Electroencephalography Markers of Perinatal Depression and Anxiety in a Diverse Longitudinal Cohort: A Preliminary Study

Mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, are highly prevalent during pregnancy and postpartum and can have severe consequences on maternal morbidity and mortality, and on infant neurodevelopment. Yet the neurobiological mechanisms of these disorders are underexplored. Critically absent are longitudinal studies of mental health and brain alterations across the entire perinatal period using electroencephalography (EEG). In this study, a racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse perinatal cohort (n=61, 45% Non-Hispanic Black, 32% Hispanic, 65% public insurance) was followed bimonthly from early pregnancy through postpartum. At each visit, participants completed an 8-minute closed-eye resting state EEG recording and self-reported validated questionnaires to assess depression and anxiety symptoms. Linear regression models showed EEG-measured relative delta waves were negatively associated with both depression and anxiety severity in the first trimester and postpartum. Alpha waves were positively associated with elevated symptoms of anxiety at postpartum. Early pregnancy alpha and delta waves were also associated with late third trimester pregnancy and postpartum depression and anxiety. This study is the first to report that specific brain waves are associated with mood and anxiety disorders during perinatal periods characterized by large reproductive hormonal fluctuations. This work is an initial step to understanding how changes in dynamic brain activity during the perinatal period may be used as possible unbiased markers of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.