Whether these neurodevelopmental changes translate into long-term behavioral or psychological outcomes should be evaluated in subsequent studies, Dr. Lugo-Candelas and colleagues said.
Abnormalities in amygdala-insula circuitry may lead to anxiety or depression, they wrote.
“The structurally primed circuit in the infant brains could lead to maladaptive fear processing in their later life, such as generalization of conditioned fear or negative attention bias,” they added.
Dr. Lugo-Candelas reported no conflicts of interest related to the study. One study coauthor reported research support from Shire Pharmaceuticals and Aevi Genomics.
SOURCE: Lugo-Candelas C, et al. JAMA Pediatr. 2018 Apr 9. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.5227.