Factors influencing functional near-infrared spectroscopy in postpartum depression: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: To explore whether functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) can aid in the early detection and diagnosis of postpartum depression.

Methods: The study was a cross-sectional survey that invited all women who sought postpartum health examination 42 days after childbirth between August 2020 and January 2021. Personal information, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and well as fNIRS results were collected.

Results: In all, 109 individuals agreed to participate and completed the examination in its entirety. The variance in integral and centroid values was not statistically significant across different subgroups of depression (P > 0.05). The difference in diagnosis of postpartum major depression between EPDS and fNIRS was statistically significant (P < 0.001). fNIRS results in postpartum depression diagnosis were substantially associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (P = 0.027), the number of pregnancies (P = 0.001), and postpartum body mass index (P = 0.035).

Conclusion: fNIRS can provide an objective method for early detection and diagnosis of postpartum depression. Certain clinical conditions can have an effect on brain activity, which may result in postpartum depression. Additional high-quality study is required to establish strong evidence on the subject.

Keywords: Edinburgh postnatal depression scale; functional near-infrared spectroscopy; postpartum depression.