Bridging the Gap - Exploring the Role of Cortisol on The Effects of Prenatal Depression on Child Neurocognition

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dc.contributor.advisorGiesbrecht, Gerald
dc.contributor.authorCattani, Danielle
dc.contributor.committeememberLebel, Catherine
dc.contributor.committeememberCampbell, Tavis
dc.date2022-11
dc.date.accessioned2022-08-23T19:04:24Z
dc.date.available2022-08-23T19:04:24Z
dc.date.issued2022-08-19
dc.description.abstractPrenatal depression is a potentially debilitating experience that can affect both birthing parent and child. The current study investigates the role of cortisol, a hormone well-known for its involvement in the stress response, in the association between prenatal depression and child neurocognitive outcomes. Specifically, we assessed child executive function and cortical thickness in the right frontal and prefrontal cortices. Pregnant participants completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) to assess prenatal depression, and we examined prenatal cortisol using salivary cortisol samples. Children completed six executive function tasks spanning the three domains of executive functioning and underwent magnetic resonance imaging to assess their cortical thickness. Our results indicate that prenatal depression during pregnancy, particularly early pregnancy, has the potential to adversely impact mental flexibility in children ages 3 – 4 years. Furthermore, an elevated prenatal cortisol awakening response (CAR) was related to timing-specific and region-specific cortical thinning in the right frontal cortex of children ages 3 – 7 years. Lastly, increased CAR in the third trimester was associated with better mental flexibility outcomes. Prenatal cortisol did not mediate the relationship between prenatal depression and child cortical thickness or executive function outcomes in our sample. Future research directions are discussed. Our study emphasizes the importance of caring for prenatal mental health in improving outcomes for child neurocognition.en_US
dc.identifier.citationCattani, D. (2022). Bridging the Gap – Exploring the Role of Cortisol on The Effects of Prenatal Depression on Child Neurocognition (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca..en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/115129
dc.identifier.urihttps://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/40165
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisher.facultyCumming School of Medicineen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.subjectPrenatal depressionen_US
dc.subjectExecutive functionen_US
dc.subjectCortisolen_US
dc.subjectfetal developmenten_US
dc.subjectfetal programmingen_US
dc.subjectDOHaDen_US
dc.subjectCognitionen_US
dc.subjectChild healthen_US
dc.subjectPrenatal mental healthen_US
dc.subject.classificationEducation--Early Childhooden_US
dc.subject.classificationEducation--Healthen_US
dc.subject.classificationEducation--Sciencesen_US
dc.subject.classificationNeuroscienceen_US
dc.subject.classificationHuman Developmenten_US
dc.subject.classificationMental Healthen_US
dc.subject.classificationPsychology--Cognitiveen_US
dc.subject.classificationPsychology--Developmentalen_US
dc.subject.classificationPsychobiologyen_US
dc.titleBridging the Gap - Exploring the Role of Cortisol on The Effects of Prenatal Depression on Child Neurocognitionen_US
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineMedicine – Medical Sciencesen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgaryen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrueen_US
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