Prenatal Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Exposure, Depression, and Brain Morphology in Middle Childhood:

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Allison L Moreau1, Michaela Voss1, Isabella Hansen1

  • 1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri.

Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science
|May 1, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) exposure was not linked to childhood depression. However, it was associated with minor changes in brain structure, not linked to depressive symptoms.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Prenatal exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) has shown inconsistent links to depression.
  • Neural correlates of prenatal SSRI exposure are not well understood.
  • This study investigates the association between prenatal SSRI exposure, depressive symptoms, and brain structure in middle childhood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine if prenatal SSRI exposure is associated with depressive symptoms in children aged 9-10.
  • To investigate the relationship between prenatal SSRI exposure and brain structure (cortical thickness, surface area, subcortical volume) in middle childhood.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, including 5420-7528 children.
  • Assessed prenatal SSRI exposure via caregiver report and depressive symptoms using the Child Behavior Checklist.
  • Analyzed brain structure using magnetic resonance imaging, employing linear mixed-effects models and matrix spectral decomposition.

Main Results:

  • Prenatal SSRI exposure was not independently associated with childhood depression when maternal depressive symptoms were considered.
  • Prenatal SSRI exposure showed small associations with increased left superior parietal surface area and lateral occipital cortical thickness.
  • These brain structure changes were not linked to child depressive symptoms; child depression correlated with smaller global brain structure.

Conclusions:

  • The findings suggest that the benefits of SSRIs for maternal depression should not be outweighed by concerns over potential effects on child depression.
  • Observed associations between prenatal SSRI exposure and brain structure were minimal and not clinically significant regarding depressive symptoms.
  • Further research is needed to track associations through young adulthood, a period of increased depression risk.
Abstract

Keywords:
ChildDepressionMRIPregnancyPrenatalSSRI

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