Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T09:25:28.970Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Newborn electroencephalographic correlates of maternal prenatal depressive symptoms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 March 2018

H. C. Gustafsson*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
P. G. Grieve
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
E. A. Werner
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry and Obstetrics & Gynecology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
P. Desai
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry and Obstetrics & Gynecology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
C. Monk
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry and Obstetrics & Gynecology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
*
*Address for correspondence: H. C. Gustafsson, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Multnomah Pavilion, Suite 1505, Portland, OR 97239, USA. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Maternal perinatal depression exerts pervasive effects on the developing brain, as evidenced by electroencephalographic (EEG) patterns that differ between children of women who do and do not meet DSM or ICD diagnostic criteria. However, little research has examined if the same EEG pattern of right-frontal alpha asymmetry exists in newborns and thus originates in utero independent of postnatal influences, and if depressive symptoms are associated with this neural signature. Utilizing 125-lead EEG (n=18), this study considered clinician-rated maternal prenatal depressive symptoms in relation to newborn EEG. Maternal depressive symptomatology was associated with greater relative right-frontal alpha asymmetry during quiet sleep. These results suggest that even subclinical levels of maternal depression may influence infant brain development, and further support the role of the prenatal environment in shaping children’s future neurobehavioral trajectories.

Type
Brief Report
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press and the International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Bennett, HA, Einarson, A, Taddio, A, Koren, G, Einarson, TR. Prevalence of depression during pregnancy: systematic review. Obstet Gynecol. 2004; 103, 698709.Google Scholar
2. Marcus, SM, Flynn, HA, Blow, FC, Barry, KL. Depressive symptoms among pregnant women screened in obstetrics settings. J Women’s Health. 2003; 12, 373380.Google Scholar
3. Field, T. Prenatal depression effects on early development: a review. Infant Behav Dev. 2011; 34, 114.Google Scholar
4. Glover, V. Prenatal stress and its effects on the fetus and the child: possible underlying biological mechanisms. In Perinatal Programming of Neurodevelopment (ed. Antonelli MC), 2015; pp. 269–283. Springer: New York, NY.Google Scholar
5. Diego, MA, Field, T, Hernandez-Reif, M. Prepartum, postpartum and chronic depression effects on neonatal behavior. Infant Behav Dev. 2005; 28, 155164.Google Scholar
6. Field, T, Diego, M, Hernandez-Reif, M. Prenatal depression effects on the fetus and newborn: a review. Infant Behav Dev. 2006; 29, 445455.Google Scholar
7. Allen, JJ, Kline, JP. Frontal EEG asymmetry, emotion, and psychopathology: the first, and the next 25 years. Biol Psychol. 2004; 67, 15.Google Scholar
8. Coan, JA, Allen, JJ. Frontal EEG asymmetry as a moderator and mediator of emotion. Biol Psychol. 2004; 67, 750.Google Scholar
9. Davidson, RJ. Anterior cerebral asymmetry and the nature of emotion. Brain Cogn. 1992; 20, 125151.Google Scholar
10. Campbell, SB, Morgan-Lopez, AA, Cox, MJ, McLoyd, VC. A latent class analysis of maternal depressive symptoms over 12 years and offspring adjustment in adolescence. J Abnorm Psychol. 2009; 118, 479493.Google Scholar
11. McCarty, CA, McMahon, RJ, Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group. Mediators of the relation between maternal depressive symptoms and child internalizing and disruptive behavior disorders. J Fam Psychol. 2003; 17, 545556.Google Scholar
12. Lusby, CM, Goodman, SH, Bell, MA, Newport, DJ. Electroencephalogram patterns in infants of depressed mothers. Dev Psychobiol. 2014; 56, 459473.Google Scholar
13. Murray, L. The impact of postnatal depression on infant development. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1992; 33, 543561.Google Scholar
14. Werner, EA, Gustafsson, HC, Lee, S, et al. PREPP: postpartum depression prevention through the mother-infant dyad. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2016; 19, 229242.Google Scholar
15. Cooper, PJ, Murray, L, Hooper, R, West, A. The development and validation of a predictive index for postpartum depression. Psychol Med. 1996; 26, 627634.Google Scholar
16. Williams, JB. A structured interview guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1988; 45, 742747.Google Scholar
17. Welch, MG, Myers, MM, Grieve, PG, et al. Electroencephalographic activity of preterm infants is increased by family nurture intervention: a randomized controlled trial in the NICU. Clin Neurophysiol. 2014; 125, 675684.Google Scholar
18. Grieve, PG, Isler, JR, Izraelit, A, et al. EEG functional connectivity in term age extremely low birth weight infants. Clin Neurophysiol. 2008; 119, 27122720.Google Scholar
19. Harper, RM, Schechtman, VL, Kluge, KA. Machine classification of infant sleep state using cardiorespiratory measures. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1987; 67, 379387.Google Scholar
20. van Laar, J, Peters, C, Vullings, R, Houterman, S, Oei, S. Power spectrum analysis of fetal heart rate variability at near term and post term gestation during active sleep and quiet sleep. Early Hum Dev. 2009; 85, 795798.Google Scholar
21. Isler, JR, Thai, T, Myers, MM, Fifer, WP. An automated method for coding sleep states in human infants based on respiratory rate variability. Dev Psychobiol. 2016; 58, 11081115.Google Scholar
22. Werth, J, Long, X, Zwartkruis-Pelgrim, E, et al. Unobtrusive assessment of neonatal sleep state based on heart rate variability retrieved from electrocardiography used for regular patient monitoring. Early Hum Dev. 2017; 113, 104113.Google Scholar
23. Diego, MA, Jones, NA, Field, T. EEG in 1-week, 1-month and 3-month-old infants of depressed and non-depressed mothers. Biol Psychol. 2010; 83, 714.Google Scholar
24. Dawson, G, Frey, K, Panagiotides, H, et al. Infants of depressed mothers exhibit atypical frontal electrical brain activity during interactions with mother and with a familiar, nondepressed adult. Child Dev. 1999; 70, 10581066.Google Scholar
25. Davidson, RJ. What does the prefrontal cortex ‘do’ in affect: perspectives on frontal EEG asymmetry research. Biol Psychol. 2004; 67, 219234.Google Scholar