Characterizing the Brain Structural Adaptations Across the Motherhood Transition

Women that become mothers face notable physiological adaptations during this life-period. Neuroimaging studies of the last decade have provided grounded evidence that women's brains structurally change across the transition into motherhood. The characterization of this brain remodeling is curre...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in Global Women's Health Vol. 2; p. 742775
Main Authors: Martínez-García, Magdalena, Paternina-Die, María, Desco, Manuel, Vilarroya, Oscar, Carmona, Susanna
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Lausanne Frontiers Media SA 07.10.2021
Frontiers Media S.A
Subjects:
Amygdala
Brain research
Estrogens
Global Women's Health
Longitudinal studies
maternal behavior
Medical imaging
mother
Mothers
MRI
Neuroimaging
neuroplasticity
Pituitary gland
Postpartum period
Pregnancy
Womens health
ISSN:2673-5059, 2673-5059
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Women that become mothers face notable physiological adaptations during this life-period. Neuroimaging studies of the last decade have provided grounded evidence that women's brains structurally change across the transition into motherhood. The characterization of this brain remodeling is currently in its early years of research. The current article reviews this scientific field by focusing on our longitudinal (pre-to-post pregnancy) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies in first-time parents and other longitudinal and cross-sectional studies of parents. We present the questions that are currently being answered by the parental brain literature and point out those that have not yet been explored. We also highlight potential confounding variables that need to be considered when analyzing and interpreting brain changes observed during motherhood.
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Reviewed by: Anne T. M. Konkle, University of Ottawa, Canada; Orli Dahan, Tel Hai College, Israel
This article was submitted to Women's Mental Health, a section of the journal Frontiers in Global Women's Health
Edited by: Lauren M. Osborne, Johns Hopkins University, United States
ISSN:2673-5059
2673-5059
DOI:10.3389/fgwh.2021.742775