A recent study revealed that grey matter volume shrinks by about five per cent during pregnancy. This is followed by a partial recovery in the postpartum period. The change in grey matter was observed in 94 per cent of the brain, particularly prominent in the default mode network which is known to help with social cognition.
The study was published in the journal Nature Communications and was led by researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain. Researchers found that a greater recovery of grey matter was related to a better mother-infant bond.
Grey matter makes up the outermost layer and interior parts of the brain and helps with processing and interpreting information which helps one to think, learn and remember. For the study, the researchers analysed MRI brin scans of nearly 180 first-time pregnant women to study the structural changes occurring during the second and third trimester and the first six months postpartum. Scans taken prior to conceiving served as the 'baseline'.
The authors of the study wrote, "We unveil a U-shaped trajectory in grey matter volume, which dips in late pregnancy and partially recovers during postpartum.”
They further said, “The U-shaped trajectory of GM volume affected numerous regions across the brain's cortex, encompassing 94 per cent of its surface. Particularly striking changes were observed in higher-order cognitive networks such as the default mode and frontoparietal networks.”
The study also showed that the pregnancy-linked brain changes were related to fluctuating levels of two estrogens -- 'estriol-3-sulfate' and 'estrone-sulfate'.
The researchers also observed that a higher increase and subsequent decrease in oestrogen levels are linked with a greater decrease and subsequent recovery of brain grey matter volume.
The researchers also included ‘non-gestational mothers'; women whose partners underwent pregnancy, and thus, helped determine that the brain changes are largely linked to the biological process of pregnancy, rather than to the experience of becoming a mother.
ALSO READ: Thyroid issues increase rapidly in winter, know yogic ways from Swami Ramdev to control it