A recent study, led by neuroscientist Liz Chrastil of the University of California, Irvine, has provided the first detailed map of how pregnancy affects a woman’s brain, revealing profound changes that occur throughout gestation. The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, sheds light on how nearly every part of the brain is impacted during the transition to motherhood, a discovery that may eventually help scientists understand conditions like postpartum depression.
Chrastil, who co-authored the study, had the unique opportunity to observe her own brain changes during pregnancy. “It’s been a very long journey,” Chrastil shared. “We did 26 scans before, during, and after pregnancy and found some really remarkable things.”
One of the key findings was that more than 80% of the brain regions studied showed reductions in gray matter, where cognitive processes take place. The gray matter volume decreased by an average of 4%, a reduction comparable to the changes that occur during puberty. While the loss of gray matter might seem concerning, researchers believe this is likely part of the brain’s fine-tuning process, adjusting neural circuits to prepare for the demands of motherhood.
“This isn’t a bad thing,” explained co-author Emily Jacobs from the University of California, Santa Barbara. “It likely reflects the reorganization of the brain, optimizing it for social cognition and caregiving.”
What sets this study apart from previous research is its comprehensive tracking of the brain throughout pregnancy and beyond. Past studies have only provided snapshots of brain changes before and after pregnancy. Chrastil’s study, however, captured brain scans before conception, throughout the pregnancy, and for two years postpartum, offering an unprecedented look at the brain’s transformation.
The study not only focused on the cerebral cortex, the brain’s outer layer, but also examined deeper inner regions. Joseph Lonstein, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at Michigan State University who was not involved in the study, described the research as “a good first step to understanding much more about whole-brain changes that could be possible in a woman across pregnancy and postpartum.”
The research team’s findings also hinted at potential connections between brain changes and qualities beneficial for infant care. However, the study did not explore specific behavioral impacts in humans, though future research may address this.
The research is part of a larger initiative known as the Maternal Brain Project, a global collaboration supported by the Ann S. Bowers Women’s Brain Health Initiative and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. The project aims to scan the brains of hundreds of women across various stages of pregnancy to build a more comprehensive understanding of maternal brain changes.
Researchers hope that data from the larger study will one day help identify early indicators of postpartum depression. “There is so much about the neurobiology of pregnancy that we don’t understand yet,” said Jacobs. “It’s not because women are too complicated. It’s because biomedical sciences have historically ignored women’s health.”
As the Maternal Brain Project moves forward with international collaborations, including partners in Spain, the groundbreaking study could pave the way for significant advancements in maternal mental health care, offering hope for early diagnosis and prevention of pregnancy-related conditions.
This study marks a crucial step in better understanding the intricate changes in the maternal brain and has the potential to revolutionize how we care for pregnant women in the future.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
