Maternal depression symptoms as a context for longitudinal changes in the perinatal brain and infant emotion outcomes

Despite theoretical backing, little is known about how contextual factors during pregnancy, which include experiencing increases in symptoms of depression for many women, may affect neural reorganization. We tested within-person stability in a neural process of self-monitoring as a marker of reorganization during pregnancy, whether within-person stability was moderated by maternal depression symptoms, and whether within-person stability had implications for infant postnatal emotion. A neural marker of self-monitoring (Error-Related Negativity; ERN) and depression symptoms were assessed in 91 pregnant women. ERN and infant emotion were observed at 4 months postnatal. Perinatal ERN showed high internal consistency and stability at the group level. However, ERN showed greater stability at high than at low levels of depression symptoms. In addition, when levels of depression symptoms were high, greater prenatal ERN predicted more infant fear. Results suggest stability in a neural marker of self-monitoring at high levels of depression symptoms, consistent with a possibility that more adverse contexts restrict neuroplasticity. Neural processes sensitive to a context of depression symptoms may have implications for infant emotion.