Study Reveals Changes in Maternal Grey Matter During Pregnancy

Key Takeaways

94% of mothers' grey matter changes during pregnancy.
Study uses neuro-imaging techniques for the first time.
Findings link brain changes to steroid hormone fluctuations.
Research includes non-pregnant mothers for comparison.
Recovery of grey matter occurs postpartum.

New Delhi, Jan 19 (NationPress) A recent study reveals that 94 percent of the grey matter in the brains of mothers experiences changes during pregnancy.

The research team from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB) discovered that there is a reduction and partial recovery of nearly 5 percent of the grey matter volume in 94 percent of the total brain grey matter, particularly in areas associated with social cognition.

This investigation marked the first time neuro-imaging techniques were utilized to analyze the brains of women during pregnancy.

Published in the journal Nature Communications, the study included non-pregnant mothers whose partners were pregnant, enabling researchers to differentiate biological effects from those stemming from the experience of motherhood.

Collaboration among UAB, the Gregorio Maranon Health Research Institute, the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, and other esteemed international institutions contributed to the research.

The results indicate a dynamic evolution in the brain during pregnancy and the postpartum period, closely tied to the fluctuations of steroid hormones inherent to pregnancy and the psychological well-being of mothers.

The findings indicated that during the initial pregnancy, grey matter volume in the brain decreases by up to 4.9 percent, with a partial recovery observed in the postpartum phase.

“These changes are evident in 94 percent of the brain, particularly in regions related to social cognition,” the study stated.

Moreover, the research demonstrated for the first time that the evolution of these morphological brain changes is linked to variations in two estrogen hormones, which significantly increase during pregnancy and revert to baseline levels post-delivery.

Researchers found that a more substantial rise and subsequent decline in estrogen levels correspond to a greater reduction and later recovery of grey matter volume.