Abstract
AbstractThe 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-functional alterations in 75 mothers in their first postpartum week. In a subsample followed longitudinally for the next 6 months, we observe a temporal and spatial dissociation between baseline changes. Neocortical regions showed persistent local activity and connectivity changes throughout the study, with preliminary evidence linking these alterations to behavioral and psychological adaptations. In contrast, the initially reduced whole-brain connectivity in subcortical areas returned to control levels within 6 to 9 weeks postpartum. Blood hormone association and neuroimaging spatial colocalization analyses suggest that postpartum restoration of progesterone levels may underlay this rapid normalization. These results enhance our understanding of healthy maternal brain function and contribute to identification of potential markers for pathological postpartum adaptation processes.
Publisher
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
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