DEPRESSION RISK, INFANT-MOTHER ATTACHMENT AND CORTISOL

该子项目是利用 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源。子项目和 研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得主要资金， 因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。列出的机构是 中心，不一定是研究者的机构。 我们感兴趣的是研究有抑郁症风险的母亲以及他们在生命的前14个月与婴儿的互动。 我们对这个话题感兴趣的原因是，在过去的十年里，一些长期的研究已经证实，父母患有情感疾病的儿童比父母未受影响的儿童患精神疾病的风险更大。 虽然遗传倾向在这些个体中很明显，但社会，家庭和环境因素也是强有力的预测因素。 特别是，产妇抑郁症的影响，启动这一进程可能是实质性的，因为抑郁症影响到许多方面的沟通，在母婴单位。 语速、声音质量、眼神交流和行为反应是母婴关系的核心方面，这些方面在生命早期发展，并受到抑郁症的影响。 虽然母亲行为的这些变化可能看起来很微妙，但它们会干扰婴儿的神经、运动和社会发展。 因此，该项目的一部分侧重于观察和记录（通过自我报告）母亲在定期安排的家访中的感受和与婴儿的互动。 这项研究的另一部分重点是确定与抑郁症有关的压力相关激素如何随着母亲在怀孕期间，出生时以及母亲和婴儿的进展而随时间变化，随着母婴关系的成熟。 目的是更好地了解这些激素的早期发展对抑郁症演变的作用。 在生命早期识别行为，异常激素功能及其时间关系将允许早期干预策略，这可能对母亲的影响和婴儿的身体和情感发展都有益。'

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. We are interested in studying mothers that are at risk for depression and their interaction with their infants during the first 14 months of life. The reason that we are interested in this topic is that over the last decade a number of long-term studies have confirmed that children of affectively ill parents are at a greater risk for psychiatric disorders than children from homes with unaffected parents. Although a genetic predisposition is clearly evident in these individuals, social, familial and environmental factors are also strong predictors. In particular, the impact of maternal depression on the initiation of this process may be substantial, as depression affects many facets of communication in the maternal-infant unit. Rate of speech, voice quality, eye-to-eye contact and behavioral responsiveness are core aspects of the mother-infant relationship which develop early in life and are affected by depression. Although these changes in the mother's behavior may appear to be subtle they interfere with the facilitation of the infant's neurological, motor and social development. Therefore a portion of this project focuses on observing and recording (through self-report) mothers' feelings and interactions with their babies during periodically scheduled home visits. Another portion of this study focuses on determining how stress related hormones which have been linked to depression may change overtime as the mother progresses through her pregnancy, at birth and in both mother and infant, as the maternal-infant relationship matures. The purpose is to better understand the role of early development of these hormones on the evolution of depressive disorders. Identifying behaviors, abnormal hormonal function and its temporal relationships early in life will allow for early intervention strategies that may be beneficial for both mother's affect and the infant's physical and emotional development.'