Scans show reorganization of brain during pregnancy
Pregnancy appears to trigger a kind of “reorganization” of an expecting mother’s brain, new research suggests.
MRI images taken of a 38-year-old woman throughout her pregnancy show the condition caused an extensive restructuring of her brain, according to a proof-of-concept study published Monday in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
As part of the study, neuroscientist and first-time mother Elizabeth Chrastil underwent 26 magnetic resonance imaging scans (MRIs). The first was taken three weeks before she became pregnant via in vitro fertilization and the last captured two years after giving birth, according to the study.
The brain is made up of two types of material — gray matter and white matter. When researchers looked at Chrastil’s MRI scans, some of the changes they noticed were a decrease in grey matter — or the wrinkly outermost layer of the brain.
Another change was an increase in white matter — which is located deeper in the brain and is essentially a network of nerve fibers that enable parts of the brain to communicate with one another.
Researchers noted that while many of the changes returned to baseline after childbirth, some, like cortical volume and thickness, remained altered in the postpartum years.
Scientists have previously taken images of a woman’s brain before and after pregnancy, which have provided the strongest evidence to date that the human brain undergoes neural changes during pregnancy, according to Laura Pritschet, a postdoctoral fellow in psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and lead author of the study.
But research on pregnancy is often ignored in the scientific community, and as a result, the neuroanatomical changes that occur during gestation are “virtually unknown,” Pritschet told The Hill.
The newly released research findings offer a glimpse into the “profound hormonal and physiological changes” that come with pregnancy and how they impact the roughly 140 million women worldwide who become pregnant every year.
During a pregnancy, a soon-to-be mother’s body undergoes numerous physical changes to support a developing fetus like increased plasma volume, increased metabolic rate and oxygen use.
Most of these changes are triggered by major increases in certain hormone production — including estrogen and progesterone — which appears to also drive the “remodeling” of the central nervous system the researchers noticed in their study.
More research is needed though to fully understand the degree to which the brain changes throughout pregnancy, Pritschet said.
“Our hope is that this proof-of concept study serves as a jumping off point for more studies that take place in larger, more diverse cohorts of women,” she said in an email. “Only then can we begin to establish what constitutes a typical degree of neuroanatomical change expected during gestation and postpartum recovery.”
Date: |
-
BBC News - Top stories
Pregnancy brain changes revealed in detailed scans
Repeated scans during one woman's pregnancy show brain changes never charted before.2 days ago -
Yahoo News - World
Photo shows Thai king during Covid-19 pandemic, not directing flood relief in September 2024
Yesterday -
BBC News - Top stories
Captain Stokes to have scan ahead of Pakistan tour
Ben Stokes will have a scan on his hamstring injury next week as England wait on the captain’s fitness for the first Test in Pakistan.6 hours ago - Pakistan -
The New York Times - Lifestyle
Elizabeth Higgins Clark and Lauren Pomerantz Discuss Marriage, a Miscarriage and Grief
Elizabeth Higgins Clark and Lauren Pomerantz endured quite a bit of grief after their 2018 wedding. Despite times of doubt, loneliness and loss, their relationship remained strong.4 days ago -
The Hill - Politics
Harris blames reports of pregnancy-related death in Georgia on ‘Trump Abortion Bans’
Vice President Harris on Tuesday blamed former President Trump for Georgia’s restrictive abortion law after a new report that found an abortion-related death in the state was “preventable.” ...Yesterday - Abortion
More from The Hill
-
The Hill - Politics
Trump vows to travel to Springfield following false pet-eating claims
Former President Trump pledged to travel to Springfield, Ohio, after false claims that he and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), have made about Haitian immigrants eating pets in the city. ...1 hour ago - Donald Trump -
The Hill - Politics
Republican Arizona county chair endorses Democrat to replace him
The Republican chair of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in Arizona has endorsed a Democrat to replace him. "I am endorsing Joel [Navarro] because he is a man of integrity, because he is a ...2 hours ago -
The Hill - Politics
Newark official wins special election to fill late New Jersey Rep. Payne's seat
Newark City Council President LaMonica McIver (D) has won the special election to fill a vacant House seat representing New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ. ...2 hours ago -
The Hill - Politics
RFK Jr. says he's helping Trump pick leaders of FDA, NIH, CDC
Former independent presidential candidate and antivaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that former President Trump wants him to choose leaders for key public health agencies if he wins the ...4 hours ago - Donald Trump -
The Hill - Politics
EPA retaliated against three scientists, says watchdog
Presented by TerraPower — The Environmental Protection Agency’s internal watchdog has found that the agency retaliated against three staffers for expressing different scientific opinions. {beacon} ...4 hours ago