Mapping neurovascular adaptations across pregnancy: Insights from the Maternal Brain Project
Poster No:
1008
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Hannah Grotzinger1, Kaya Jordan1, Magdalena Martínez García1, Laura Pritschet2, Elizabeth Chrastil3, Emily Jacobs1,4
Institutions:
1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 2Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 3Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, 4Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
First Author:
Hannah Grotzinger
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA
Co-Author(s):
Kaya Jordan
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA
Magdalena Martínez García
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA
Laura Pritschet, PhD
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Philadelphia, PA
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Philadelphia, PA
Elizabeth Chrastil, PhD
Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA
Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA
Emily Jacobs, PhD
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara|Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA|Santa Barbara, CA
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara|Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA|Santa Barbara, CA
Introduction:
Pregnancy is a profound physiological transformation – one that's supported by a rapid increase in sex hormone production during gestation, followed by a sharp decrease at parturition. While 80% of women experience pregnancy at least once in their lifetime, there is virtually no knowledge of how the human brain changes across gestation. Recent advances in maternal brain research have shed light on the comprehensive structural changes that occur over the perinatal period: gray matter volume (GMV) and cortical thickness (CT) consistently decrease during pregnancy with a partial recovery across the postpartum (Hoekzema et al., 2017, 2022; Paternina-Die et al., 2024). In addition, estradiol is a potent vasodilator, and during pregnancy blood flow increases by ~30-50% and cardiac output increases by 50% (Thornburg et al., 2015). Yet, little is known of how cardiovascular adaptations during pregnancy impact cerebral blood flow (CBF). In a recent proof-of-concept study from our group, we mapped the trajectory of these structural changes in one individual across gestation, collecting MRI scans and blood draws at 26 timepoints spanning pre-conception to 2 years postpartum (Pritschet et al., 2024). This approach revealed changes in the brain's gray and white matter in step with advancing gestation week. We have since built upon these findings via the Maternal Brain Project, with an expanded sample to reveal individual differences in the trajectory of these brain changes.
Methods:
Here, we leveraged this dense-sampling approach to map structural and cerebrovascular adaptations to pregnancy across the complete gestational window. Two female participants planning a first-time pregnancy were scanned up to ~30 times from pre-conception through one year postpartum. At each session, participants completed a questionnaire to assess mood and sleep quality, an MRI scan consisting of whole-brain structural sequences and a pseudo-continuous Arterial Spin Labeling sequence to directly map CBF across gestation, and a blood draw. To evaluate neural changes across gestation and the early postpartum period, Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) were used to assess the relationship between global GMV, CT, CBF, and gestation week.
Results:
Consistent with previous findings, GAMs revealed a significant relationship between GMV and gestation week (Figure 1A; Subject 1: F = 13.8, p < 0.001, deviance explained = 81.9%, R2-adj = 0.77; Subject 2: F = 34.49, p < 0.001, deviance explained = 93%, R2-adj = 0.91) and CT and gestation week (Figure 1B; Subject 1: F = 19.00, p < 0.001, deviance explained = 94.4%, R2-adj = 0.91; Subject 2: F = 38.1, p < 0.001, deviance explained = 94.2%, R2-adj = 0.92), with both structural measures showing linear decreases across gestation with a slight rebound in the postpartum period. Additionally, both participants displayed increases in CBF from baseline to a peak around week 22 in the second trimester, followed by decreases until birth (Figure 2; Subject 1: F = 60.49, p < 0.001, deviance explained = 99.3%, R2-adj = 0.98; Subject 2: F = 5.51, p = 0.005, deviance explained = 75%, R2-adj = 0.65).
Conclusions:
Control of blood flow to the brain is vital, and pregnancy is a transition period marked by increased susceptibility to cardiovascular conditions (e.g. pre-eclampsia). Understanding individual trajectories in cerebrovascular adaptations to healthy pregnancies may help evaluate the underlying pathology of these conditions. Taken together, these findings indicate that the brain undergoes a massive transformation during gestation, leading to changes in brain structure and CBF that are consistent in two densely-sampled participants. As data collection continues, this study is poised to provide the scientific community with the most detailed examination of the neurobiology of human pregnancy to date, offering new avenues for scientific discovery to drive advancements in women's brain health.
Lifespan Development:
Lifespan Development Other 1
Neuroanatomy, Physiology, Metabolism and Neurotransmission:
Anatomy and Functional Systems 2
Physiology, Metabolism and Neurotransmission:
Cerebral Metabolism and Hemodynamics
Keywords:
Cerebral Blood Flow
Experimental Design
MRI
Plasticity
STRUCTURAL MRI
Other - Pregnancy
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
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Provide references using APA citation style.
Hoekzema, E., et al. (2022). Mapping the effects of pregnancy on resting state brain activity, white matter microstructure, neural metabolite concentrations and grey matter architecture. Nature Communications, 13(1), 6931.
Paternina-Die, M., et al. (2024). Women’s neuroplasticity during gestation, childbirth and postpartum. Nature Neuroscience, 27(2), 319-327.
Pritschet, L., et al. (2024). Neuroanatomical changes observed over the course of a human pregnancy. Nature Neuroscience, 1-8.