Fetal functional connectivity: Examining the role of prenatal maternal depression symptoms using graph theory
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: 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.
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,650
Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Awards: From the womb to the classroom: Linking perinatal micronutrients and toxicants to neural and behavioral development in utero and in childhood, “Overlapping and Discrete Pathways Through Which Prenatal Isolation and Uncertainty Stress Impact Maternal Mental Health and Child Neurodevelopment, Longitudinal assessment of human brain connectome changes across the birth transition in both term and preterm pregnancies, Examining Prenatal Inflammation and Neurodevelopment in a Longitudinal Fetal-to-Age 9 Imaging Study, 8/24 The Healthy Brain and Child Development National Consortium
OpenAlex ID: W4411341672