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Abstract #2575

Association of maternal antenatal anxiety with amygdala-prefrontal cortex functional connectivity in children from a South African cohort

Marlie Miles1, Catherine J Wedderburn1, Graeme Fairchild2, Marilyn Lake1, Annerine Roos1, Katherine L Narr3, Shantanu Joshi3, Marina Lawrence1, Nadia Hoffman1, Nynke A Groenewold1, Whitney Barnett4, Stéfan du Plessis5, Jonathan Ipser1, Sarah L Halligan2, Heather J Zar1, Dan J Stein1, and Kirsten A Donald1
1University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, 2University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom, 3University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States, 4Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States, 5Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Synopsis

Keywords: Prenatal, Psychiatric Disorders, Maternal Antenatal Anxiety, Amygdala-prefrontal cortex connectivity, Low- and middle- income countries (LMICs), Child Neurodevelopment

Motivation: Pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) experience high anxiety risks, with unknown effects on child brain and behaviour outcomes.

Goal(s): This study examines the impact of antenatal maternal anxiety on child amygdala-prefrontal cortex functional connectivity using fMRI in a South African birth cohort.

Approach: We compared functional connectivity outcomes between children exposed to maternal antenatal anxiety and those unexposed.

Results: Findings show that at age 2-3 years, functional connectivity between the amygdala and both the medial- and lateral- prefrontal cortex is weaker in children exposed to anxiety, particularly in boys. Additionally, amygdala-anterior cingulate connectivity is correlated with externalising behaviour.

Impact: Our findings suggest that antenatal maternal anxiety may impact child brain development. Understanding these effects could inform interventions to optimise neurodevelopment. Further research is needed to determine if these effects persist and relate to psychopathology in adolescents.

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