Maternal Brain Project finds widespread brain changes during pregnancy
Updated
Updated · ScienceAlert · May 10
Maternal Brain Project finds widespread brain changes during pregnancy
13 articles · Updated · ScienceAlert · May 10
Emily Jacobs' team at UC Santa Barbara says 97% of 400 brain regions examined changed across gestation and after birth, based on more than 150 scans from 20 US participants.
Researchers found total brain, grey matter and cortical volume fell during pregnancy, while cerebrospinal fluid patterns shifted and some measures partially rebounded postpartum; similar changes appeared in first-time mothers.
The project is expanding to other US institutes and Spain to build an open-access maternal brain database and probe links to cognition, postpartum depression and pregnancy complications.
If pregnancy massively remodels the brain, what are the lasting cognitive gains and risks for mothers?
With new tests predicting preeclampsia, can brain scans soon identify mothers at risk for postpartum depression?
Pregnancy’s Lasting Impact on the Maternal Brain: Neuroplasticity, Postpartum Depression, and the Future of Parental Care
Overview
Pregnancy brings not only profound physical changes to a woman's body but also significant, dynamic transformations in the maternal brain. These changes, revealed by recent neuroimaging advances, show that the brain actively remodels itself in preparation for parenthood—a process known as adult brain neuroplasticity. With nearly 85% of women experiencing pregnancy in their lifetime, understanding these brain adaptations is crucial for women's health research. The study highlights how the maternal brain undergoes widespread structural changes, supporting the complex demands of motherhood and emphasizing the importance of this research for both mothers and their children.