Neuroanatomical changes observed over the course of a human pregnancy
Laura Pritschet, Caitlin M. Taylor, Daniela Cossio, Joshua Faskowitz, Tyler Santander, Daniel A. Handwerker, Hannah Grotzinger, Evan Layher, Elizabeth R. Chrastil, Emily G. Jacobs
Abstract
Pregnancy is a period of profound hormonal and physiological changes experienced by millions of women annually, yet the neural changes unfolding in the maternal brain throughout gestation are not well studied in humans. Leveraging precision imaging, we mapped neuroanatomical changes in an individual from preconception through 2 years postpartum. Pronounced decreases in gray matter volume and cortical thickness were evident across the brain, standing in contrast to increases in white matter microstructural integrity, ventricle volume and cerebrospinal fluid, with few regions untouched by the transition to motherhood. This dataset serves as a comprehensive map of the human brain across gestation, providing an open-access resource for the brain imaging community to further explore and understand the maternal brain.