Mothers' PRA Linked to Infants' Brain Responses to Sad Speech - Research Paper

Introduction

Recently, numerous reports have shown the relationship between maternal pregnancy-related anxiety (PRA) and infants' neurodevelopmental results; however, there has been minimal neuroimaging research investigating the connection. This article on "Mothers' Pregnancy-Related Anxiety May Alter How Infants' Brain Respond To Sad Speech" conducted by researchers from the University of Turku in Finland and the University of Aalto like Dr. Ilkka Nissila illustrates the correlation between PRA and the infants' flow of blood to specific parts of the brain responsible for an emotional response during a sad speech. From the article, some of the areas of interest include the different arguments by Dr. Ilkka Nissila that PRA only impacted infants during the mid-pregnancy than later phases and that infant's brain dealing with the response to emotional speech was much less active when listening to sad speech. Further, in this study, Professor Hasse Karlsson provides the importance of Finn Brain study in examining the relationship between PRA and infants' neurodevelopmental outcomes even in their later years. However, this report will describe the nature of discovery made in this specific article and knowledge acquired about the researchers who contributed to the study. Further, the report will discuss a researcher mentioned in the study in different research and how another research team has applied this piece of research.

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With this article being part of a pilot study by Maria et al. (2020), the researchers at the University of Turku and Aalto made significant development in investigating the potential connection between pregnancy-related anxiety and how infants' brains respond to emotional speech. Aalto University researchers, provided a reliable and evidence-based discovery as they examined data of 19 mother-baby pairs through the Diffuse Optical Tomography (DOT) brain scanning technique. Also, from the finding reported in this particular article, it is evident that the researchers were only interested in examining the correlation between PRA and infant response to an emotional speech during the early stages of pregnancy, which created the need for further research to understand the developmental and functional significance of the discovery. Nonetheless, some of the significant lessons about the researchers who contributed to the discovery include their involvement in the field of science and health. With most of the researchers being professors, this implies on the overall role of institutions in examining and advancing studies on specific disciplines. Also, with researchers like Professor Hasse Karlsson, Linnea Karlsson, Dr. Ilkka Nissila, Ambika Maria, Minna Huotilainen, Pauliina Hirvi, Jetro Tuulari, Kalle Matias Kotilahto, and Shashank Shekhar, they provide a significant discourse on the role of science in understanding human developmental disorders and behaviors as well. The majority of the researchers have been involved in a collection of other projects and publications both in Finland and other nations.

Additionally, another article related to the relationship between PRA and infant's neurodevelopmental outcomes is the "Maternal Pre- and Postnatal Anxiety Symptoms and Infant Attention Disengagement from Emotional Faces" article by Kataja et al. (2019). As this article investigates the association between maternal pre- and postnatal anxiety symptoms and the emotional response of infants, the researchers focused on the probability of disengagement. According to Kataja et al. (2019), the maternal prenatal anxiety symptoms associated with infants' heightened attention bias for threat. On the other hand, maternal postnatal anxiety symptoms related to an infant's overall disengagement probability, which is different for the girls and boys. Still involved in the popular source, Professor Hasse Karlsson plays a significant role in this article with the examination of anxiety symptoms in early pregnancy and their influence on the infants' response to emotional speech.

However, this article by Kataja et al. (2019) has been used by Savory et al. (2020) in their study on the prenatal symptoms of depression and anxiety on infants. According to Savory et al. (2020) discovery, maternal perception of temperament is influenced by the gender and mood of the infant. The researchers observed minimal difficulties in girls exposed to maternal symptoms and temperament issues and language deal in exposed boys. In different ways, Savory et al. (2020) study resonate with a separate survey by Nolvi et al. (2019), which provides that maternal trajectories of symptoms hold no significant effects on reported infant fear.

Researchers Involved in Both Scholarly Articles

As both research papers provide details on the affective disorder in infants, the majority of the involved researchers are professors and doctors. In the first article by Kataja et al. (2019), Professor Hasse Karlsson was meaningfully involved in developing a robust study. Hasse Karlsson is a professor of integrative neuroscience and psychiatry currently working at the University of Turku in Finland (ResearchGate, 2020). In different ways, Hasse Karlsson has been involved in eight significant projects involving FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study. Also, he has been involved in about 227 publications as of March 2020 (ResearchGate, 2020).

In the second study by Savory et al. (2020), Professor Stephanie van Goozen significantly contributed to the article. Stephanie van Goozen is a professor of neuro-biological and Orth pedagogical settings of serious behavioral problems (Cardiff.ac.uk, 2020). At present, Stephanie van Goozen is a professor at the school of psychology at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom (Cardiff.ac.uk, 2020). Professor Stephanie van Goozen has been involved in the mother-infant neurodevelopmental study and around 180 publications as of March 2020 (Cardiff.ac.uk, 2020). With a view on both articles, there is a large number of researchers involved as they try to investigate the relationship between infants' emotional response to pregnancy-related anxiety.

