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DeRosa H, Caradonna SG, Tran H, Marrocco J, Kentner AC. Milking It for All It's Worth: The Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Maternal Nurturance, Lactation Quality, and Offspring Social Behavior. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO. [PMID: 35995560 DOI: 10.1523/ENEURO.0148-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Breastfeeding confers robust benefits to offspring development in terms of growth, immunity, and neurophysiology. Similarly, improving environmental complexity, i.e., environmental enrichment (EE), contributes developmental advantages to both humans and laboratory animal models. However, the impact of environmental context on maternal care and milk quality has not been thoroughly evaluated, nor are the biological underpinnings of EE on offspring development understood. Here, Sprague Dawley rats were housed and bred in either EE or standard-housed (SD) conditions. EE dams gave birth to a larger number of pups, and litters were standardized and cross-fostered across groups on postnatal day (P)1. Maternal milk samples were then collected on P1 (transitional milk phase) and P10 (mature milk phase) for analysis. While EE dams spent less time nursing, postnatal enrichment exposure was associated with heavier offspring bodyweights. Milk from EE mothers had increased triglyceride levels, a greater microbiome diversity, and a significantly higher abundance of bacterial families related to bodyweight and energy metabolism. These differences reflected comparable transcriptomic changes at the genome-wide level. In addition to changes in lactational quality, we observed elevated levels of cannabinoid receptor 1 in the hypothalamus of EE dams, and sex-dependent and time-dependent effects of EE on offspring social behavior. Together, these results underscore the multidimensional impact of the combined neonatal and maternal environments on offspring development and maternal health. Moreover, they highlight potential deficiencies in the use of "gold standard" laboratory housing in the attempt to design translationally relevant animal models in biomedical research.
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2
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Zeevi L, Irani M, Catana C, Feldman Barrett L, Atzil S. Maternal dopamine encodes affective signals of human infants. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2022; 17:503-509. [PMID: 34750627 PMCID: PMC9071406 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mothers are highly responsive to their offspring. In non-human mammals, mothers secrete dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) in response to their pups. Yet, it is still unknown which aspect of the offspring behavior elicits dopaminergic responses in mothers. Here, we tested whether infants' affective signals elicit dopaminergic responses in the NAcc of human mothers. First, we conducted a behavioral analysis on videos of infants' free play and quantified the affective signals infants spontaneously communicated. Then, we presented the same videos to mothers during a magnetic resonance-positron emission tomography scan. We traced the binding of [11C]raclopride to free D2/3-type receptors to assess maternal dopaminergic responses during the infant videos. When mothers observed videos with many infant signals during the scan, they had less [11C]raclopride binding in the right NAcc. Less [11C]raclopride binding indicates that less D2/3 receptors were free, possibly due to increased endogenous dopamine responses to infants' affective signals. We conclude that NAcc D2/3 receptors are involved in maternal responsiveness to affective signals of human infants. D2/3 receptors have been associated with maternal responsiveness in nonhuman animals. This evidence supports a similar mechanism in humans and specifies infant-behaviors that activate the maternal dopaminergic system, with implications for social neuroscience, development and psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lior Zeevi
- Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91905, Israel
| | - Merav Irani
- Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91905, Israel
| | - Ciprian Catana
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Lisa Feldman Barrett
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Shir Atzil
- Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91905, Israel
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3
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Chechko N, Dukart J, Tchaikovski S, Enzensberger C, Neuner I, Stickel S. The Expectant Brain-Pregnancy Leads to Changes in Brain Morphology in the Early Postpartum Period. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:4025-4038. [PMID: 34942007 PMCID: PMC9476604 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence that pregnancy may have a significant impact on the maternal brain, causing changes in its structure. To investigate the patterns of these changes, we compared nulliparous women (n = 40) with a group of primiparous women (n = 40) and multiparous mothers (n = 37) within 1–4 days postpartum, using voxel-based and surface-based morphometry (SBM). Compared with the nulliparous women, the young mothers showed decreases in gray matter volume in the bilateral hippocampus/amygdala, the orbitofrontal/subgenual prefrontal area, the right superior temporal gyrus and insula, and the cerebellum. These pregnancy-related changes in brain structure did not predict the quality of mother–infant attachment at either 3 or 12 weeks postpartum nor were they more pronounced among the multiparous women. SBM analyses showed significant cortical thinning especially in the frontal and parietal cortices, with the parietal cortical thinning likely potentiated by multiple pregnancies. We conclude that, compared with the brain of nulliparous women, the maternal brain shows widespread morphological changes shortly after childbirth. Also, the experience of pregnancy alone may not be the underlying cause of the adaptations for mothering. As regards the exact biological function of the changes in brain morphology, longitudinal research will be needed to draw any definitive conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Chechko
