Maternal Obesity in Pregnancy: Consequences for Brain Function in the Offspring

Coleman, Harold A.; Parkington, Helena C.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-3014-2_10

Cited by 2 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 96 publications

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“…These studies report differences in neuron proliferation, differentiation, and maturation (Chang, Gaysinskaya, Karatayev, & Leibowitz, 2008; Niculescu & Lupu, 2009; Stachowiak et al, 2012), as well as altered gene expression and DNA methylation patterns (Grissom et al, 2014). Data show that these differences persist in postnatal life (Glendining, Fisher, & Jasoni, 2018; Naef et al, 2011; Schmitz et al, 2018; Tozuka et al, 2010; Vucetic, Kimmel, Totoki, Hollenbeck, & Reyes, 2010) and extend to other domains, including functional and neurochemical processing (Coleman & Parkington, 2016; Sullivan et al, 2010). Brain areas most frequently implicated by prenatal obesity are important for reward processing, higher order cognitive functioning, and mental health, including the prefrontal cortex (Glendining, Fisher, & Jasoni, 2018; Grissom et al, 2014), nucleus accumbens (Naef et al, 2011; Vucetic et al, 2010), and hippocampus (Niculescu & Lupu, 2009; Tozuka et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An examination of maternal prenatal BMI and human fetal brain development

Norr

Hect

Lenniger

et al. 2020

Child Psychology Psychiatry

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Background: Prenatal development is a time when the brain is acutely vulnerable to insult and alteration by environmental factors (e.g., toxins, maternal health). One important risk factor is maternal obesity (Body Mass Index > 30). Recent research indicates that high maternal BMI during pregnancy is associated with increased risk for numerous physical health, cognitive, and mental health problems in offspring across the lifespan. It is possible that heightened maternal prenatal BMI influences the developing brain even before birth. Methods: The present study examines this possibility at the level of macrocircuitry in the human fetal brain. Using a data-driven strategy for parcellating the brain into subnetworks, we test whether MRI functional connectivity within or between fetal neural subnetworks varies with maternal prenatal BMI in 109 fetuses between the ages of 26 and 39weeks. Results: We discovered that strength of connectivity between two subnetworks, left anterior insula/inferior frontal gyrus (aIN/ IFG) and bilateral prefrontal cortex (PFC), varied with maternal BMI. At the level of individual aIN/IFG-PFC connections, we observed both increased and decreased between-network connectivity with a tendency for increased within-hemisphere connectivity and reduced cross-hemisphere connectivity in higher BMI pregnancies. Maternal BMI was not associated with global differences in network topography based on network-based statistical analyses. Conclusions: Overall effects were localized in regions that will later support behavioral regulation and integrative processes, regions commonly associated with obesity-related deficits. By establishing onset in neural differences prior to birth, this study supports a model in which maternal BMI-related risk is associated with fetal connectomelevel brain organization with implications for offspring long-term cognitive development and mental health.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An examination of maternal prenatal BMI and human fetal brain development

Norr

Hect

Lenniger

et al. 2020

Child Psychology Psychiatry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Maternal obesity also induces shifts in the metabolome and placental transcriptome, and it diminishes placental vascularity, leading to lipotoxicity and chronic inflammation within the placenta (Radford‐Smith & Anthony, 2023). It is linked to disruptions in serum hormone levels, including elevated glucocorticoids, insulin, ghrelin, and leptin, alongside diminished thyroid hormone levels (Basak et al., 2022; Coleman & Parkington, 2016; Radford‐Smith & Anthony, 2023). These complex processes culminate in significant fetal exposure to a wide array of changes in hormones and inflammatory cytokines that can profoundly affect gene expression and physiology in the offspring (Coleman & Parkington, 2016) and that could contribute to the observed structural and functional changes within prefrontal and limbic regions of the offspring's brain (Cirulli et al., 2020; Coleman & Parkington, 2016; Radford‐Smith & Anthony, 2023).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is linked to disruptions in serum hormone levels, including elevated glucocorticoids, insulin, ghrelin, and leptin, alongside diminished thyroid hormone levels (Basak et al., 2022; Coleman & Parkington, 2016; Radford‐Smith & Anthony, 2023). These complex processes culminate in significant fetal exposure to a wide array of changes in hormones and inflammatory cytokines that can profoundly affect gene expression and physiology in the offspring (Coleman & Parkington, 2016) and that could contribute to the observed structural and functional changes within prefrontal and limbic regions of the offspring's brain (Cirulli et al., 2020; Coleman & Parkington, 2016; Radford‐Smith & Anthony, 2023).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The potential molecular mediators are numerous. For example, obesity creates a low‐grade inflammatory state in which obese mothers have elevated levels of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin 1, 6, and 8 (Basak et al., 2022; Coleman & Parkington, 2016). Maternal obesity also induces shifts in the metabolome and placental transcriptome, and it diminishes placental vascularity, leading to lipotoxicity and chronic inflammation within the placenta (Radford‐Smith & Anthony, 2023).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…conducted a review of published records assessing the associations of maternal obesity with alterations in the offspring's brain, with the aim of identifying the disturbances in brain systems that may be responsible for the observed adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes associated with maternal obesity during pregnancy.Many mechanisms have been hypothesized to mediate the adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes observed in the offspring of obese mothers. The potential molecular mediators are numerous.For example, obesity creates a low-grade inflammatory state in which obese mothers have elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin 1, 6, and 8(Basak et al, 2022;Coleman & Parkington, 2016). Maternal obesity also induces shifts in the metabolome and placental transcriptome, and it diminishes placental vascularity, leading to lipotoxicity and chronic inflammation within the placenta(Radford-Smith & Anthony, 2023).…”

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confidence: 99%

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A systematic review of MRI studies on the effects of maternal obesity on offspring brain structure and function

Parsaei,

Hashemi,

Moghaddam

et al. 2024

J of Neuroscience Research

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Maternal obesity before or during pregnancy has been associated previously in offspring with a wide range of poor neurodevelopmental outcomes and mental health problems. The effects of maternal obesity on offspring brain structure and function that may be responsible for these poor outcomes are not well understood. We, therefore, undertook a systematic review of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies that have assessed the associations of maternal obesity with brain measures in offspring. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycINFO on August 20, 2023. Of 15 eligible studies, seven employed functional MRI (fMRI), five diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and four anatomical MRI (one used both DTI and anatomical MRI) in the offspring. The ages of offspring varied widely: one was a study of fetuses in utero, five of neonates, one of infants, five of school‐aged children, two of both neonates and infants, and one of both children and adults. Collectively, 12 studies reported significant associations of maternal obesity with structural or functional alterations of the offspring's brain, most frequently in the prefrontal cortex and limbic system. In conclusion, maternal obesity appears to have a profound influence on offspring brain development, particularly within the prefrontal and limbic networks that regulate emotion and behavior. Further studies are needed to identify how changes in brain structure and function mediate the effects of maternal obesity on long‐term emotional and behavioral outcomes, as well as the molecular pathways through which maternal obesity alters offspring brain development.

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Maternal Obesity in Pregnancy: Consequences for Brain Function in the Offspring

Cited by 2 publications

References 96 publications

An examination of maternal prenatal BMI and human fetal brain development

An examination of maternal prenatal BMI and human fetal brain development

A systematic review of MRI studies on the effects of maternal obesity on offspring brain structure and function

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