title: Prenatal maternal cortisol concentrations predict neurodevelopment in middle childhood.
abstract: Glucocorticoids (cortisol in humans) are the end product of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis and are proposed as a key mechanism for programming fetal brain development. The present prospective longitudinal study evaluates the association between prenatal maternal cortisol concentrations and child neurodevelopment. Participants included a low risk sample of 91 mother-child pairs. Prenatal maternal plasma cortisol concentrations were measured at 19 and 31 gestational weeks. Brain development and cognitive functioning were assessed when children were 6-9 years of age. Structural magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired and cortical thickness was determined. Child cognitive functioning was evaluated using standardized measures (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children IV and Expressive Vocabulary Test, Second Edition). Higher maternal cortisol concentrations during the third trimester were associated with greater child cortical thickness primarily in frontal regions. No significant associations were observed between prenatal maternal cortisol concentrations and child cortical thinning. Elevated third trimester maternal cortisol additionally was associated with enhanced child cognitive performance. Findings in this normative sample of typically developing children suggest that elevated maternal cortisol during late gestation exert lasting benefits for brain development and cognitive functioning 6-9 years later. The benefits of fetal exposure to higher maternal cortisol during the third trimester for child neurodevelopment are consistent with the role cortisol plays in maturation of the human fetus. It is plausible that more extreme elevations in maternal cortisol concentrations late in gestation, as well as exposure to pharmacological levels of synthetic glucocorticoids, may have neurotoxic effects on the developing fetal brain.
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, 80210, United States; Women and Children's Health and Well-Being Project, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, 92868, United States. Electronic address: elysia.davis@du.edu.
authors: Elysia Poggi
authors: EP
authors: Davis
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, 80210, United States.
authors: Kevin
authors: K
authors: Head
authors: Department of Medical Psychology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Buss
authors: Women and Children's Health and Well-Being Project, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, 92868, United States.
authors: Curt A
authors: CA
authors: Sandman
mesh_terms: D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D007360:Intelligence / Q000502:physiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000378:metabolism*; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Brain; Cortisol; Fetal; Glucocorticoids; MRI; Prenatal