Depression during pregnancy linked to specific brain activity, finds study

Scientists have linked symptoms of depression during pregnancy to a specific brain activity and hope to develop test for ldquobaby bluesrdquo riskAround 80 per cent of women suffer from ldquobaby bluesrdquo after the birth of their childNormally this is a brief period of feeling down which disappears in a few days But around one woman in seven develops postpartum depression a more serious depression which can affect how mothers bond with their baby and can have longterm consequencesThese women seem unable to regulate the negative emotions which can follow giving birthA group of European researchers have found that in healthy pregnant women activity in a specific area deep in the brain is linked to regulation of negative emotions and the tendency towards symptoms of depressionThe researchers hope that testing for this activity along with how emotions are regulated will indicate which women are at risk for postpartum depressionldquoThis is among the first trials to compare brain activity in pregnant and nonpregnant women The ability to regulate emotions is essential for mental health and this interplay was our starting pointrdquo said Franziska Weinmar University of Tubingen GermanyFor the study the researchers took 15 healthy pregnant women with very high oestrogen levels due to the pregnancyEach woman was put in an MRI scanner and shown upsettingdisturbing pictures The team found that in the MRI scans pregnant women who showed more activity in the amygdala while regulating their emotions were less successful in controlling emotionsIn addition pregnant women with this greater activity in the amygdala reported more symptoms of depressionldquoIf larger studies confirm higher activity in the amygdala in women at risk of postpartum depression we could assess and specifically target these women during this vulnerable phaserdquo said WeinmarDr Susana Carmona from Gregorio Maranon Hospital Madrid said we still have a long way to go in characterising what happens in the brain during pregnancy identifying biomarkers that can indicate the risk of developing perinatal mental disorders and designing strategies to prevent mother and infant suffering during the delicate and critical peripartum periodrdquoAlso ReadWorld Alzheimers Day Can hustle culture lead to Alzheimers Experts answerThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever