Abstract
Knowledge about healthy women’s psychophysiological adaptations during the large neuroendocrine changes of pregnancy and childbirth
is essential in order to understand why these events have the potential to disrupt mental health in vulnerable individuals.
This study aimed to compare startle response modulation, an objective psychophysiological measure demonstrated to be influenced
by anxiety and depression, longitudinally across late pregnancy and the postpartum period. The acoustic startle response modulation
was assessed during anticipation of affective images and during image viewing in 31 healthy women during gestational weeks
36–39 and again at 4 to 6 weeks postpartum. No startle modulation by affective images was observed at either time point. Significant
modulation during anticipation stimuli was found at pregnancy assessment but was reduced in the postpartum period. The women
rated the unpleasant images more negative and more arousing and the pleasant images more positive at the postpartum assessment.
Self-reported anxiety and depressive symptoms did not change between assessments. The observed postpartum decrease in modulation
of startle by anticipation suggests a relatively deactivated defense system in the postpartum period.
is essential in order to understand why these events have the potential to disrupt mental health in vulnerable individuals.
This study aimed to compare startle response modulation, an objective psychophysiological measure demonstrated to be influenced
by anxiety and depression, longitudinally across late pregnancy and the postpartum period. The acoustic startle response modulation
was assessed during anticipation of affective images and during image viewing in 31 healthy women during gestational weeks
36–39 and again at 4 to 6 weeks postpartum. No startle modulation by affective images was observed at either time point. Significant
modulation during anticipation stimuli was found at pregnancy assessment but was reduced in the postpartum period. The women
rated the unpleasant images more negative and more arousing and the pleasant images more positive at the postpartum assessment.
Self-reported anxiety and depressive symptoms did not change between assessments. The observed postpartum decrease in modulation
of startle by anticipation suggests a relatively deactivated defense system in the postpartum period.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Article
- Pages 1-8
- DOI 10.1007/s00737-012-0261-7
- Authors
- Charlotte Hellgren, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
- Elin Bannbers, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
- Helena Åkerud, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
- Victoria Risbrough, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
- Inger Sundström Poromaa, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
- Journal Archives of Women’s Mental Health
- Online ISSN 1435-1102
- Print ISSN 1434-1816