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Differential susceptibility in the making: Genetic moderators of maternal prenatal affect on stress reactivity and temperament in infants
Grant PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2016-0840
Contract no. 136/12.07.2017
OVERVIEW
Maternal stress during pregnancy has been consistently associated with atypical emotional responses in human infants, as well as subsequent emotional difficulties in children and adolescents. The long-term impact of maternal prenatal stress may involve programming effects (i.e., enduring disorganization of neuroendocrine systems resulting from exposure to stress during sensitive periods) on the developing hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal of the fetus. Recent evidence indicates that maternal stress in the last trimester of pregnancy is related to neonatal cortisol reactivity and temperament, and that genetic differences may moderate these relations. The objectives of the present project are: (1) to investigate the relations between maternal affect during the third trimester of pregnancy and infant stress reactivity and temperament; and (2) to examine, based on the differential susceptibility model, several candidate genetic moderators that may be involved in these relations. For the first time, experience sampling with mobile phones will be used to characterize both positive and negative maternal prenatal affect in daily life. Infant measures will include cortisol and behavioral responses to a vaccination procedure in the first postnatal day, and laboratory assessments of temperament at 6 months. By characterizing the "bright side" of maternal prenatal affect and identifying moderators that may decrease offspring susceptibility to prenatal maternal stress, this project will identify targets for future interventions designed to optimize the experience of pregnancy from a long-term neurodevelopmental perspective. Due to its integrative and innovative character, we believe that this project will have an impact in fundamental and translational research.
TEAM
Andrei C. Miu, Ph.D. (PI)
Oana Benga, Ph.D.
Romana Vulturar, M.D., Ph.D.
Sorin Andreica, M.D., Ph.D.
Adina Chiș, Ph.D.
Ioana Bunea, Ph.D. Student
Georgiana Susa-Erdogan, Ph.D
Simina Pițur, B.A.
GRANT REPORTS
Grant report 2017 [available for download]
Grant report 2018 [available for download]
PUBLICATIONS
Articles
Bunea, M. I., & Miu, A. C. (2019). Maternal stress during pregnancy and stress reactivity in children: A meta-analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology 107S, 6-7. [IF: 4.78]
Miu, A. C., Homberg, J. R., & Lesch, K.-P. (2019). Genes, Brain, and Emotions: Interdisciplinary and Translational Perspectives. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.
Miu, A. C., & Bîlc, M. I. (2019). Genetics of emotion regulation: A systematic review. In A. C. Miu, J. R. Homberg, & K.-P. Lesch (Eds.): Genes, Brain, and Emotions: Interdisciplinary and Translational Perspectives (pp. 144-169). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.
Andreica, S., Vulturar, R., Chiș, A., & Miu, A.C. (2018). The development of neonatal gut microbiota and its role in health and disease. Obstetrica și Ginecologia, 66, 59-65
Bunea, I. M., Szentágotai-Tătar, A., & Miu, A. C. (2017). Early life adversity and cortisol response to social stress: A meta-analysis. Translational Psychiatry 7, 12, 1274. [IF: 4.73].
Chiș, A., Vulturar, R., Andreica, S., Prodan, A., & Miu, A. C. (2017). Behavioral and cortisol responses to stress in newborn infants: Effects of mode of delivery. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 86, 203-208. [IF: 4.78]
Conference papers
Miu, A. C., Carnuță, M., Vulturar, R., Chiș, A., & Szentágotai-Tătar, A. (2019, March). Childhood maltreatment and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response: The role of distress tolerance. International Convention of Psychological Science, Paris
Chiș, A., Vulturar, R., Bunea, I., & Miu, A. C. (2018, December). SNPs in genetic association studies: single locus versus multilocus analyses. Zilele UMF "I.Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca.
Andreica, S., Vulturar, R., Chiș, A., & Miu, A. C. (2018, December). Differential susceptibility before birth: genetic moderators in the relation between maternal affect during pregnancy and infant stress reactivity and temperament. Zilele UMF "I.Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca.
Vulturar, R., Chiș, A., Dumitrescu-Ionescu, G., & Miu, A. C. (2018, December). From hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA): Development in infancy and implications for health. Zilele UMF "I.Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca.
Andreica, S., Chiș, A., Vulturar, R., Prodan, A., & Miu, A. C. (2018, October). Behavioral and cortisol responses to stress in newborn infants: Effects of mode of delivery. International Congress of the Union of the European Neonatal and Perinatal Societies, București.
Miu, A. C. (2018, September). Early life stress and health: A physiological perspective. The 30th Conference of Physiology ”Integrative physiology – From fundamental mechanisms to biomedical application”, Cluj-Napoca.
Andreica, S., Chiș, A., Vulturar, R., Prodan, A., & Miu, A. C. (2017, October). Factori genetici și endocrini implicați în modularea răspunsului la stres al nou-născuților. Al III-lea Congres al Clubului Regal al Medicilor, București.
Chiș, A., Vulturar, R., Andreica, S., Prodan, A. & Miu, A.C. (2017, December). Behavioral and cortisol responses to stress in newborn infants: Effects of mode of delivery. Zilele UMF "I.Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca.
Miu, A. C. (2017, August) De ce stresul în copilărie are efecte negative pentru restul vieții? A 3-a Conferință HealthNow, București. [oral presentation]