Perinatal Nutrition and Programmed Risk for Neuropsychiatric Disorders: A Focus on Animal Models.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Biology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Maternal nutrition is crucial for fetal development and offspring's long-term health.
• Diet during pregnancy is linked to increased risk of neuropsychiatric disorders in offspring, including depression, anxiety, and ADHD.
• Animal models are vital for understanding how maternal diet influences prenatal programming and neurobehavioral outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review preclinical studies on the effects of maternal macronutrient intake (protein, fats, carbohydrates) on offspring neurobehavior.
• To highlight the translational relevance of animal models in studying maternal nutrition's impact on neurodevelopment.
• To examine maternal diet exposure periods mirroring human gestational neurodevelopmental stages.

Main Methods:

• Review of preclinical studies, primarily using rodent models.
• Focus on studies examining maternal macronutrient consumption during gestation.
• Analysis of neurobehavioral outcomes in offspring related to negative-valence behaviors.

Main Results:

• Maternal macronutrient intake can lead to prenatal programming of neurobehavioral impairments in offspring.
• Observed alterations in offspring risk assessment and response.
• Neurodevelopmental impairments linked to neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, and synaptic plasticity were noted.

Conclusions:

• Preclinical evidence strongly supports the role of maternal nutrition in programming offspring neurobehavioral development.
• Animal models offer valuable insights into diet-induced neurodevelopmental changes.
• Future research should explore large-animal models and the role of sex as a biological variable.