Study - pregnancy brings big changes in women's brains

Pregnancy doesn't just transform a woman's body, it also transforms her brain, according to a groundbreaking new study. A team of researchers has for the first time mapped the changes that occur in the brain during pregnancy, providing a unique insight into how the brain adapts to new hormonal and physiological conditions. The study, based on repeated brain scans performed at different stages of pregnancy, found significant changes in brain structure. The researchers, according to Reuters, identified a reduction in gray matter volume and an increase in the microstructural integrity of white matter. These changes have been correlated with increased levels of hormones such as estradiol and progesterone.

• Changes in the structure of the brain

Gray matter, which contains the cell bodies of neurons, showed an average reduction of 4% in about 80% of the brain regions studied. Although her volume partially returned after delivery, it did not reach pre-pregnancy levels. In contrast, the integrity of white matter, responsible for long-distance connectivity between different brain regions, increased by 10% during pregnancy, peaking at the end of the second trimester and the beginning of the third.

• A unique and innovative study

This pioneering study was initially based on a single subject, Elizabeth Chrastil, co-author of the research and a professor at the University of California. She was monitored from before conception and up to two years postpartum after she became a mother. The researchers are now expanding the study to several hundred women in a larger project called the "Maternal Brain Project" to confirm and elaborate on these findings. "It is amazing how little information we have about the changes that occur in the brain during pregnancy. This study does not provide complete answers, but opens up new questions about how pregnancy affects the brain," said Chrastil.

• Long-term impact on mental health

While the loss of gray matter might seem alarming, researchers aren't sure if these changes are negative. "It is possible that these changes reflect a fine-tuning of brain circuits, similar to that which occurs during puberty, when the brain becomes more specialized," explained Laura Pritschet, co-author of the study. Future studies could reveal whether variations in these changes could predict risks of postpartum depression or complications such as preeclampsia, which can severely affect brain health.

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• Amazing adaptation

"The maternal brain undergoes an amazing metamorphosis throughout pregnancy, and now we can observe this process in real time," said Emily Jacobs, neuroscientist and lead author of the study. Although pregnant women frequently report experiences like "mental fog" or "mommy brain," Chrastil said she didn't feel anything different during her pregnancy, even though brain scans showed significant changes. "I've never had anything like this," she added. This ground-breaking study provides a new window into understanding the complexities of the human brain during pregnancy and raises new questions about how these changes may influence our lives.