title: Maternal generalized anxiety disorder during pregnancy and fetal brain development: a comparative study on cord blood brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study aimed to investigate whether maternal GAD during pregnancy affects fetal circulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which plays important roles in neuronal development, by comparing cord blood BDNF levels in newborn infants of women with and without GAD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study sample included 19 women with GAD and 25 women without any psychiatric disorder. GAD and other psychiatric diagnoses were screened by means of the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. The blood sample for the determination of BDNF level was obtained from the umbilical cord during delivery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cord blood BDNF levels in newborn infants of healthy women were approximately two-fold compared to newborn infants of women with GAD, and the difference was statistically significant. The duration of GAD during pregnancy was the only variable correlating with cord blood BDNF levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study results imply that prolonged maternal GAD during pregnancy may negatively influence neurodevelopment of the fetus through lower levels of circulating BDNF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey. Electronic address: farukuguz@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Faruk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Uguz
authors.forename: Erdem Onder
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Sonmez
authors.forename: Mine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sahingoz
authors.forename: Zeynel
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gokmen
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Basaran
authors.forename: Kazim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gezginc
authors.forename: Gulsum
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sonmez
authors.forename: Nazmiye
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: Sami Sait
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Erdem
authors.forename: Humeyra
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cicekler
authors.forename: Erkan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tasyurek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000097:blood*; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D047109:Fetal Development; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood*; D037841:Pregnant People
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
keywords: Anxiety; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Pregnancy