Cited by 67Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and PostpartumFunctional Brain Connectivity StudiesStress Responses and Cortisol

Prenatal stress exposure and multimodal assessment of amygdala–medial prefrontal cortex connectivity in infants

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Humphreys, Kathryn L., Camacho, M.C., Roth, Marissa C., Estes, Elizabeth C.·2020·Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience

Abstract

Stressful experiences are linked to neurodevelopment. There is growing interest in the role of stress in the connectivity between the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a circuit that subserves automatic emotion regulation. However, the specific timing and mechanisms that underlie the association between stress and amygdala-mPFC connectivity are unclear. Many factors, including variations in fetal exposure to maternal stress, appear to affect early developing brain circuitry. However, few studies have examined the associations of stress and amygdala-mPFC connectivity in early life, when the brain is most plastic and sensitive to environmental influence. In this longitudinal pilot study, we characterized the association between prenatal stress and amygdala-mPFC connectivity in young infants (approximately age 5 weeks). A final sample of 33 women who provided data on preconception and prenatal stress during their pregnancy returned with their offspring for a magnetic resonance imaging scan session, which enabled us to characterize amygdala-mPFC structural and functional connectivity as a function of prenatal stress. Increased prenatal stress was associated with decreased functional connectivity and increased structural connectivity between the amygdala and mPFC. These results provide insight into the influence of prenatal maternal stress on the early development of this critical regulatory circuitry.

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  1. Wolfe J. Kimerling R. Brown P.J. Chrestman K.R. Levin K. Psychometric review of the life stressor checklist-revised Meas. Stress. trauma, Adapt. 1996 198 201

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Authors
Humphreys, K. L., Camacho, M. C., Roth, M. C., & Estes, E. C.
Affiliations
  • Vanderbilt University (US)
  • Washington University in St. Louis (US)
Corresponding author
Humphreys, Kathryn L.
Venue
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-12
Volume
46
Pages
100877
ISSN
1878-9293 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3095943671
Cited by
67
References
107
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 6
FWCI
7.50
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Digital Commons@Becker (Washington University School of Medicine) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Margot und Erich Goldschmidt und Peter René Jacobson-Stiftung
  • National Science Foundation
  • Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research
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
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
Keywords
prenatal stress, maternal stress, amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, functional connectivity, structural connectivity, infant brain development, emotion regulation, brain development, early life stress
MeSH terms
Adult, Amygdala, Female, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Longitudinal Studies, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Pilot Projects, Prenatal Care, Stress, Physiological, Prefrontal Cortex, Young Adult

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