title: Maternal cortical response to baby pain and postpartum depressive symptoms.
abstract: Decreased maternal empathic abilities toward infants have been reported with postpartum depression (PPD). The aims of this study were: (1) To identify mothers' cortical regions activated by the observation of their own newborn's pain; (2) To study the relation between such cortical activation and PPD symptoms. By optical topography, a functional neuroimaging system, we assessed mothers' cortical activation when watching their own newborns during a heel-prick. PPD symptoms and newborn's pain expression were also assessed. Watching their newborn in pain activated mothers' left somatosensory cortex (P=0.003) and right superior temporal cortex (P=0.002). PPD score showed a negative correlation with left somatosensory cortex activation (rs=-0.41; P=0.026), that decreased as PPD symptoms increased. To conclude, an activation of cortical areas, previously associated with empathy for pain, can be demonstrated in the mother shortly after birth. Such response appeared to be dampened by PPD symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Via dell'Istria 65/1, 34137 Trieste, Italy. Electronic address: stefbemb@libero.it.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bembich
authors.affiliation: Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Via dell'Istria 65/1, 34137 Trieste, Italy. Electronic address: cristinavecchiet@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vecchiet
authors.affiliation: Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Via dell'Istria 65/1, 34137 Trieste, Italy. Electronic address: contgabriele@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cont
authors.affiliation: Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Via dell'Istria 65/1, 34137 Trieste, Italy. Electronic address: cristina.sustersic1@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sustersic
authors.affiliation: Non-Profit Association for the Promotion of Woman, Newborn and Child Health "ISIDE", Via San Nicolò 11, 34121 Trieste, Italy. Electronic address: francesca.valencak@alice.it.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Valencak
authors.affiliation: Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Via dell'Istria 65/1, 34137 Trieste, Italy. Electronic address: demarini@burlo.trieste.it.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demarini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D004645:Empathy / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology*; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Baby pain; Near-infrared spectroscopy; Parental empathy; Postpartum depression