Jul 14, 2026 09:22 PM
https://www.the-scientist.com/how-pregna...rain-74735
EXCERPTS: Few transformations in the human body are as intense as pregnancy. [...] While scientists have characterized many of these physiological adaptations, for years, they overlooked how pregnancy, as well as motherhood, could reshape a key organ of the human body: the brain.
[...] In Dulac’s lab, Kohl mapped how these MPOA galanin-expressing neurons communicated with the other brain regions to control different aspects of parenting. This anatomical work revealed a “shockingly complex picture,” he said, showing that these neurons received inputs from and projected to more than 20 brain regions. The researchers also found that discrete pools of the galanin-expressing neurons controlled specific aspects of parental behavior, such as the motivation to interact and groom pups, painting a more detailed picture of how these neurons orchestrate this complex behavior.
[...] To map how the maternal brain adapts to pregnancy as it unfolds, Jacobs’ team followed a woman from preconception to up to two years postpartum. Pregnancy was associated with marked reductions in gray matter volume and cortical thickness, revealing extensive remodeling of the brain during pregnancy itself. This aligned with previous neuroimaging work showing gray matter volume reductions before and after pregnancy. “It was really neat to see the week-by-week change in gray matter volume,” Jacobs explained. “We really didn't have any idea about what the sort of temporal pace of that change would be. It was really neat to be able to trace those trajectories and realize it's pretty linear.”
Jacob is now focusing on pregnancy’s molecular signatures, using high-throughput proteomics to assess thousands of blood proteins associated with different body systems and determine which ones track with the brain changes they previously described. Additionally, her team is launching a much broader maternal brain project that will include a more diverse sample of women to understand which pregnancy signatures may be universal or unique to each woman.
[...] The team also showed that these morphological changes lasted up to two years after childbirth—a finding Carmona and Hoekzema revisited and reported that could actually last for up to six years. Carmona noted that while these changes do not persist in all women, for most they do. “We don't know if it's pregnancy or child-rearing, but changes seem to remain several years or decades postpartum, opening the door to the fact that they might be [for a] lifetime,” she added.
[...] While accumulating evidence from basic and human research has expanded what researchers know about the effects of pregnancy and motherhood on the brain, many questions remain to be answered. ... “Women are tired of confronting a medical system that was never designed to serve them. They want basic answers about their bodies,” Jacobs explained. “Matrescence is such a beautiful time, and for scientists to be able to approach it with awe and curiosity is just such a special thing.” (MORE - missing details)
EXCERPTS: Few transformations in the human body are as intense as pregnancy. [...] While scientists have characterized many of these physiological adaptations, for years, they overlooked how pregnancy, as well as motherhood, could reshape a key organ of the human body: the brain.
[...] In Dulac’s lab, Kohl mapped how these MPOA galanin-expressing neurons communicated with the other brain regions to control different aspects of parenting. This anatomical work revealed a “shockingly complex picture,” he said, showing that these neurons received inputs from and projected to more than 20 brain regions. The researchers also found that discrete pools of the galanin-expressing neurons controlled specific aspects of parental behavior, such as the motivation to interact and groom pups, painting a more detailed picture of how these neurons orchestrate this complex behavior.
[...] To map how the maternal brain adapts to pregnancy as it unfolds, Jacobs’ team followed a woman from preconception to up to two years postpartum. Pregnancy was associated with marked reductions in gray matter volume and cortical thickness, revealing extensive remodeling of the brain during pregnancy itself. This aligned with previous neuroimaging work showing gray matter volume reductions before and after pregnancy. “It was really neat to see the week-by-week change in gray matter volume,” Jacobs explained. “We really didn't have any idea about what the sort of temporal pace of that change would be. It was really neat to be able to trace those trajectories and realize it's pretty linear.”
Jacob is now focusing on pregnancy’s molecular signatures, using high-throughput proteomics to assess thousands of blood proteins associated with different body systems and determine which ones track with the brain changes they previously described. Additionally, her team is launching a much broader maternal brain project that will include a more diverse sample of women to understand which pregnancy signatures may be universal or unique to each woman.
[...] The team also showed that these morphological changes lasted up to two years after childbirth—a finding Carmona and Hoekzema revisited and reported that could actually last for up to six years. Carmona noted that while these changes do not persist in all women, for most they do. “We don't know if it's pregnancy or child-rearing, but changes seem to remain several years or decades postpartum, opening the door to the fact that they might be [for a] lifetime,” she added.
[...] While accumulating evidence from basic and human research has expanded what researchers know about the effects of pregnancy and motherhood on the brain, many questions remain to be answered. ... “Women are tired of confronting a medical system that was never designed to serve them. They want basic answers about their bodies,” Jacobs explained. “Matrescence is such a beautiful time, and for scientists to be able to approach it with awe and curiosity is just such a special thing.” (MORE - missing details)