דו״ח מאומת

When becoming a parent, caregivers undergo complex, and sometimes permanent, neurobiological alterations, and this area of neurobiology has been extensively studied for decades. Due to ethical concerns and experimental limitations, the first parental neurobiology experiments were exclusively performed using rodent animal model systems, such as mice, rats, and voles. More recent technological advancements, such as the functional MRI (fMRI) scan, have become widely adopted and led to great insight into the impact of parenting on human neurobiology. In this thematic literature review, we present key studies that provide insight into the relationship of pregnancy and parturition on maternal caregiving behavior and the relationship of postpartum on all parents. First, we examine the relationship of endocrine hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, oxytocin, and testosterone with the neurobiological development of a parent. Next, we describe the significant transformation of subcortical maternal circuit components that occur during pregnancy, and the changes in the volume of grey and white matter generated during the postpartum. These brain structure alterations contribute to the development of parental nurturing behaviors.…

PMID: 41523332

Pregnancy orchestrates profound neurological, hormonal, and anatomical transformations in the maternal brain, preparing it for caregiving and infant bonding. Neuroimaging reveals structural changes such as gray matter reductions and white matter reorganization during pregnancy, followed by partial recovery postpartum. These adaptations are modulated by fluctuating levels of estradiol, progesterone, prolactin, and oxytocin, which coordinate neuroplasticity and behavioral readiness. At the molecular and cellular levels, pregnancy hormones drive synaptic remodeling, neurogenesis, and glial activity. Together, these changes support maternal motivation, attachment, and responsiveness, highlighting the maternal brain's dynamic plasticity across gestation and the postpartum period. Also, pregnancy induces profound physiological changes, particularly in vascular, hormonal, and neurologic systems, to support maternal and fetal health. While these adaptations are essential, they can predispose pregnant individuals to various neurologic and ophthalmic pathologies. This review explores how pregnancy-related changes-including hypercoagulability, pituitary enlargement, hormonal fluctuations, and immunological modulation-contribute to conditions such as stroke, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, preeclampsia-associated visual disturbances, and demyelinating disorders like neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and multiple sclerosis. Additionally, ocular manifestations of systemic diseases like diabetic retinopathy and thyroid orbitopathy are discussed. Understanding these complex interactions is critical for prompt recognition, accurate diagnosis, and appropriate management of vision-threatening and neurologically significant complications during pregnancy. Nevertheless, many aspects of physiological and pathological changes during and after pregnancy remain unknown and warrant further investigation.…

PMID: 40508034

When becoming a parent, caregivers undergo complex, and sometimes permanent, neurobiological alterations, and this area of neurobiology has been extensively studied for decades. Due to ethical concerns and experimental limitations, the first parental neurobiology experiments were exclusively performed using rodent animal model systems, such as mice, rats, and voles. More recent technological advancements, such as the functional MRI (fMRI) scan, have become widely adopted and led to great insight into the impact of parenting on human neurobiology. In this thematic literature review, we present key studies that provide insight into the relationship of pregnancy and parturition on maternal caregiving behavior and the relationship of postpartum on all parents. First, we examine the relationship of endocrine hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, oxytocin, and testosterone with the neurobiological development of a parent. Next, we describe the significant transformation of subcortical maternal circuit components that occur during pregnancy, and the changes in the volume of grey and white matter generated during the postpartum. These brain structure alterations contribute to the development of parental nurturing behaviors.…

PMID: 41523332

Pregnancy orchestrates profound neurological, hormonal, and anatomical transformations in the maternal brain, preparing it for caregiving and infant bonding. Neuroimaging reveals structural changes such as gray matter reductions and white matter reorganization during pregnancy, followed by partial recovery postpartum. These adaptations are modulated by fluctuating levels of estradiol, progesterone, prolactin, and oxytocin, which coordinate neuroplasticity and behavioral readiness. At the molecular and cellular levels, pregnancy hormones drive synaptic remodeling, neurogenesis, and glial activity. Together, these changes support maternal motivation, attachment, and responsiveness, highlighting the maternal brain's dynamic plasticity across gestation and the postpartum period. Also, pregnancy induces profound physiological changes, particularly in vascular, hormonal, and neurologic systems, to support maternal and fetal health. While these adaptations are essential, they can predispose pregnant individuals to various neurologic and ophthalmic pathologies. This review explores how pregnancy-related changes-including hypercoagulability, pituitary enlargement, hormonal fluctuations, and immunological modulation-contribute to conditions such as stroke, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, preeclampsia-associated visual disturbances, and demyelinating disorders like neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and multiple sclerosis. Additionally, ocular manifestations of systemic diseases like diabetic retinopathy and thyroid orbitopathy are discussed. Understanding these complex interactions is critical for prompt recognition, accurate diagnosis, and appropriate management of vision-threatening and neurologically significant complications during pregnancy. Nevertheless, many aspects of physiological and pathological changes during and after pregnancy remain unknown and warrant further investigation.…

