Tryptophan, Cortisol and Puerperal Mood

Handley, Sheila L.; Dunn, Todd; Waldron, Gillian; Baker, Judith M.

doi:10.1192/bjp.136.5.498

Cited by 181 publications

(115 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Women experiencing postpartum blues seem to be somewhat more likely to have poor family or marital relations and to have experienced mood disturbances before or during pregnancy (Ballinger, Kay, Naylor, & Smith, 1982;Cutrona, 1983;Handley, Dunn, Waldron, & Baker, 1980;Kennerley & Gath, 1989b;Nott, Franklin, Armitage, & Gelder, 1976). Currently, no available evidence links postpartum blues to adverse effects on children and the condition on its own will not be discussed further.…”

Section: Postpartum Depression: Implications For Infants' Emerging Comentioning

confidence: 87%

Implications of Timing of Maternal Depressive Symptoms for Early Cognitive and Language Development

Sohr-Preston

Scaramella

2006

Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev

366

292

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: Statistically, women, particularly pregnant women and new mothers, are at heightened risk for depression. The present review describes the current state of the research linking maternal depressed mood and children's cognitive and language development. Exposure to maternal depressive symptoms, whether during the prenatal period, postpartum period, or chronically, has been found to increase children's risk for later cognitive and language difficulties. The present review considers both the timing of maternal depression and the chronicity of mothers' depression on children's risk for cognitive and language delays. Infancy is frequently identified as a sensitive period in which environmental stimulation has the potential to substantially influence children's cognitive and language development. However, children's exposure to chronic maternal depression seems to be associated with more problematic outcomes for children, perhaps because depression interferes with mothers' ability to respond sensitively and consistently over time. Consistent with this expectation, interventions targeting parenting practices of depressed mothers have been found to increase children's cognitive competence during early childhood. The current review provides a synthesis of the current state of the field regarding the association between maternal depression and children's cognitive and language development during early childhood.

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Section: Postpartum Depression: Implications For Infants' Emerging Comentioning

confidence: 87%

Implications of Timing of Maternal Depressive Symptoms for Early Cognitive and Language Development

Sohr-Preston

Scaramella

2006

Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev

366

292

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…For example, even though plasma tryptophan concentration decreases progressively during pregnancy and ordinarily recovers normal values after delivery, a reduction of plasma tryptophan levels during the post-partum period has been suggested to contribute to the onset of symptoms of postpartum depression in some women (Handley et al, 1980;Maes et al, 2002;Schrocksnadel et al, 2003). Supporting this hypothesis, normal healthy women experienced a marked decrease in several parameters of mood following tryptophan depletion, whereas men did not (Ellenbogen et al, 1996).…”

Section: -Ht Microdialysis Measurementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex Differences in the Regulation of Serotonergic Transmission and Behavior in 5-HT Receptor Knockout Mice

Jones

Lucki

2005

Neuropsychopharmacol

100

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Few studies have examined the relationship between genetics, stress, and sex-linked differences in neurotransmitter systems. Examining serotonin (5-HT) receptor knockout mice on stress-induced behavioral depression, female 5-HT 1B receptor knockout mice demonstrated significantly reduced immobility than either male 5-HT 1B receptor knockout mice or male and female wild-type mice on the tail suspension test (TST) and forced swimming test. The behavioral phenotype was identified as likely due to a disinhibition of 5-HT release, because depletion of 5-HT with parachlorophenylalanine selectively reduced immobility of female 5-HT 1B receptor knockout mice in the TST. In contrast, male and female 5-HT 1A receptor knockout mice demonstrated reduced immobility compared with control mice, but the depletion of 5-HT with PCPA did not reverse the antidepressant-like phenotype. Microdialysis studies confirmed significantly higher baseline levels of hippocampal 5-HT in female, but not male, 5-HT 1B receptor knockout mice. Both male and female 5-HT 1B receptor knockout mice demonstrated augmented dialysate responses to fluoxetine. Also, both male and female 5-HT 1B receptor knockout mice demonstrated reductions of immobility in the TST after treatment with fluoxetine. Therefore, female 5-HT 1B receptor knockout mice demonstrate a sex-linked disinhibition of 5-HT release that sustained higher baseline levels of hippocampal 5-HT and behavioral vulnerability to 5-HT depletion.

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“…Postpartum depression must be distinguished from the "baby blues," which occur in the majority of new mothers. This transient mood disturbance does not consistently affect the woman's ability to function [9]. According to Stein's criteria, 67% of postpartum women have been diagnosed as suffering from MB [10], while studies focused on the Japanese population reported that only 15-35% women were affected [11][12][13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%