Emotion Reactivity Is Increased 4-6 Weeks Postpartum in Healthy Women: A Longitudinal fMRI Study.
Marked endocrine alterations occur after delivery. Most women cope well with these changes, but the postpartum period is associated with an increased risk of depressive episodes. Previous studies of emotion processing have focused on maternal-infant bonding or postpartum depression (PPD), and longit...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2015-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4465482?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1828471138243575808 |
|---|---|
| author | Malin Gingnell Elin Bannbers Harmen Moes Jonas Engman Sara Sylvén Alkistis Skalkidou Kristiina Kask Johan Wikström Inger Sundström-Poromaa |
| author_facet | Malin Gingnell Elin Bannbers Harmen Moes Jonas Engman Sara Sylvén Alkistis Skalkidou Kristiina Kask Johan Wikström Inger Sundström-Poromaa |
| author_sort | Malin Gingnell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Marked endocrine alterations occur after delivery. Most women cope well with these changes, but the postpartum period is associated with an increased risk of depressive episodes. Previous studies of emotion processing have focused on maternal-infant bonding or postpartum depression (PPD), and longitudinal studies of the neural correlates of emotion processing throughout the postpartum period in healthy women are lacking. In this study, 13 women, without signs of post partum depression, underwent fMRI with an emotional face matching task and completed the MADRS-S, STAI-S, and EPDS within 48 h (early postpartum) and 4-6 weeks after delivery (late postpartum). Also, data from a previous study including 15 naturally cycling controls assessed in the luteal and follicular phase of the menstrual cycle was used. Women had lower reactivity in insula, middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) in the early as compared to the late postpartum assessment. Insular reactivity was positively correlated with anxiety in the early postpartum period and with depressive symptoms late postpartum. Reactivity in insula and IFG were greater in postpartum women than in non-pregnant control subjects. Brain reactivity was not correlated with serum estradiol or progesterone levels. Increased reactivity in the insula, IFG, and MFG may reflect normal postpartum adaptation, but correlation with self-rated symptoms of depression and anxiety in these otherwise healthy postpartum women, may also suggest that these changes place susceptible women at increased risk of PPD. These findings contribute to our understanding of the neurobiological aspects of the postpartum period, which might shed light on the mechanisms underlying affective puerperal disorders, such as PPD. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T05:05:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6b657be55cc14b6ca0f19dad9c2cda51 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T05:05:46Z |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-6b657be55cc14b6ca0f19dad9c2cda512022-12-22T01:20:01ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032015-01-01106e012896410.1371/journal.pone.0128964Emotion Reactivity Is Increased 4-6 Weeks Postpartum in Healthy Women: A Longitudinal fMRI Study.Malin GingnellElin BannbersHarmen MoesJonas EngmanSara SylvénAlkistis SkalkidouKristiina KaskJohan WikströmInger Sundström-PoromaaMarked endocrine alterations occur after delivery. Most women cope well with these changes, but the postpartum period is associated with an increased risk of depressive episodes. Previous studies of emotion processing have focused on maternal-infant bonding or postpartum depression (PPD), and longitudinal studies of the neural correlates of emotion processing throughout the postpartum period in healthy women are lacking. In this study, 13 women, without signs of post partum depression, underwent fMRI with an emotional face matching task and completed the MADRS-S, STAI-S, and EPDS within 48 h (early postpartum) and 4-6 weeks after delivery (late postpartum). Also, data from a previous study including 15 naturally cycling controls assessed in the luteal and follicular phase of the menstrual cycle was used. Women had lower reactivity in insula, middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) in the early as compared to the late postpartum assessment. Insular reactivity was positively correlated with anxiety in the early postpartum period and with depressive symptoms late postpartum. Reactivity in insula and IFG were greater in postpartum women than in non-pregnant control subjects. Brain reactivity was not correlated with serum estradiol or progesterone levels. Increased reactivity in the insula, IFG, and MFG may reflect normal postpartum adaptation, but correlation with self-rated symptoms of depression and anxiety in these otherwise healthy postpartum women, may also suggest that these changes place susceptible women at increased risk of PPD. These findings contribute to our understanding of the neurobiological aspects of the postpartum period, which might shed light on the mechanisms underlying affective puerperal disorders, such as PPD.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4465482?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Malin Gingnell Elin Bannbers Harmen Moes Jonas Engman Sara Sylvén Alkistis Skalkidou Kristiina Kask Johan Wikström Inger Sundström-Poromaa Emotion Reactivity Is Increased 4-6 Weeks Postpartum in Healthy Women: A Longitudinal fMRI Study. PLoS ONE |
| title | Emotion Reactivity Is Increased 4-6 Weeks Postpartum in Healthy Women: A Longitudinal fMRI Study. |
| title_full | Emotion Reactivity Is Increased 4-6 Weeks Postpartum in Healthy Women: A Longitudinal fMRI Study. |
| title_fullStr | Emotion Reactivity Is Increased 4-6 Weeks Postpartum in Healthy Women: A Longitudinal fMRI Study. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Emotion Reactivity Is Increased 4-6 Weeks Postpartum in Healthy Women: A Longitudinal fMRI Study. |
| title_short | Emotion Reactivity Is Increased 4-6 Weeks Postpartum in Healthy Women: A Longitudinal fMRI Study. |
| title_sort | emotion reactivity is increased 4 6 weeks postpartum in healthy women a longitudinal fmri study |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4465482?pdf=render |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT malingingnell emotionreactivityisincreased46weekspostpartuminhealthywomenalongitudinalfmristudy AT elinbannbers emotionreactivityisincreased46weekspostpartuminhealthywomenalongitudinalfmristudy AT harmenmoes emotionreactivityisincreased46weekspostpartuminhealthywomenalongitudinalfmristudy AT jonasengman emotionreactivityisincreased46weekspostpartuminhealthywomenalongitudinalfmristudy AT sarasylven emotionreactivityisincreased46weekspostpartuminhealthywomenalongitudinalfmristudy AT alkistisskalkidou emotionreactivityisincreased46weekspostpartuminhealthywomenalongitudinalfmristudy AT kristiinakask emotionreactivityisincreased46weekspostpartuminhealthywomenalongitudinalfmristudy AT johanwikstrom emotionreactivityisincreased46weekspostpartuminhealthywomenalongitudinalfmristudy AT ingersundstromporomaa emotionreactivityisincreased46weekspostpartuminhealthywomenalongitudinalfmristudy |