Postnatal maternal anxiety shapes caregiver and infant behavior. Yet, the relationship with infant brain function remains unclear. We examine the relation of maternal anxiety with infant resting state functional connectivity (rsFC). To evaluate the clinical significance of the rsFC networks identified, exploratory analyses tested whether the rsFC associated with maternal anxiety moderates risk trajectories from infant behavioral inhibition (BI) to childhood anxiety/depression symptoms. Four-month-old infants (N = 60) underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and mothers completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Analyses included 49 infants with high-quality imaging and maternal anxiety data. In the longitudinal subsample (n = 21), BI was observed at 14 months, and anxiety/depression symptoms were assessed at 4–6 years using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Using whole-brain network enrichment analyses, we identified cortical network pairs that were significantly associated with maternal anxiety. Connectivity estimates from significant network pairs were averaged and tested as moderators of infant BI and childhood anxiety/depression association. Infants exposed to higher maternal anxiety showed an altered limbic-dorsal attention network (DAN) and default mode (DMN)-DAN. In both network pairs, negative and positive node-to-node pairs were identified, indicating that some regional connections exhibited stronger coupling, while others exhibited weaker coupling. Results demonstrated that DMN–DAN rsFC moderated developmental pathways: greater BI was associated with higher early-childhood anxiety/depression among infants with stronger DMN–DAN connectivity. Maternal anxiety is related to infant brain connectivity, and these neural differences moderate BI-related risk for anxiety/depression. DMN–DAN coupling may serve as an early marker of infants at risk for anxiety/depression. Given the small longitudinal sample, the moderation finding should be considered exploratory and requires replication in a larger, independent cohort.
Female-specific risk factors for ADHD in adolescence have been vastly understudied despite increased impairment and comorbidity during this period. In adults, the premenstrual phase and rapid decreases in estradiol levels are associated with increased risk for ADHD symptoms. The current project aims to evaluate the effects of day-to-day changes in estradiol and progesterone on ADHD symptoms across the menstrual cycle in adolescents. Participants were 13 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years over-recruited for ADHD. Participants collected saliva samples and completed measures of ADHD symptoms daily. Generalized additive mixed models were used to explore symptom trajectories across the menstrual cycle and examine the relationships between hormones and ADHD symptoms. Inattention and hyperactivity severity exhibited significant menstrual cycle-related variation, but average symptom trajectories across the cycle were largely flat. Significant person-specific cycle effects and individual differences in estradiol-symptom associations suggest substantial heterogeneity in menstrual cycle influence on ADHD symptoms. These findings suggest that menstrual cycle-related changes in ADHD symptoms are not characterized by a uniform pattern across adolescents and instead may reflect individual differences in hormone sensitivity. Future research should prioritize identifying distinct hormone-symptom response profiles and determine their clinical relevance for personalized ADHD management.
Evidence on the impact of migration on suicidal behavior among adolescents remains limited. Particularly, there is scarce knowledge concerning clinical populations and second generations of migrants. This cohort study examined differences in clinical, psychosocial and behavioral profiles associated with suicidal behavior among non-migrant, first-generation and second-generation migrant adolescents presenting to a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Emergency Department (ED) in Madrid. Adolescents aged 8–17 years (N = 1,281) presenting with suicidal ideation or behavior were identified at an index ED visit, and their electronic medical records were retrospectively reviewed over a 12-month follow-up period. Sociodemographic, clinical and psychosocial risk factors—including socioeconomic adversity, family psychiatric history, maltreatment, family conflict, victim of bullying and eating problems—were systematically recorded. Reasons for consultation, methods and severity of suicidal behavior were compared across migration groups. Cox proportional hazards regression models, including age- and sex-adjusted and two multivariable models, examined whether migration status independently predicted time to repeat suicidal behavior during follow-up. Migrant adolescents—both first- and second-generation—presented with a higher burden of psychosocial adversity and more severe self-harm methods at index ED visit compared to non-migrants. Migrant adolescents, particularly first-generation, were less likely to have had prior outpatient mental health follow-up. In fully adjusted multivariable models accounting for sociodemographic, psychosocial and clinical covariates, including previous suicidal behavior, second-generation migrant background remained an independent predictor of repeat suicidal behavior, whereas first-generation background did not show a statistically significant effect. Second‑generation migrant background was associated with a more severe clinical presentation and repeat suicidal behavior, even after adjusting for psychosocial and clinical covariates. These findings suggest that generational migration status is a relevant factor to consider when assessing and following up on suicide risk for adolescents of migrant origin, particularly those from a second-generation background. Adolescents with a migration background, especially second-generation youth, experience greater psychosocial adversity when accessing psychiatric emergency services. Second-generation migrants show more severe forms of self-harm, such as self-poisoning and cutting, upon initial presentation, and they are less likely to have had prior outpatient mental health follow-up. Over 12 months of follow-up, a second-generation migrant background independently predicts an earlier recurrence of suicidal behavior, even after adjusting for sociodemographic and psychosocial covariates. First-generation migrants do not exhibit the same longitudinal risk pattern, indicating differences between migrant groups. These findings highlight the importance of culturally informed early detection and targeted prevention strategies in clinical settings that are tailored to the needs of adolescents of migrant origin.
Cognitive reserve (CR) is a construct reflecting the brain’s capacity to flexibly use neural resources to cope with pathology. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal development of CR in offspring of patients with schizophrenia (SzO) or bipolar disorder (BpO) compared to community controls (CcO), and whether a history of obstetric complications (OCs) plays a role in CR trajectories during youth. The study involved 515 datapoints (99 SzO, 205 BpO, 211 CcO) from 50 SzO, 87 BpO, and 91 CcO with assessments at different time points over a 12-year period. CR was assessed using a composite score including intelligence quotient, sociability, academic performance, and parental socioeconomic status. History of OCs was assessed and grouped according to complications during pregnancy, and complications in delivery. Although CR increased over time in all groups, levels of CR remained consistently lowest in SzO, followed by BpO A significant age-by-complications during pregnancy interaction was found in the whole sample, and in SzO and BpO, indicating reduced CR accumulation over time in those with a history of OCs. Having three or more OCs was associated with lower age-related gains in CR in the entire sample. SzO and BpO showed lower CR levels from an early age, which persisted over time, and a history of complications during pregnancy was associated with less CR accumulation. These findings highlight the impact of early-life factors on CR during youth, suggesting that early interventions in high-risk groups could help mitigate long-term complications.
