Mother–baby emotional and brain synchrony after birth
Mother-Infant Biobehavioral Synchrony and Postpartum Depression
This project looks at how mothers with postpartum depression and their infants share emotions and brain activity to learn what supports healthy emotional development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11234244 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will record you and your baby's interactions in the first months after birth while measuring both of your brain signals using a portable near-infrared system that can scan two people at once (hyperscanning). They'll focus on moments of shared positive emotion and mutually responsive behavior and follow families over time to track changes in co-regulation and depression symptoms. The team will combine behavior observations, parent reports, and brain synchrony data to map how postpartum depression might change these processes. Results are intended to point to targets for early, strength-based interventions that support mothers and infants.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are mothers experiencing postpartum depression and their infants in the first months of life who can attend testing visits in Pittsburgh.
Not a fit: People who are not current postpartum mothers, whose children are beyond infancy, or who cannot travel to the study site are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to ways to support mother-infant emotional syncing and help prevent long-term emotional problems in children of mothers with postpartum depression.
How similar studies have performed: Prior small studies and proof-of-concept work show mother-infant brain synchrony can be measured, but applying portable NIRS hyperscanning longitudinally in postpartum depression is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Morgan, Judith K. — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Morgan, Judith K.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.