PMID: 40508034

The maternal brain undergoes significant reorganization during birth and the postpartum period. However, the temporal dynamics of these changes remain unclear. Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, we report on local and global brain function alterations in 75 mothers in their first postpartum week, compared to 23 nulliparous women. In a subsample followed longitudinally for the next six months, we observed a temporal and spatial dissociation between changes observed at baseline (cluster mass permutation: pFWE < 0.05). Local activity and connectivity changes in widespread neocortical regions persisted throughout the studied time period (ANCOVAs vs. controls: pFDR < 0.05), with preliminary evidence linking these alterations to behavioral and psychological adaptations (interaction effect with postpartum time: uncorrected p < 0.05). In contrast, the initially reduced whole-brain connectivity of putamen-centered subcortical areas returned to control levels within six to nine weeks postpartum (linear and quadratic mixed linear models: pFDR < 0.05). The whole-brain spatial colocalization with hormone receptor distributions (Spearman correlations: pFDR < 0.05) and preliminary blood hormone associations (interaction effect with postpartum time: uncorrected p < 0.05) suggested that the postpartum restoration of progesterone levels may underlie this rapid normalization. These observations enhance our understanding of healthy maternal brain function, contributing to the identification of potential markers for pathological postpartum adaptation processes, which in turn could underlie postpartum psychiatric disorders.…

PMID: 38769432

When becoming a parent, caregivers undergo complex, and sometimes permanent, neurobiological alterations, and this area of neurobiology has been extensively studied for decades. Due to ethical concerns and experimental limitations, the first parental neurobiology experiments were exclusively performed using rodent animal model systems, such as mice, rats, and voles. More recent technological advancements, such as the functional MRI (fMRI) scan, have become widely adopted and led to great insight into the impact of parenting on human neurobiology. In this thematic literature review, we present key studies that provide insight into the relationship of pregnancy and parturition on maternal caregiving behavior and the relationship of postpartum on all parents. First, we examine the relationship of endocrine hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, oxytocin, and testosterone with the neurobiological development of a parent. Next, we describe the significant transformation of subcortical maternal circuit components that occur during pregnancy, and the changes in the volume of grey and white matter generated during the postpartum. These brain structure alterations contribute to the development of parental nurturing behaviors.…

PMID: 41523332

The maternal brain undergoes significant reorganization during birth and the postpartum period. However, the temporal dynamics of these changes remain unclear. Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, we report on local and global brain function alterations in 75 mothers in their first postpartum week, compared to 23 nulliparous women. In a subsample followed longitudinally for the next six months, we observed a temporal and spatial dissociation between changes observed at baseline (cluster mass permutation: pFWE < 0.05). Local activity and connectivity changes in widespread neocortical regions persisted throughout the studied time period (ANCOVAs vs. controls: pFDR < 0.05), with preliminary evidence linking these alterations to behavioral and psychological adaptations (interaction effect with postpartum time: uncorrected p < 0.05). In contrast, the initially reduced whole-brain connectivity of putamen-centered subcortical areas returned to control levels within six to nine weeks postpartum (linear and quadratic mixed linear models: pFDR < 0.05). The whole-brain spatial colocalization with hormone receptor distributions (Spearman correlations: pFDR < 0.05) and preliminary blood hormone associations (interaction effect with postpartum time: uncorrected p < 0.05) suggested that the postpartum restoration of progesterone levels may underlie this rapid normalization. These observations enhance our understanding of healthy maternal brain function, contributing to the identification of potential markers for pathological postpartum adaptation processes, which in turn could underlie postpartum psychiatric disorders.…

PMID: 38769432

Pregnancy orchestrates profound neurological, hormonal, and anatomical transformations in the maternal brain, preparing it for caregiving and infant bonding. Neuroimaging reveals structural changes such as gray matter reductions and white matter reorganization during pregnancy, followed by partial recovery postpartum. These adaptations are modulated by fluctuating levels of estradiol, progesterone, prolactin, and oxytocin, which coordinate neuroplasticity and behavioral readiness. At the molecular and cellular levels, pregnancy hormones drive synaptic remodeling, neurogenesis, and glial activity. Together, these changes support maternal motivation, attachment, and responsiveness, highlighting the maternal brain's dynamic plasticity across gestation and the postpartum period. Also, pregnancy induces profound physiological changes, particularly in vascular, hormonal, and neurologic systems, to support maternal and fetal health. While these adaptations are essential, they can predispose pregnant individuals to various neurologic and ophthalmic pathologies. This review explores how pregnancy-related changes-including hypercoagulability, pituitary enlargement, hormonal fluctuations, and immunological modulation-contribute to conditions such as stroke, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, preeclampsia-associated visual disturbances, and demyelinating disorders like neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and multiple sclerosis. Additionally, ocular manifestations of systemic diseases like diabetic retinopathy and thyroid orbitopathy are discussed. Understanding these complex interactions is critical for prompt recognition, accurate diagnosis, and appropriate management of vision-threatening and neurologically significant complications during pregnancy. Nevertheless, many aspects of physiological and pathological changes during and after pregnancy remain unknown and warrant further investigation.…

PMID: 40508034