Brain Reward Pathway Dysfunction in Maternal Depression and Addiction: A Present and Future Transgenerational Risk
Open accessAbstract
Two research areas that could benefit from a greater focus on the role of the reward pathway are maternal depression and maternal addiction. Both depression and addiction in mothers are mediated by deficiencies in the reward pathway and represent substantial risks to the health of offspring and future generations. This targeted review discusses maternal reward deficits in depressed and addicted mothers, neural, genetic, and epigenetic mechanisms, and the transgenerational transmission of these deficits from mother to offspring. Postpartum depression and drug use disorders may entail alterations in the reward pathway, particularly in striatal and prefrontal areas, which may affect maternal attachment to offspring and heighten the risk of transgenerational effects on the oxytocin and dopamine systems. Alterations may involve neural circuitry changes, genetic factors that impact monoaminergic neurotransmission, as well as growth factors such as BDNF and stress-associated signaling in the brain. Improved maternal reward-based preventative measures and treatments may be specifically effective for mothers and their offspring suffering from depression and/or addiction.
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Formation of the bond is a reward-driven process, theoretically underpinned by a dynamic exchange of physiological and behavioural cues between mother and infant.
“Formation of the bond is a reward-driven process, theoretically underpinned by a dynamic exchange of physiological and behavioural cues between mother and infant (Feldman, 2012; Nephew et al., 2015).”
From Associations between maternal psychological distress and mother-infant bonding: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2023) · cites this paper as Nephew et al., 2015
In “Maternal Reward Deficits in Depressed Mothers” (page not provided), the paper says maternal attachment depends on rewarding infant stimuli and describes emotional coordination, visual contact, smiling, and synchrony. It also discusses maternal neural and oxytocin responses, but does not describe bond formation as underpinned by a dynamic, bidirectional exchange of physiological and behavioural cues between mother and infant. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThis process is disrupted by features of depression such as anhedonia, social withdrawal, and reward deficits associated with reduced oxytocin; thus depressed mothers may have less desire to receive or engage with affiliative bonding cues, and experience less pleasure and reward when they do.
“This process is disrupted by features of depression such as anhedonia, social withdrawal, and reward deficits associated with reduced oxytocin (Nephew et al., 2015); thus depressed mothers may have less desire to receive or engage with affiliative bonding cues, and experience less pleasure and reward when they do (Vliegen et al., 2009).”
From Associations between maternal psychological distress and mother-infant bonding: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2023) · cites this paper as Nephew et al., 2015
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References 166 · Cited by 20
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- [143]Febo M Numan M Ferris CF 2005 Functional magnetic resonance imaging shows oxytocin activates brain regions associated with mother-pup bonding during suckling J Neurosci 25 50 11637 11644 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3604-05.2005 16354922 PMC6726012 · DOI · Paper page
- [146]Nephew BC Febo M 2010 Effect of cocaine sensitization prior to pregnancy on maternal care and aggression in the rat Psychopharmacology 209 1 127 135 10.1007/s00213-010-1777-z 20101390 · DOI
- Authors
- Nephew, B., Murgatroyd, C., Pittet, F., & Febo, M.
- Affiliations
- Tufts University (US)
- University of Florida Health (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Reward Deficiency Syndrome
- Publisher
- United Scientific Group
- Published
- 2015
- Volume
- 01
- Issue
- 03
- Pages
- 105-116
- ISSN
- 2379-111X (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC5013732
- OpenAlex
- W2302021930
- Cited by
- 20
- References
- 166
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 1.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Reward Deficiency Syndrome (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01DA019946, R21DA038009)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Keywords
- maternal depression, maternal addiction, brain reward system, transgenerational transmission, postpartum depression, drug use disorders, striatum, prefrontal cortex, maternal attachment, oxytocin, dopamine, monoaminergic neurotransmission, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, epigenetics, stress signaling, offspring risk, prevention
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