Summary: Pregnancy leads to a 4.9 % reduction in gray matter volume in 94 % of the brain, with partial recovery postpartum, primarily in regions tied to social cognition. A pioneering neuroscience research found that non-gestational mothers ‘ brain modifications are biologically related to pregnancy hormones rather than motherhood, according to a study of 179 women’s brains.
Hormonal fluctuations in estriol-3-sulfate and estrone-sulfate coincide with gray matter alterations, and post treatment is linked to stronger maternal-infant bond. This study provides a crucial framework for understanding the paternal brain and its implications for maternal mental health.
Important Facts:
- Gray Matter Reduction: Pregnancy reduces head white matter volume by 4.9 %, with partial recovery post.
- Hormonal Influence: Head shifts are linked to fluctuations in pregnancy-specific estrogen, estriol-3-sulfate and estrone-sulfate.
- Maternal Bonding: Greater post white matter treatment is associated with stronger maternal-infant bond and well-being.
Origin: UAB
For the first time ever using neuroscience practices, a study led by the UAB examined the neurons of pregnant women.
To separate physiological effects from those brought on by the experience of being a mother, the investigation included non-pregnant mothers who had partners who were female.
Nearly 5 % of the total grey matter size of the brain is reduced and partially recovered, according to research, especially in areas relating to interpersonal cognition, in regions where there is a link between this study and the research.
The first longitudinal neuroimaging ( Magnetic Resonance Imaging ) study was conducted in a group of more than 100 women who wanted to become parents for the first time by researchers from the Universitat Autnoma de Barcelona ( UAB), the Gregorio Maraon Health Research Institute, and the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, along with other prestigious international organisations.
The results demonstrate a dynamic mental direction during and after pregnancy, which is closely related to the mothers ‘ psychological well-being and the steroid hormone fluctuations.
The content, led by Camila Servin-Barthet and Magdalena Martínez-García as primary authors and coordinated by Òscar Vilarroya and Susana Carmona, has been recently published in the prestigious book Nature Communications.
This research, which received a give of 972, 414 dollars from the “la Caixa” Foundation to be carried out, represents a critical progress in maternal brain study.
Using a benchmark test taken before conception as a benchmark, the scientists studied the brains of 179 girls to examine the structural changes that occur during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and the first six months post.
This group includes non-gestational mothers for the first time as the study’s handle group, which are women whose partners experienced pregnancy while the study was being conducted.
This group of women made it possible to discover that the evolution of brains is primarily attributable to the natural method of pregnancy as opposed to the motherhood knowledge.
This study has shown that the brain’s white matter amount decreases by up to 4.9 % during the first pregnancy, with a slight decrease in postpartum recovery. 94 % of the brain is affected by these changes, with the most noticeable changes occurring in social cognition-related regions.
The research also provides the first evidence that the brain’s evolution is correlated with changes in two estrogens, which both rise rapidly during pregnancy and then return to base levels after delivery.
The researchers specifically found that a higher raise and subsequent increases in hormone levels are related to a higher decrease and subsequent recovery of brain white matter volume.
Ultimately, this study looked at the possible effects of head changes on parental behavior by examining whether women who had a higher percentage of white matter volume recovery reported a stronger bond with their child at six months postpartum and whether maternal well-being is a key factor contributing to the link between brain changes and maternal-filial bonding.
This research, which thoroughly characterizes ethical mental changes during pregnancy and maternal, stands out for both its trial size and rigorous scientific control, including carefully chosen groups that made it possible to distinguish between pregnancy-specific changes from those related to the experience of motherhood.
The information obtained allows for the advancement toward a more accurate and applied knowledge of the mind in this crucial period as well as serving as a key reference for understanding the neurobiology of the parental brain. It also serves as a foundation for future studies analyzing different neuroimaging modalities and more different samples, including women with medical conditions like postpartum depression.
About this news about neuroscience research and pregnancy
Author: Octavi Lopez
Source: UAB
Contact: Octavi Lopez – UAB
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
According to Oscar Vilarroya and colleagues, “pregnancy entails a U-shaped trajectory in human brain structure that is related to maternal attachment and hormones.” Nature Communications
Abstract
A U-shaped trajectory in the human brain is involved in pregnancy, which is related to maternal attachment and hormones.
Growing evidence points to the gestational period as an exceptional time in adult neuroplasticity.
In this longitudinal study spanning pre, during, and post pregnancy, we unveil a U-shaped trajectory in gray matter ( GM ) volume, which dips in late pregnancy and partially recovers during postpartum. These changes are most noticeable in the brain areas that are linked to the Frontoparietal Network and the Default Mode.
The gestational factors are primarily responsible for the U-shaped trajectory because it only appears in gestational mothers and exhibits estrogen fluctuations over time.
Finally, the mother’s mental health status mediates the relationship between maternal attachment at six months postpartum and postpartum GM volume recovery.
This research sheds light on the complex interplay between hormones, brain development, and behavior during the transition to motherhood.
It addresses a significant gap in the neuroscience of human pregnancy and opens up new avenues for development of strategies to improve maternal health and well-being.
