Mothers' neural response to valenced infant interactions predicts postpartum depression and anxiety.

ABSTRACT: It is currently unknown whether differences in neural responsiveness to infant cues observed in postpartum affective disturbance are specific to depression/anxiety or are better attributed to a common component of internalizing distress. It is also unknown whether differences in mothers' brain response can be accounted for by effects of past episodes, or if current neural processing of her child may serve as a risk factor for development of future symptoms. Twenty-four mothers from a community-based sample participated in an fMRI session viewing their 3-month- old infant during tasks evoking positive or negative emotion. They were tracked across the ensuing 15 months to monitor changes in affective symptoms. Past and current episodes of depression and anxiety, as well as future symptoms, w

SUBMITTER: Finnegan MK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8078806 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature