Huang Yali, Koscik Timothy R, Andres Aline, Bellando Jayne, Glasier Charles M, Ram Adhitya, Ou Xiawei
Department of Radiology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.
Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.
Front Hum Neurosci. 2025 Jun 18;19:1603022. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2025.1603022. eCollection 2025.
Maternal mental health during pregnancy can influence fetal brain development, yet its long-term effects remain unclear. This study investigates the association between prenatal maternal depression and anxiety symptoms and white matter microstructure in the limbic system of 8-year-old children.
Fifty-one healthy pregnant women and typically developing 8-year-old children dyads were included in this prospective and longitudinal study. Maternal depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed at 12, 24, and 36 weeks of gestation using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Their children underwent a brain MRI examination at age 8 years with multi-shell diffusion imaging analyzed using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI), and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) models for a multi-aspect evaluation of microstructural development. Key diffusion metrics (FA: fractional anisotropy; MD: mean diffusivity; AD: axial diffusivity; RD: radial diffusivity; MK: mean kurtosis; AK: axial kurtosis; RK: radial kurtosis; NDI: neurite density index; ODI: orientation dispersion index; FWF: free water fraction) were extracted from the limbic system white matter structures including cingulum, fornix, and uncinate fasciculus, which are closely associated with emotional and motivational processes.
Higher maternal depression symptom scores were associated with lower FA ( = -0.3126, = 0.0305, in CGH.R; = -0.3025, = 0.0366, in FXC.R) and MK ( = -0.3284, = 0.0227, in CGG.R) and higher MD ( = 0.2879, = 0.0472, in CGH.R) and RD ( = 0.3451, = 0.0163, in CGH.R; = 0.3456, = 0.0161, in FXC.R) in predominately right-hemisphere limbic tracts. Higher maternal anxiety symptom scores were associated with increased MD ( = 0.2897, = 0.0458, in FXC.L; = 0.2859, = 0.0488, in UF.L) and RD ( = 0.3168, = 0.0283, in FXC.L), decreased NDI ( = -0.3787, = 0.0079, in FXC.L; = -0.3422, = 0.0173, in UF.R), and increased AK ( = 0.3154, = 0.029, in UF.L) in predominately left-hemisphere limbic tracts.
Our findings suggest that maternal depression and anxiety during pregnancy may have long-lasting impacts on offspring white matter microstructure maturation in the limbic system. This highlights the need for prenatal mental health screening and potential interventions to promote brain development and support optimal neurodevelopmental outcomes in children.
孕期母亲的心理健康会影响胎儿大脑发育，但其长期影响尚不清楚。本研究调查产前母亲抑郁和焦虑症状与8岁儿童边缘系统白质微观结构之间的关联。
本前瞻性纵向研究纳入了51对健康孕妇及其发育正常的8岁儿童。在妊娠12、24和36周时，使用贝克抑郁量表第二版（BDI-II）和状态-特质焦虑量表（STAI）评估母亲的抑郁和焦虑症状。他们的孩子在8岁时接受脑部MRI检查，采用扩散张量成像（DTI）、扩散峰度成像（DKI）和神经突方向离散度与密度成像（NODDI）模型对多壳扩散成像进行分析，以多方面评估微观结构发育。从与情绪和动机过程密切相关的边缘系统白质结构（包括扣带、穹窿和钩束）中提取关键扩散指标（FA：分数各向异性；MD：平均扩散率；AD：轴向扩散率；RD：径向扩散率；MK：平均峰度；AK：轴向峰度；RK：径向峰度；NDI：神经突密度指数；ODI：方向离散度指数；FWF：自由水分数）。
母亲抑郁症状得分较高与主要位于右半球的边缘束中较低的FA（在CGH.R中，β = -0.3126，P = 0.0305；在FXC.R中，β = -0.3025，P = 0.0366）和MK（在CGG.R中，β = -0.3284，P = 0.0227）以及较高的MD（在CGH.R中，β = 0.2879，P = 0.0472）和RD（在CGH.R中，β = 0.3451，P = 0.0163；在FXC.R中，β = 0.3456，P = 0.0161）相关。母亲焦虑症状得分较高与主要位于左半球的边缘束中增加的MD（在FXC.L中，β = 0.2897，P = 0.0458；在UF.L中，β = 0.2859，P = 0.0488）和RD（在FXC.L中，β = 0.3168，P = 0.0283）、降低的NDI（在FXC.L中，β = -0.3787，P = 0.0079；在UF.R中，β = -0.3422，P = 0.0173）以及增加的AK（在UF.L中，β = 0.3154，P = 0.029）相关。
我们的研究结果表明，孕期母亲的抑郁和焦虑可能对后代边缘系统白质微观结构成熟产生长期影响。这凸显了产前心理健康筛查和潜在干预措施的必要性，以促进大脑发育并支持儿童实现最佳神经发育结果。
