Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

9-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S.

Program

Cognitive Neuroscience

Advisor

Yoko Nomura

Subject Categories

Cognitive Neuroscience

Keywords

meconium, perinatal stress, cognition, gut microbiome, development

Abstract

Maternal perinatal stress is a commonly experienced, yet chronically undiagnosed condition (CDC, 2010). Literature has suggested that perinatal stress exposure has long lasting implications of the developing child both physically and mentally (Behrman et al., 2007; Hobel et al., 2008; Bowman et al., 2004; Polanska et al., 2017; Van de Bergh et. al, 2020). The use of meconium in the clinical setting has become one that serves a purpose of detection in medical conditions like in utero drug exposure. Using meconium as a predictor for brain behavior, however, is still an emerging concept in the literature. It is quickly gaining attention as interest in the gut microbiome and its large-scale impact on the body grows. Hu et al. (2019), for example, investigated the relationship between maternal anxiety and the infant gut microbiome. They found that pregnancy related anxiety was associated with lower levels of enterococcaceae from newborn meconium. This study seeks to evaluate meconium’s predictive value in identifying child risk for cognitive impairment. One-way ANOVA, two-way ANOVA, and linear regression analysis were used to test the relationship of 43 participants enterococcaceae levels at birth and cognitive scores measured using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence - Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV) between the ages of four and seven years old. No significant associations of enterococcaceae level and cognition were found. Despite the negative findings, the limited sample size of this study warrants an expanded investigation into the relationship of enterococcaceae level and cognition in perinatally stress children in order to achieve a greater understanding of the “brain- gut connection”. That, in turn, will add further description on the gut microbiota influence on brain behavior.

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