Study Links Maternal Infections to Disrupted Brain Development and Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Newborns - Video

A pioneering peer-reviewed research study published in Brain Medicine provides compelling evidence that maternal infections during pregnancy can have lasting effects on offspring brain function.

Researchers from the Slovak Academy of Sciences investigated the impact of maternal immune activation (MIA) on hippocampal pyramidal neurons in newborn rat offspring and found that prenatal inflammation significantly impairs neuronal excitability. These changes in brain function may underlie the increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders associated with maternal infections.

During pregnancy, infections trigger an immune response that releases cytokines—chemical messengers that can cross the placenta and impact fetal brain development. Using a well-established animal model, the researchers induced MIA in pregnant rats with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a bacterial component that stimulates the immune system. They then examined the hippocampal neurons of newborn offspring to assess how prenatal immune activation affected their excitability.

The study’s electrophysiological analysis revealed several major changes in hippocampal neuron function in newborns exposed to MIA. There was an increased threshold potential where the neurons required a stronger stimulus to activate, suggesting impaired excitability.

There was also a delayed action potential latency where the neurons took longer to respond to stimulation, affecting signal transmission. Reduced peak potential and firing rates showed that both spontaneous and evoked activity were significantly decreased, indicating lower neurotransmitter release. Lastly, sex-specific effects showed that the male offspring showed a greater reduction in spontaneous neuronal activity, which may have implications for the higher prevalence of certain neurodevelopmental disorders in males.

The study’s results support the hypothesis that prenatal immune challenges can disrupt early brain wiring, leading to long-term cognitive and behavioral impairments.

Ref: Moravcikova L, Moravcik R et al. Maternal immune activation impairs hippocampal pyramidal neuron excitability in newborn rat offspring: Implications for neurodevelopmental disorders. Brain Med:18th March, 2025. https://doi.org/10.61373/bm025a.0029