Both articles appear to be funded by the involved learning institutions. With researchers from the Cardiff University in Savory et al.'s article, the institution funded the research along with RMJ, which helped in the study as a whole. Through the Grown in Wales study funded by MRC grant (MR/M013960/1) enabled the success of the researcher. As for Kataja et al.'s article, it was a contribution by authors from the University of Turku and Aalto University. Based on the acknowledgment of the study, this research was funded by both institutions. From the institutions involved in both studies, it is evident that they play a vital role in the advancement of studies concerning affective disorders.

How the Authors of the Second Article Used the First Article

In the study of Savory et al. (2020) article, the researchers used the Kataja et al.'s report as a complementary of the research question at hand. In their article, they used the information to support their work and provide a justification for their findings relating to anxiety symptoms reported by mothers and their observed influence on the infants. In the introduction of Savory et al.'s article, Kataja et al.'s article is used to provide details on the sex differences in maternally-reported infant temperament. In consideration of the methods used in both studies, they used different ways whereby, the first article was based on an eye-tracking and attention disengagement paradigm. In contrast, the second article conducted a maternally completed questionnaire. Within the reports, the researchers were focused on different aspects of the issue of maternal related anxiety and its effects on infants. For instance, Kataja et al.'s article focused on examining the association between pre and postnatal anxiety symptoms and infant attention patterns to faces, concentrate on attentional biases to danger while Savory et al.'s article compared the anxiety and depression symptoms reported by mothers from observation of infant characteristics.

Savory and the co-authors used Kataja et al.'s article as they presented their findings on their study. Precisely, Kataja et al.'s article has been used to provide an in-depth view and investigation of some of the critical factors and science in the involvement of pregnancy-related anxiety on the response of infants on emotional speeches. By creating a connection between the studies and attempting to answer some of the research limitations identified by Kataja et al.'s article, Savory and the co-researchers built their research to advance existing literature.

Conclusion

Besides the use of data from Kataja et al.'s article by Savory and his colleagues, both articles are providing a significant stepping stone in the investigation of affective disorders among infants. Based on the information provided by the reports, it is outright that more details should be developed to ensure that most of the limitations and research gaps identified are addressed. In connection with both articles to the original popular source, they imply the development in the study and application of scientific study designs. Moreover, the researchers in used articles are established doctors, professors, and scientists focused on ensuring that arising issues in the study of psychology and science are addressed. In different ways, the produced research studies are being used for health care and educational purposes as they provide evidence-based data. Throughout the scholarly articles, the researchers maintain a significant view of the issues surrounding their research question by attempting to develop more literature in what they term as a minimally investigate research area. The findings of the produced researches can be used in expanding knowledge and understanding the involvement of maternal-related anxiety in the infants' response to emotional speech.

References

Aalto University. (2019, November 12). Mothers' pregnancy-related anxiety may alter how infants' brains respond to sad speech. ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191112090637.htm

Cardiff.ac.uk. (2020). Professor Stephanie van Goozen. Cardiff University. https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/people/view/61039-van-goozen-stephanie.

Kataja, E. L., Karlsson, L., Parsons, C. E., Pelto, J., Pesonen, H., Haikio, T., ... & Karlsson, H. (2019). Maternal pre-and postnatal anxiety symptoms and infant attention disengagement from emotional faces. Journal of affective disorders, 243, 280-289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.09.064

Maria, A., Nissila, I., Shekhar, S., Kotilahti, K., Tuulari, J. J., Hirvi, P., ... & Karlsson, H. (2020). Relationship between maternal pregnancy-related anxiety and infant brain responses to emotional speech-a pilot study. Journal of affective disorders, 262, 62-70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2019.10.047

Nolvi, S., Bridgett, D. J., Korja, R., Kataja, E. L., Junttila, N., Karlsson, H., & Karlsson, L. (2019). Trajectories of maternal pre-and postnatal anxiety and depressive symptoms and infant fear: Moderation by infant sex. Journal of affective disorders, 257, 589-597. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2019.07.055

ResearchGate. (2020). Hasse Karlsson. researchgate.net. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hasse_Karlsson.

Savory, K., Garay, S. M., Sumption, L. A., Kelleher, J. S., Daughters, K., Janssen, A. B., ... & John, R. M. (2020). Prenatal symptoms of anxiety and depression associated with sex differences in both maternal perceptions of one-year-old infant t...