Study with UC participation reveals new findings for research on peripartum depression
Perinatal depression – which can occur during pregnancy or up to one year after childbirth – affects around one in five women, impacting not only the mother’s mental health but also the baby’s development and family dynamics.
O estudo contou com a participação de investigadoras do Centro de Investigação em Neuropsicologia e Intervenção Cognitivo-Comportamental da Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação da Universidade de Coimbra.
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To better understand the brain changes associated with peripartum depression, an international research team, including researchers from the University of Coimbra (UC), conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of all available studies on the topic.
This analysis showed “differences between functional, structural, and metabolic brain changes in women with peripartum depression compared with brain changes in women experiencing depression at other life stages”, explains the UC team, composed of Ana Ganho Ávila, Francisca Pacheco, Helena Moreira, Mónica Sobral, Raquel Guiomar and Vera Mateus, researchers at the Centre for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive-Behavioural Intervention (CINEICC) of the UC Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences (FPCEUC).
The researchers found “distinct brain alterations in peripartum depression and depression at other life stages, particularly in regions involved in emotional processing”. They also observed similarities in how these and other regions function, suggesting that peripartum depression may have unique features related to hormonal and biological factors of the peripartum period, alongside characteristics shared with major depression in general.
The team adds: “Peripartum depression is a condition with specific characteristics, such as hormonal changes, that affects one in five women, with consequences not only for the mother’s mental health but also for the baby’s well-being and family dynamics,” the team adds. “Recognising specific differences is key to improving diagnosis and developing personalised treatments tailored to women’s needs during this period.”
Also, the UC scientists believe the study findings “could open new avenues for research, including the identification of biomarkers for early detection and prevention, the study of interactions between brain changes, hormonal and psychosocial factors, and the development of targeted interventions”. They also emphasise the importance of conducting larger, well-controlled longitudinal studies that monitor women from pre- to postpartum, along with clinical trials evaluating interventions tailored to the unique characteristics of this condition.
The study Neural correlates of peripartum depression: a systematic review, meta-analysis and comparison to major depressive disorder, published in Molecular Psychiatry, is available here.