Article Synopsis
- Evidence shows that pregnancy is a critical time for brain changes, highlighting a U-shaped pattern in gray matter volume, which decreases in late pregnancy and partially recovers after childbirth.
- These brain changes are particularly notable in areas tied to the Default Mode and Frontoparietal Networks, driven by hormonal fluctuations, especially estrogen.
- The study also finds a link between the mother's mental health and the recovery of gray matter volume, affecting maternal attachment six months after giving birth, suggesting implications for improving maternal health interventions.
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Article Abstract
Growing evidence places the gestational period as a unique moment of heightened neuroplasticity in adult life. 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 prominent in brain regions associated with the Default Mode and Frontoparietal Network. The U-shaped trajectory is predominantly linked to gestational factors, as it only presents in gestational mothers and correlates with fluctuations in estrogens over time. Finally, the mother's mental health status mediates the relationship between postpartum GM volume recovery and maternal attachment at 6 months postpartum. This research sheds light on the complex interplay between hormones, brain development, and behavior during the transition to motherhood. It addresses a significant knowledge gap in the neuroscience of human pregnancy and opens new possibilities for interventions aimed at enhancing maternal health and well-being.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11739485 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-55830-0 | DOI Listing |
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