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Whole Brain Spectral Power Differences During Infancy Following Antenatal SARS-CoV-2 and Zika Virus Exposure:
Viviane Valdes1,2, Dashiell D Sacks3,4, Jennifer Near1
1Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Brookline, Massachusetts, USA.
Insights
Antenatal Zika virus (ZIKV) and SARS-CoV-2 exposure impacted infant neurodevelopment. ZIKV exposure altered low-frequency brain waves, while SARS-CoV-2 affected high-frequency waves, with some recovery noted.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Maternal viral infections during pregnancy pose risks to offspring neurodevelopment.
- Increasing global viral outbreaks necessitate understanding their impact on infants.
- Zika virus (ZIKV) and SARS-CoV-2 are significant public health concerns with potential developmental consequences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of antenatal ZIKV and SARS-CoV-2 exposure on infant neurophysiological development.
- To compare EEG power spectra in infants exposed to ZIKV or SARS-CoV-2 in utero versus unexposed infants.
- To assess neurodevelopmental trajectories during the first year of life.
Main Methods:
- Two cohorts were studied: ZIKV in Puerto Rico and SARS-CoV-2 in Boston.
- Infants underwent electroencephalography (EEG) assessments at various ages (3-12 months).
- Generalized linear models and multilevel mixed effects models were used for data analysis.
Main Results:
- ZIKV exposure showed age-by-exposure interactions in delta and theta power, with exposed infants exhibiting decreasing power over time.
- SARS-CoV-2 exposure was linked to reduced beta and gamma power in infants.
- Infants exposed to SARS-CoV-2 demonstrated recovery in beta power trajectories by 12 months.
Conclusions:
- Antenatal ZIKV exposure may disrupt early brain maturation, indicated by reduced low-frequency EEG power.
- SARS-CoV-2 exposure might impair sensorimotor and cognitive integration, suggested by altered high-frequency power.
- While some recovery is observed, potential long-term effects of early viral exposure warrant further investigation.
Background:
Viral exposure during pregnancy is associated with adverse outcomes in offspring. Given the increasing frequency of viral outbreaks both locally and globally, the current study sought to examine the impact of antenatal exposure to Zika virus (ZIKV) and SARS-CoV-2 on infant neurophysiological development during the first year of life.
Methods:
Families were recruited from two cohorts, one in San Juan, Puerto Rico (ZIKV) and one in Boston, Massachusetts (SARS-CoV-2). For the ZIKV cohort, infants were assessed cross-sectionally between 3 to 12 months of age. For SARS-CoV-2, infants were assessed longitudinally at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Electroencephalography (EEG) was used to compare absolute power during a resting state task across the whole brain (by spectral band) between infants with antenatal viral exposure and nonexposed infants. Data were analysed using generalized linear models (GLMs) and multilevel mixed effects models.
Results:
In the ZIKV cohort, age-by-exposure interactions were observed for delta (p = 0.027) and theta power (p = 0.009), where exposed infants demonstrated decreasing power with age, while nonexposed infants demonstrated increasing power with age from 3 to 12 months. In the SARS-CoV-2 cohort, antenatally exposed children had lower levels of beta (p = 0.022) and gamma power (p = 0.044) overall from 3 to 12 months. Significant recovery was observed in trajectories for beta power by 12 months.
Conclusion:
ZIKV exposure during pregnancy was associated with reductions in low-frequency EEG power, which may be indicative of disruptions in early brain maturation. SARS-CoV-2 exposure was associated with reductions in higher-frequency power, suggesting potential impairments on sensorimotor and cognitive integration. Increases in beta power by 12 months in the SARS-CoV-2 cohort indicate some recovery, although potential compounding and sleeper effects from early disruptions are possible.
