The Maternal Brain Project

Fig 1. of Neuroanatomical changes observed over the course of a human pregnancy

The Maternal Brain Project seeks to understand the neural changes that occur during gestation and the transition to parenthood. In this project, we are studying individuals planning a pregnancy, their non-pregnant partners, and non-pregnant controls longitudinally across this transition, with sessions spanning pre-conception up to 1-year postpartum. A precision imaging framework allows us to track the changes that unfold across this transition by collecting data from participants every 2-4 weeks during gestation and the early postpartum period. At each session, participants complete a questionnaire assessing mood, sleep, and health, an MRI scan to look at brain structure and function, and a blood draw to measure hormone concentrations, immune changes, and proteomic adaptations to pregnancy.

The main goal of the study is to broaden our understanding of normative neural adaptations to pregnancy and to reveal trajectories of development across individuals, including changes to brain structure (e.g. gray matter volume, cortical thickness, myelination, white matter integrity, hippocampal subfield volume, etc.) and function (e.g. resting-state functional connectivity, cerebral perfusion, etc.). Further, using a multi-omics approach, this study seeks to understand how these neural changes may unfold in tandem with adaptations to the maternal immunome and proteome. We hope that this project will serve as a starting point for further research on maternal brain health. It is crucial to understand normative changes in the brain associated with pregnancy so that we can begin to uncover neural signatures of postpartum depression, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and other conditions that impact pregnant individuals during this crucial transition period.

We are currently recruiting participants for the study, including individuals planning a pregnancy, their non-pregnant partners, and non-pregnant controls. If you are interested in participating, please see our flyers here and here.

This work is supported by the Ann S. Bowers Women's Brain Health Initiative and ReproGrants.
 

Learn more:

Collaborators: Profs. Liz Chrastil (UCI) and Ina Stelzer (UCSD)
Pritschet, L., Taylor, C. M., Cossio, D., Faskowitz, J., Santander, T., Handwerker, D. A., ... & Jacobs, E. G. (2024). Neuroanatomical changes observed over the course of a human pregnancy. Nature Neuroscience, 1-8.