PhD. Topics
Centre of Experimental Medicine SAS
Topic
Effect of maternal depression on development of offspring's brain structure and function
PhD. program
Pharmacology
Year of admission
2025
Name of the supervisor
Mgr. Eszter Bögi, PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University
Annotation
The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks depressive disorder as the third most common disease worldwide. The lifetime risk for depression is greater in women than men and it is especially high during female reproductive age. Untreated maternal depression not only endangers life of the mother, it also increases the risk of adverse outcomes in children. Maternal psychiatric disorders may also reduce cognitive function and result in impaired brain development in the fetus. However, pharmacological treatment raises issue of safety for offspring and benefits of the treatment are weighed against the risks. Therefore, it is important to study the effect of maternal depression alone and/or psychiatric therapy on neurobehavioral adaptations and neurodevelopment of the infants. While depression is a systemic condition that impacts multiple organs and systems in the body, the most significant effects are seen in the brain. Problems with memory, learning, and emotional regulation accompanying depression are related to structural and functional defects in hippocampus. Therefore, we aim to analyze consequences of maternal depression and antidepressant therapy in offspring at the behavioral, cellular and molecular level with specific focus on hippocampus.