The role of maternal immune activation in altering the neurodevelopmental trajectories of offspring: A translational review of neuroimaging studies with implications for autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia.

Exposure to maternal infection in utero increases the risk that offspring will develop neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia. Research in animal models has confirmed this link and demonstrated that maternal immune activation (MIA) is sufficient to induce alterations in offspring neurodevelopment. Building homology between observations made in humans and animal models is a challenge; however, neuroimaging allows for homologous characterization of developmental trajectories across species. This systematic review aims to discuss findings from human and animal studies that performed neuroimaging in offspring exposed to maternal infection, inflammation, or MIA, in the context of neurodevelopmental disorders.