Katharina Buczek
Still, the scientists stressed that this decrease isn’t inherently negative, as the change may signify a “fine-tuning” of brain circuits – similar to the specialization that occurs in adolescents during puberty.
What was less apparent was how white matter – which lies deeper in the brain and primarily aids communication between regions – notably increased. Unlike the reduction in gray matter, which continued long after pregnancy, the rise in white matter was temporary.
It peaked during the second trimester and reverted to pre-pregnancy levels around the time of delivery.
Such changes had not been documented during past scans of mothers only before and after pregnancy, providing a clearer picture of the brain’s dynamic nature over a relatively brief period.
“The maternal brain undergoes a choreographed change across gestation, and we are finally able to see it unfold,” explained Professor Emily Jacobs of UC Santa Barbara.
A whopping 85% of women are pregnant once or more during their lives, and Pritschet hopes this research will “dispel the dogma” surrounding the perceived fragility of pregnant women. She believes the neuroscience of pregnancy shouldn’t be written off as a niche field.
Instead, this study could provide a foundation for future research to explore whether the extent or speed of these brain changes may indicate a woman’s postpartum depression risk.
“There are now FDA-approved treatments for postpartum depression, but early detection remains elusive. The more we learn about the maternal brain, the better chance we’ll have to provide relief,” Pritschet concluded.
To read the study’s complete findings, which have since been published in Nature Neuroscience, visit the link here.
