Investigating default mode network connectivity disruption in children of mothers with depression

Abstract

Background Exposure to maternal major depressive disorder (MDD) bears long-term negative consequences for children's well-being; to date, no research has examined how exposure at different stages of development differentially affects brain functioning. Aims Utilising a unique cohort followed from birth to preadolescence, we examined the effects of early versus later maternal MDD on default mode network (DMN) connectivity. Method Maternal depression was assessed at birth and ages 6 months, 9 months, 6 years and 10 years, to form three groups: children of mothers with consistent depression from birth to 6 years of age, which resolved by 10 years of age; children of mothers without depression; and children of mothers who were diagnosed with MDD in late childhood. In preadolescence, we used magnetoencephalography and focused on theta rhythms, which characterise the developing brain. Results Maternal MDD was associated with disrupted DMN connectivity in an exposure-specific manner. Early maternal MDD decreased child connectivity, presenting a profile typical of early trauma or chronic adversity. In contrast, later maternal MDD was linked with tighter connectivity, a pattern characteristic of adult depression. Aberrant DMN connectivity was predicted by intrusive mothering in infancy and lower mother–child reciprocity and child empathy in late childhood, highlighting the role of deficient caregiving and compromised socio-emotional competencies in DMN dysfunction. Conclusions The findings pinpoint the distinct effects of early versus later maternal MDD on the DMN, a core network sustaining self-related processes. Results emphasise that research on the influence of early adversity on the developing brain should consider the developmental stage in which the adversity occured.

Annual Research Review: Emotion processing in offspring of mothers with depression diagnoses – a systematic review of neural and physiological research

“…A separate study sought to disentangle effects of timing of maternal depression on offspring's patterns of theta rhythms in the default mode network (DMN), which supports self‐referential processing or introspective mental processes (Raichle et al., 2001). Maternal MDD exposure early in childhood was related to decreased theta connectivity within the DMN, a pattern typical of early life adversity exposure, whereas later maternal MDD exposure correlated with tighter DMN theta connectivity, a pattern characteristic of adult depression (Zeev‐Wolf, Doi‐Ziderman, Pratt, Goldstein, & Feldman, 2022). Thus, although this body of MEG work is still in the early stages, research to date supports its application to elucidate functional brain networks underlying emotionality and suggest that the timing of maternal depression exposure may impact the direction of emotion processing patterns in offspring.…”

“…Indeed, in the reviewed literature, some studies For instance, in one study, offspring of mothers with chronic MDD exhibited higher RSA reactivity to emotional films, compared to offspring of mothers with stable mild MDD (Ashman et al, 2008). In other work, early maternal MDD exposure was associated with reduced theta connectivity within the DMN among offspring, whereas the opposite pattern was found in HR offspring exposed to maternal MDD during mid-to-late childhood (Zeev-Wolf et al, 2022).…”

Altered longitudinal trajectory of default mode network connectivity in healthy youth with subclinical depressive and posttraumatic stress symptoms

“…Alterations in functional connectivity across the DMN have consistently been associated with neuropsychiatric disorders in adults, including autism, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and schizophrenia ( Doucet et al, 2020 ; Franzen et al, 2013 ; Garrity et al, 2007 ; Hyatt et al, 2022 ; Koch et al, 2012 ; Miller et al, 2017 ; Padmanabhan et al, 2017 ; Sha et al, 2019 ; Sheline et al, 2009 ; Wilson et al, 2013 ). In children and adolescents, early measures of allostatic load, including childhood trauma, maternal depression, and chronic early stress have been linked with disruptions to DMN functional connectivity and the emergence of psychopathology ( Daniels et al, 2011 ; Gaffrey et al, 2012 ; Ho et al, 2015 ; Patriat et al, 2016 ; Zeev-Wolf et al, 2022 , Zeev-Wolf et al, 2019 ). However, in developing youth this literature has not been fully consistent, especially in the areas of depression and PTSD, which may reflect the heterogeneity of the disorders themselves.…”