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Effect of Parental Depressive Symptoms on Offspring's Brain Structure and Function: A Systematic Review of Neuroimaging Studies Publisher Pubmed



Cattarinussi G1 ; Aarabi MH1 ; Sanjari Moghaddam H2 ; Homayoun M3 ; Ashrafi M4, 5 ; Soltanianzadeh H4, 6, 7 ; Sambataro F1
Authors
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Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Department of Neuroscience (DNS), Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
  2. 2. Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  3. 3. Faculty of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
  4. 4. Control and Intelligent Processing Center of Excellence (CIPCE), School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
  5. 5. TUM-Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Munich, 81675, Germany
  6. 6. Neuroimage Signal and Image Analysis Group, School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
  7. 7. Medical Image Analysis Laboratory, Departments of Radiology and Research Administration, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI, United States

Source: Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Published:2021


Abstract

Perinatal Depression (PND) is a severe mental disorder that appears during pregnancy or in the post-partum. Although PND has been associated with behavioral problems in the offspring, its effects on brain development are unclear. With this review we aimed at summarizing the existing literature on the effects of perinatal depressive symptoms on children's brains. A search on PubMed and Embase of structural, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) studies exploring the effect of PND on offspring's brain was conducted. We selected twenty-six studies, ten structural MRI, five DTI, six fMRI and five with combined techniques. Overall, the studies showed: a) gray matter alterations in amygdala and fronto-temporal lobes; b) microstructural alterations in amygdala, frontal lobe, cingulum, longitudinal fasciculus and fornix; and c) functional alterations between limbic and mesocortical networks. The small sample size and the heterogeneity in populations and methodologies limit this review. In conclusion, PND seems to influence structure and function of offspring, that may contribute to the risk of behavioral disturbances later in life. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd
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