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen, Aachen 52074, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Center Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany
| | - Jürgen Dukart
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Center Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany.,Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Svetlana Tchaikovski
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen, Aachen 52074, Germany
| | - Christian Enzensberger
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen, Aachen 52074, Germany
| | - Irene Neuner
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen, Aachen 52074, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany
| | - Susanne Stickel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen, Aachen 52074, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany
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4
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Shimon-Raz O, Salomon R, Bloch M, Aisenberg Romano G, Yeshurun Y, Ulmer Yaniv A, Zagoory-Sharon O, Feldman R. Mother brain is wired for social moments. eLife 2021; 10:e59436. [PMID: 33764299 PMCID: PMC8026217 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Reorganization of the maternal brain upon childbirth triggers the species-typical maternal social behavior. These brief social moments carry profound effects on the infant's brain and likely have a distinct signature in the maternal brain. Utilizing a double-blind, within-subject oxytocin/placebo administration crossover design, mothers' brain was imaged twice using fMRI while observing three naturalistic maternal-infant contexts in the home ecology; 'unavailable', 'unresponsive', and 'social', when mothers engaged in synchronous peek-a-boo play. The social condition elicited greater neural response across the human caregiving network, including amygdala, VTA, hippocampus, insula, ACC, and temporal cortex. Oxytocin impacted neural response primarily to the social condition and attenuated differences between social and non-social stimuli. Greater temporal consistency emerged in the 'social' condition across the two imaging sessions, particularly in insula, amygdala, and TP. Findings describe how mother's brain varies by caregiving experiences and gives salience to moments of social synchrony that support infant development and brain maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ortal Shimon-Raz
- IDC Herzliya, Bar Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
- Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
| | - Roy Salomon
- Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
| | - Miki Bloch
- Department of Psychiatry, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical CenterTel AvivIsrael
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
| | - Gabi Aisenberg Romano
- Department of Psychiatry, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical CenterTel AvivIsrael
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
| | - Yaara Yeshurun
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
| | - Adi Ulmer Yaniv
- IDC Herzliya, Bar Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
- Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
| | | | - Ruth Feldman
- IDC Herzliya, Bar Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
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5
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Lonstein JS, Charlier TD, Pawluski JL, Aigueperse N, Meurisse M, Lévy F, Lumineau S. Fos expression in the medial preoptic area and nucleus accumbens of female Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) after maternal induction and interaction with chicks. Physiol Behav 2021; 234:113357. [PMID: 33582165 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The neural system underlying maternal caregiving has often been studied using laboratory rodents and a few other mammalian species. This research shows that the medial preoptic area (mPOA) integrates sensory cues from the young that, along with hormonal and other environmental signals, control maternal acceptance of neonates. The mPOA then activates the mesolimbic system to drive maternal motivation and caregiving activities. How components of this neural system respond to maternal experience and exposure to young in non-mammals has rarely been examined. To gain more insight into this question, virgin female Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) were induced to be maternal through four days of continuous exposure to chicks (Maternal), or were not exposed to chicks (Non-Maternal). Chicks were removed overnight from the Maternal group and half the females from each group were then exposed to chicks for 90 minutes (Exposed), or not exposed to chicks (Non-Exposed), before euthanasia. The number of Fos-immunoreactive (Fos-ir) cells was examined as a marker of neuronal activation. As expected, repeated exposure to chicks induced caregiving behavior in the Maternal females, which persisted after the overnight separation, suggesting the formation of a maternal memory. In contrast, Non-Maternal females were aggressive and rejected the chicks when exposed to them. Exposed females, whether or not they were given prior experience with chicks (i.e., regardless if they accepted or rejected chicks during the exposure before euthanasia), had more Fos-ir cells in the mPOA compared to Non-Exposed females. In the nucleus accumbens (NAC), the number of Fos-ir cells was high in all Maternal females whether or not they were Exposed to chicks again before euthanasia. In the lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, a site involved in general stress responding, groups did not differ in the number of Fos-ir cells. These data indicate a conserved role for the mPOA and NAC in maternal caregiving across vertebrates, with the mPOA acutely responding to the salience rather than valence of offspring cues, and the NAC showing longer-term changes in activity after a positive maternal experience even without a recent exposure to young.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph S Lonstein
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States.
