Longitudinal investigation of neurobiological changes across pregnancy

Pregnancy is a period of profound biological transformation. However, we know remarkably little about pregnancy-related brain changes. To address this gap, we chart longitudinal changes in brain structure during pregnancy and explore potential mechanisms driving these changes. Ten participants (Mean...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Communications biology 2025-01, Vol.8 (1), p.82-13, Article 82
Main Authors: Niu, Yanbin, Conrad, Benjamin N., Camacho, M. Catalina, Ravi, Sanjana, Piersiak, Hannah A., Bailes, Lauren G., Barnett, Whitney, Manhard, Mary Kate, Cole, David A., Clayton, Ellen Wright, Osmundson, Sarah S., Smith, Seth A., Kujawa, Autumn, Humphreys, Kathryn L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
17β-Estradiol
59
59/57
631/378/2611
692/308/575
Adult
Age composition
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Brain - diagnostic imaging
Brain - physiology
Estradiol - blood
Estradiol - metabolism
Female
Gray Matter - diagnostic imaging
Gray Matter - physiology
Humans
Life Sciences
Longitudinal Studies
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Neurobiology
Neuronal Plasticity
Neuroplasticity
Pregnancy
Progesterone
Progesterone - blood
Progesterone - metabolism
Substantia alba
Substantia grisea
White Matter - diagnostic imaging
White Matter - physiology
Young Adult
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Summary:Pregnancy is a period of profound biological transformation. However, we know remarkably little about pregnancy-related brain changes. To address this gap, we chart longitudinal changes in brain structure during pregnancy and explore potential mechanisms driving these changes. Ten participants (Mean age = 28.97 years) are assessed 1–6 times (median = 3) during their pregnancy. Each visit includes anatomical and diffusion-weighted MRI, and assessments of waking salivary hormones, hair hormones, and inflammatory cytokines. Here we observe a reduction in gray matter volume and an increase in neurite density index (NDI), a proxy of axon density, in white matter tracts across pregnancy. Progesterone levels are associated with reductions in brain volumetric measurements, and both progesterone and estradiol levels are linked to increases in NDI in white matter tracts. This study highlights the profound neurobiological changes experienced by pregnant individuals and provides insights into neuroplasticity in adulthood. This study reports within-person brain changes during pregnancy, finding reductions in gray matter volume and increases in neurite density index in white matter tracts across gestational weeks.
ISSN:2399-3642
2399-3642
DOI:10.1038/s42003-024-07414-9