title: Antenatal maternal anxiety predicts variations in neural structures implicated in anxiety disorders in newborns.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Antenatal maternal anxiety predicts offspring neurodevelopment and psychopathology, although the degree to which these associations reflect postnatal influences is unclear. To limit this possibility, we assessed newborn neuronal microstructures using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and assessed neonatal microstructure variation in relation to antenatal anxiety and in prediction of infant socio-emotional behavior at age 1 year.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dyads were drawn from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort, and included mothers who completed the Speilberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) at 26 weeks gestation (scoring >90, n = 20; scoring <70, n = 34) and their neonates (5-17 days postnatal) who took part in DTI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antenatal anxiety predicted variation in fractional anisotropy (FA) of regions important to cognitive-emotional responses to stress (i.e., the right insula and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), sensory processing (e.g., right middle occipital), and socio-emotional function (e.g., the right angular gyrus, uncinate fasciculus, posterior cingulate, and parahippocampus). In a subset of infants with Infant Toddler Socio-Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) data, some of these right lateralized clusters predicted infant internalizing (e.g., insula: β = 0.511, p = .03) but not externalizing behavior 1 year later, although these analyses failed to withstand the correction for multiple comparisons.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest the need for larger-scale investigations of the role that corticolimbic structures play in regulating cognitive-emotional responses to threat, and potentially in mediating the cross-generational transmission of anxiety, as well as in underscoring the importance of early mother-infant intervention programs.
authors: Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences.
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Rifkin-Graboi
authors: Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Mental Health University Institute and Sackler Program for Epigenetics and Psychobiology, McGill University, Montreal.
authors: Michael J
authors: MJ
authors: Meaney
authors: KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore.
authors: Helen
authors: H
authors: Chen
authors: Clinical Imaging Research Centre, National University of Singapore.
authors: Jordan
authors: J
authors: Bai
authors: Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences.
authors: Waseem Bak'r
authors: WB
authors: Hameed
authors: Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.
authors: Mya Thway
authors: MT
authors: Tint
authors: Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, and National University Health System, Singapore.
authors: Birit F P
authors: BF
authors: Broekman
authors: Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.
authors: Yap-Seng
authors: YS
authors: Chong
authors: Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences; Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
authors: Peter D
authors: PD
authors: Gluckman
authors: KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore.
authors: Marielle V
authors: MV
authors: Fortier
authors: Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences; National University of Singapore. Electronic address: bieqa@nus.edu.sg.
authors: Anqi
authors: A
authors: Qiu
mesh_terms: D016880:Anisotropy; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D003863:Depression; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012846:Singapore
keywords: antenatal anxiety; axial diffusivity; diffusion tensor imaging; fractional anisotropy; neonatal brain