| | - Thierry D Charlier
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Jodi L Pawluski
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Nadege Aigueperse
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie animale et humaine) - UMR 6552, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Maryse Meurisse
- Unité de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportemenst (PRC), INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Frédéric Lévy
- Unité de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportemenst (PRC), INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Sophie Lumineau
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie animale et humaine) - UMR 6552, F-35000 Rennes, France
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6
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Martínez-García M, Paternina-Die M, Barba-Müller E, Martín de Blas D, Beumala L, Cortizo R, Pozzobon C, Marcos-Vidal L, Fernández-Pena A, Picado M, Belmonte-Padilla E, Massó-Rodriguez A, Ballesteros A, Desco M, Vilarroya Ó, Hoekzema E, Carmona S. Do Pregnancy-Induced Brain Changes Reverse? The Brain of a Mother Six Years after Parturition. Brain Sci 2021; 11:168. [PMID: 33525512 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11020168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging researchers commonly assume that the brain of a mother is comparable to that of a nulliparous woman. However, pregnancy leads to pronounced gray matter volume reductions in the mother's brain, which have been associated with maternal attachment towards the baby. Beyond two years postpartum, no study has explored whether these brain changes are maintained or instead return to pre-pregnancy levels. The present study tested whether gray matter volume reductions detected in primiparous women are still present six years after parturition. Using data from a unique, prospective neuroimaging study, we compared the gray matter volume of 25 primiparous and 22 nulliparous women across three sessions: before conception (n = 25/22), during the first months of postpartum (n = 25/21), and at six years after parturition (n = 7/5). We found that most of the pregnancy-induced gray matter volume reductions persist six years after parturition (classifying women as having been pregnant or not with 91.67% of total accuracy). We also found that brain changes at six years postpartum are associated with measures of mother-to-infant attachment. These findings open the possibility that pregnancy-induced brain changes are permanent and encourage neuroimaging studies to routinely include pregnancy-related information as a relevant demographic variable.
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7
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Abstract
The mother-infant relationship is one of the most important bonds among all mammals and develops when a mother shows emotional and physical attention toward her infant. Studies suggest that maternal brain alterations, including structural and functional changes, may help mothers to form a strong bond with their infant. Investigation of mothers' unique response to her own infant, when smiling, crying or playing, could be the first step to uncover the neural bases of maternal-infant bonding. Studies are beginning to explore maternal brain changes underlying the process of mother-infant bonding. In this short review, we present an overview of the growing literature about maternal brain changes and neural responses to infant stimuli, which may underlie the process of forming the maternal-infant bond in healthy, non-clinical samples. Taken together, the maternal brain network consists mostly of areas related to salience/reward and emot processing, including the precuneus cortex, medial frontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, caudate and nucleus accumbens, amygdala, and insula. Recommendations for future research are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faranak Gholampour
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Doctoral School of Sociology, Eötvös Loránd University , Budapest, Hungary
| | - Madelon M E Riem
- Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University , Tilburg, The Netherlands
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8
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Fong-McMaster C, Konji S, Nitschke A, Konkle AT. Canadian Arctic Contaminants and Their Effects on the Maternal Brain and Behaviour: A Scoping Review of the Animal Literature. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17:E926. [PMID: 32024308 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17030926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Background: Environmental toxicants such as methylmercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, and organochlorine pesticides are potentially harmful pollutants present in contaminated food, soil, air, and water. Exposure to these ecologically relevant toxicants is prominent in Northern Canadian populations. Previous work focused on toxicant exposure during pregnancy as a threat to fetal neurodevelopment. However, little is known about the individual and combined effects of these toxicants on maternal health during pregnancy and post-partum. Methods: A scoping review was conducted to synthesize the current knowledge regarding individual and combined effects of methylmercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, and organochlorine pesticides on maternal behaviour and the maternal brain. Relevant studies were identified through the PubMed, Embase, and Toxline databases. Literature involving animal models and one human cohort were included in the review. Results: Research findings indicate that exposures to these environmental toxicants are associated with neurochemical changes in rodent models. Animal models provided the majority of information on toxicant-induced alterations in maternal care behaviours. Molecular and hormonal changes hypothesized to underlie these alterations were also addressed, although studies assessing toxicant co-exposure were limited. Conclusion: This review speaks to the limited knowledge regarding effects of these persistent organic pollutants on the maternal brain and related behavioural outcomes. Further research is required to better comprehend any such effects on maternal brain and behaviour, as maternal care is an important contributor to offspring neurodevelopment.
