A neuroscientist tracked her brain changes during pregnancy

With the help of a team of researchers, Chrastil underwent 26 MRIs, spread between three weeks before conceiving and two years after birth. The results were published Monday in Nature.

Her team observed structural changes in her brain, such as a reduction in gray matter and an increase in white matter, some lasting up to two years after birth. Still, “this study raises more questions than it answers,” Chrastil said.

“We think they have some beneficial use for them, but we don’t necessarily know what they are,” she added. “It could be helpful for the mother to be able to bond better or take care of the baby.”

While she said more research is needed to understand these changes, the study reveals how profound pregnancy and postpartum are for brain development.

She has lost gray matter in most parts of her brain

In the brain, gray matter refers to areas with high concentrations of neurons and plays a huge role in cognitive and emotional functioning.

Chrastril said about 80 percent of her brain regions experienced a decrease in gray matter, with an average decrease of 4 percent. The findings were consistent with previous studies of gray matter reduction during pregnancy, which can last up to two years after birth.

Reduced gray matter is associated with health risks such as depression. While Chrastil “didn’t feel too bad” during her pregnancy, she said further studies with more participants could help treat conditions like postpartum depression.

Her brain has increased connectivity

Chrastil was most surprised by her brain’s improved connectivity, which peaked in the second and third trimesters and “returned to baseline” after the birth.

“I had no idea this would be there,” she said. White matter, the parts of brain cells that connect to other neurons in bundles of fibers, is linked to improved learning and concentration.

Chrastil and her team purposely did not look at the data while she was undergoing the study, so as not to bias their findings. However, she sensed some subtle changes.

“I definitely felt kind of ready at that point to be a mother,” she said. “It might be part of that kind of sense of preparation.”

The changes were not permanent

The reason Chrastil continued to have scans for two years after giving birth was to track the long-term stability of her brain changes.

“There’s this huge surge in sex hormones during pregnancy and then it crashes,” she said. “Boom, it all comes back.”

She hopes more research will uncover the purpose of all these changes, such as how white matter changes influence maternal care and preparation.

“We need more people to be able to answer that question,” she said.