression and anxiety are associated with decreased neurite density and increased mean, radial, and axial diffusivity in the right frontal white matter microstructure in infants.

    “Additionally, elevated maternal depression and anxiety are associated with decreased neurite density and increased mean, radial, and axial diffusivity in the right frontal white matter microstructure in infants [94].”
  • NODDI is sensitive to individual variations of WM microstructure at 1 month of age that are associated with prenatal maternal depression and anxiety symptoms.

    “NODDI was also shown to be sensitive to individual variations of WM microstructure at 1 month of age that are associated with prenatal maternal depression and anxiety symptoms (Dean et al., 2018).”

    From NODDI in clinical research (2020) · cites this paper as Dean et al., 2018

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  1. [34]Spielberger CD. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc; 2010.

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Authors
Dean, D. C., Planalp, E. M., Wooten, W., Kecskemeti, S. R., Adluru, N., Schmidt, C. K., Frye, C., Birn, R. M., Burghy, C. A., Schmidt, N. L., Styner, M. A., Short, S. J., Kalin, N. H., Goldsmith, H. H., Alexander, A. L., & Davidson, R. J.
Affiliations
  • University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
Corresponding author
Dean, Douglas C.
Venue
JAMA Pediatrics
Published
2018-10-01
Volume
172
Issue
10
Pages
973
ISSN
  • 1072-4710 (ISSN-L)
  • 2168-6203
OpenAlex
W2889456422
Cited by
138
References
79
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 1
FWCI
11.42
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH101504, P50MH100031, K01MH113710, K99MH110596, T32MH018931)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (U54HD090256, T32HD007489)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Fetal and Pediatric Neurological Disorders
Keywords
antenatal depression, early brain development, neurite density, diffusion tensor imaging, NODDI, sex differences, mother-infant dyads, third trimester, maternal mental health
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Anxiety, Child Development, Depression, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects, Retrospective Studies, Young Adult, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, White Matter

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