Biological Processes Underlying Anxiety During Pregnancy: A Substudy of an Anxiety-focused Early Prenatal Intervention for the Prevention of Common Mental Disorders in Pakistan
Overview
- Phase
- N/A
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Anxiety
- Sponsor
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- Enrollment
- 117
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Peripheral Markers of Inflammation
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- last year
Overview
Brief Summary
As a supplement to the ongoing randomized evaluation of the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) anxiety prevention intervention in Pakistan (R01-MH111859), the investigators propose to explore potential biological mechanisms (related to inflammation and endocrine functioning) of antenatal anxiety through additional data collection with 300 pregnant women.
Detailed Description
This study will leverage the ongoing randomized evaluation of the CBT anxiety prevention intervention in Pakistan (R01-MH111859) to explore potential biological mechanisms. This CBT intervention targets both sub-threshold anxiety symptoms and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in early- to mid- pregnancy, aiming to both prevent and treat Common Mental Disorders (CMDs) (GAD and major depressive episodes (MDE)) as well as improve birth outcomes. The study team proposes to additionally study biological correlates of antenatal anxiety (i.e., immune and endocrine functioning) in 300 women: in addition to 200 drawn from our randomized trial (100 intervention, 100 usual care), the study will also include 100 healthy women without anxiety or depression. The aims are to 1) characterize the "immune phenotype" of anxious women across the peripartum, specifically by measuring the relation among anxiety symptoms and peripheral markers of inflammation within and across women (both anxious and healthy) and between those receiving the intervention and control; 2) determine the relation between levels of allopregnanolone (ALLO) in pregnancy and concurrent anxiety symptoms and future symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD), 3) examine the relation between changes in immune functioning and ALLO levels in anxious pregnancy across time, 4) examine whether immune function and/or ALLO are mediators or moderators of the association between antenatal anxiety and preterm birth and/or small-for-gestational age, and 5) examine the effects of both anxiety and the intervention (including biomarkers) on infant development at six weeks postpartum.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •ability to understand spoken Urdu
- •pregnant, ≤22 weeks' gestation
- •age ≥18 years
- •residence ≤20 km of Holy Family Hospital
- •intent to reside in the study areas until the completion of the study
Exclusion Criteria
- •Current anemia
- •Current major depressive episode (MDE on SCID) or life-threatening health conditions including e.g. active severe depression or suicidal ideation
- •Self-report of past or current significant learning disability
- •Self-report of past or current psychiatric disorder (e.g. bipolar disorder or schizophrenia) or psychiatric care (e.g. current use of anxiolytic drug and/or other psychotropic drug)
- •medical disorders or severe maternal morbidity that require inpatient management that would preclude participation (101)
- •ICU admission indicated by diagnosis (not only for assessment)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Peripheral Markers of Inflammation
Time Frame: trimester 1, trimester 2, trimester 3, 6 weeks postpartum
Differences in levels of peripheral inflammatory markers and change in these markers across time (trimester 1 (T1), trimester 2 (T2), trimester 3 (T3) and postpartum (PP)) between anxious and healthy women, and between intervention and control women. Markers include IFNgamma, IL6, IL8, IL10, IL12p70, TNFalpha, IL17A, TARC, MIP1alpha, MCP4, Eotaxin
Allopregnanolone Levels and Anxiety Symptoms Across the Peripartum
Time Frame: trimester 2, trimester 3, 6 weeks postpartum
Measure differences in level of allopregnanolone (mean) at each time point and across time (trimester 1 (T1), trimester 2 (T2), trimester 3 (T3) and postpartum (PP)) between anxious women and healthy women, and between intervention and control. The results are measured by log-transformed values of the concentration of each cytokine in the plasma, in ng/mL (nanogram per milliliter).
Allopregnanolone Levels Predicting Postpartum Depression
Time Frame: Trimester 2
Differences in allopregnanolone levels at the second trimester between women who do and do not go on to develop postpartum depression (PPD). The results are measured by log-transformed values of the concentration of allopregnanolone in the plasma, in ng/ml (nanogram per milliliter. Women who have Allopregnanolone (ALLO) levels and developed PPD are analyzed.
Allopregnanolone (ALLO) and Immune Function
Time Frame: trimester 2, trimester 3, 6 weeks postpartum
Measure the relationship between ALLO levels and levels of peripheral inflammatory markers across time (trimester 2 (T2), trimester 3 (T3) and 6 weeks postpartum (W6))
Secondary Outcomes
- Birth Outcomes(at birth)
- Infant Neuro-development Using Ages & Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition (ASQ-3)(6 weeks postpartum)