2023-10-22 07:30:00
Between 15% and 20% of new mothers are affected by postpartum depression. This complex psychological disorder might have a hereditary component, according to the work of researchers from the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill published in the journal American Journal of Psychiatry.
Postpartum depression: genes are also responsible
The researchers used 18 cohorts of European ancestry, one of East Asian ancestry and another of African ancestry. This represents 18,770 cases of postpartum depression and 58,461 women who did not present this disorder following giving birth.
Analyzes show that the disease can be attributed to certain common genetic factors. “A patient’s postpartum depression is often not simply the result of environmental factors, such as past trauma. Instead, susceptibility to postpartum depression has a significant genetic component.”explain the authors in a press release from the American university. Understanding and identifying these genetic factors might contribute to better management of this psychological disorder.
A link between postpartum depression, psychiatric disorders and genes
During this study, scientists also noted that the genetic architecture of postpartum depression is significantly correlated with that of major depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, insomnia and polycystic ovary syndrome.
This suggests that the symptoms of postpartum depression are likely linked to an interaction between the same genes involved in these other psychiatric conditions and linked to hormones.
“We studied around 1.1 million regions of the human genome”explains Jerry Guintivano, assistant professor of psychiatry at the UNC School of Medicine, “and we can see that the Postpartum depression has a similar genetic signature to these other psychiatric conditions. Genetic risk factors for postpartum depression appear to be shared by other disorders, such as major depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety.”.
Postpartum depression: GABAergic neurons involved?
In addition to identifying these genetic correlations, the researchers also discovered a potential mechanism for treating postpartum depression. They observed a correlation between the disease and GABAergic neurons, particularly those in the thalamus and hypothalamus, which are involved in mood regulation.
Brexanolone, the treatment approved by the FDA to treat this disease, targets precisely these neurons. “We view our finding as a refinement of the mechanism by which brexanolone works”specifies the scientist. “We now have preliminary evidence suggesting that we should target GABAergic neurons in the thalamus and hypothalamus for future research.”
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