Emotional memory in pregnant women at risk for postpartum depression.
Postpartum depression (PPD) is associated with debilitating effects on mothers and their infants. A previous history of depression is considered the strongest risk factor for PPD. Depressed individuals recall more negative than positive content and higher levels of stress hormones released during encoding are associated with enhanced recall of emotional stimuli. This study examined the impact of a previous history of major depressive disorder (MDD) and pregnancy on emotional memory. Seventy-seven participants completed the study [44 pregnant women in the second trimester of pregnancy with and without a lifetime history of MDD and 33 non-pregnant women with and without a lifetime history of MDD]. All completed an encoding task and provided salivary cortisol (sCORT) and alpha-amylase (sAA) samples. Participants returned one week later for a surprise incidental recognition memory task. Women with a history of MDD had worse recognition than women without a history of MDD for negative, but not positive images; this effect was independent of sCORT and sAA levels. Pregnancy did not affect emotional memory. Considering that several previous studies found enhanced memory bias for negative content during depressive states, our results suggest that clinical remission may be associated with an opposite cognitive processing of negative emotional content.
MiNDS Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Marissa E
ME
Williams
Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Suzanna
S
Becker
Mood Disorders Program, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Margaret C
MC
McKinnon
Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Queenie
Q
Wong
Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Lauren E
LE
Cudney
Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Meir
M
Steiner
Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Mood Disorders Program, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. Electronic address: freybn@mcmaster.ca.
Benicio N
BN
Frey
D000328:Adult; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D000516:alpha-Amylases / Q000032:analysis
D000516:alpha-Amylases; D006854:Hydrocortisone
Major depressive disorder; Pregnancy; Salivary alpha-amylase; Salivary cortisol