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9
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Iyengar U, Rajhans P, Fonagy P, Strathearn L, Kim S. Unresolved Trauma and Reorganization in Mothers: Attachment and Neuroscience Perspectives. Front Psychol 2019; 10:110. [PMID: 30761051 PMCID: PMC6363675 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The onset of motherhood is characterized by significant psychological and neurobiological changes. These changes equip the mother to care for her new child. Although rewarding, motherhood is also an inherently stressful period, more so for mothers with unresolved trauma. Past research has looked at how unresolved trauma can hamper a mother’s caregiving response toward her infant, which further affects the development of secure attachment in her own infant. The Dynamic Maturational Model of Attachment and Adaptation (DMM) has introduced a unique concept of “attachment reorganization” which can be described as a process whereby individuals with unresolved trauma are transitioning toward attachment security based on their enhanced understanding of past and present experiences. Preliminary results from one of our previous studies have shown that, among mothers with unresolved trauma, mothers who themselves demonstrated “reorganizing attachment” toward security, had infants with secure attachment, thereby indicating the potential to halt the intergenerational transmission of insecure attachment. While this concept is of great clinical relevance, further research is required to assess the benefits of attachment reorganization as a protective factor and its positive implications for child development. Thus, the aim of the current review is to expand on the concept of attachment reorganization in mothers with unresolved trauma from both attachment and neuroscience perspectives. To that effect, we will first review the literature on the transition to motherhood from attachment and neuroscience perspectives. Second, we will use attachment and neuroscience approaches to address deviations from normative experiences during motherhood with a specific focus on the role of a mother’s unresolved trauma. Lastly, we will expand on the concept of reorganization and the promise this concept holds in resolving or halting the intergenerational transmission of trauma from mothers to their children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Udita Iyengar
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Purva Rajhans
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Peter Fonagy
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, London, United Kingdom.,Research Department of Clinical, Educational, and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lane Strathearn
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States.,Center for Disabilities and Development, University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Sohye Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Center for Reproductive Psychiatry, Pavilion for Women, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
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10
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Pawluski JL, Lonstein JS, Fleming AS. The Neurobiology of Postpartum Anxiety and Depression. Trends Neurosci 2017; 40:106-120. [PMID: 28129895 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2016.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2016] [Revised: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Ten to twenty percent of postpartum women experience anxiety or depressive disorders, which can have detrimental effects on the mother, child, and family. Little is known about the neural correlates of these affective disorders when they occur in mothers, but they do have unique neural profiles during the postpartum period compared with when they occur at other times in a woman's life. Given that the neural systems affected by postpartum anxiety and depression overlap and interact with the systems involved in maternal caregiving behaviors, mother-infant interactions are highly susceptible to disruption. Thus, there is an intricate interplay among maternal mental health, the mother-infant relationship, and the neurobiological mechanisms mediating them that needs to be the focus of future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodi L Pawluski
- Inserm U1085-IRSET, Université de Rennes 1, Campus Villejean, 35000 Rennes, France.
| | - Joseph S Lonstein
- Neuroscience Program & Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Alison S Fleming
- Psychology and Fraser Mustard Institute for Human Development, University of Toronto at Mississauga (UTM), Mississauga, ONT L5L1C6, Canada
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11
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Kim P, Capistrano C, Congleton C. Socioeconomic disadvantages and neural sensitivity to infant cry: role of maternal distress. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2016; 11:1597-607. [PMID: 27217119 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Socioeconomic disadvantage such as poverty can increase distress levels, which may further make low-income mothers more vulnerable to difficulties in the transition to parenthood. However, little is known about the neurobiological processes by which poverty and maternal distress are associated with risks for adaptations to motherhood. Thus, the current study examined the associations between income and neural responses to infant cry sounds among first-time new mothers (N = 28) during the early postpartum period. Lower income was associated with reduced responses to infant cry in the medial prefrontal gyrus (involved in evaluating emotional values of stimuli), middle prefrontal gyrus (involved in affective regulation) and superior temporal gyrus (involved in sensory information processing). When examining the role of maternal distress, we found a mediating role of perceived stress, but not depressive symptoms, in the links between income and prefrontal responses to infant cry. Reduced neural responses to infant cry in the right middle frontal gyrus and superior temporal gyrus were further associated with less positive perceptions of parenting. The results demonstrate that perceived stress associated with socioeconomic disadvantages may contribute to reduced neural responses to infant cry, which is further associated with less positive perceptions of motherhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilyoung Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
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12
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Rutherford HJ, Gerig G, Gouttard S, Potenza MN, Mayes LC. Investigating Maternal Brain Structure and its Relationship to Substance Use and Motivational Systems. Yale J Biol Med 2015; 88:211-7. [PMID: 26339203 PMCID: PMC4553640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Substance use during pregnancy and the postpartum period may have significant implications for both mother and the developing child. However, the neurobiological basis of the impact of substance use on parenting is less well understood. Here, we examined the impact of maternal substance use on cortical gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes and whether this was associated with individual differences in motivational systems of behavioral activation and inhibition. Mothers were included in the substance-using group if any addictive substance was used during pregnancy and/or in the immediate postpartum period (within 3 months of delivery). GM volume was reduced in substance-using mothers compared to non-substance-using mothers, particularly in frontal brain regions. In substance-using mothers, we also found that frontal GM was negatively correlated with levels of behavioral activation (i.e., the motivation to approach rewarding stimuli). This effect was absent in non-substance-using mothers. Taken together, these findings indicate a reduction in GM volume is associated with substance use and that frontal GM volumetric differences may be related to approach motivation in substance-using mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guido Gerig
- Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Sylvain Gouttard
- Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Marc N. Potenza
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neurobiology and CASAColumbia, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Linda C. Mayes
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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