Reed Ellyn, Ji Lanxin, Beeghly Marjorie, Majbri Amyn, Bhatia Tanya, Duffy Mark, Menu Iris, Trentacosta Christopher, Thomason Moriah E
Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States.
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.
Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2025 Jun 16;74:101585. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101585.
Altered fetal brain function is proposed as a mechanism underlying the relationship between prenatal maternal depression (PMD) and neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring. This study investigated the association between PMD symptoms and fetal brain functional connectivity (FC) using graph theory. A total of 123 pregnant women participated in the study, completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and underwent fetal MRI scans. Results revealed a significant relationship between elevated PMD symptoms and reduced global efficiency in the right insular region of the fetal brain. However, because fetal age was not associated with local or global efficiency in the insular brain region, we cannot determine if the PMD-related reduction in insula global efficiency is indicative of an accelerated or delayed developmental pattern. This study is one of the few to examine fetal brain connectivity in relation to prenatal maternal depression, providing valuable insights into early neurodevelopmental risks and potential targets for early intervention.
胎儿脑功能改变被认为是产前母亲抑郁（PMD）与后代神经发育结局之间关系的潜在机制。本研究使用图论研究了PMD症状与胎儿脑功能连接（FC）之间的关联。共有123名孕妇参与了本研究，完成了流行病学研究中心抑郁量表（CES-D），并接受了胎儿MRI扫描。结果显示，PMD症状升高与胎儿脑右侧岛叶区域的全局效率降低之间存在显著关系。然而，由于胎龄与岛叶脑区的局部或全局效率无关，我们无法确定与PMD相关的岛叶全局效率降低是否表明发育模式加速或延迟。本研究是少数几项研究胎儿脑连接与产前母亲抑郁关系的研究之一，为早期神经发育风险和早期干预的潜在靶点提供了有价值的见解。
