Relationship between parenthood and cortical thickness in late adulthood.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Pregnancy and postpartum significantly alter brain structure, especially in regions associated with parental care.
• The long-term effects of these changes on the aging human brain and cognition remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate enduring effects of parenthood on brain structure and cognitive function in late life.
• To identify sex-specific differences in brain structure related to parenthood in older adults.

Main Methods:

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to assess cortical thickness in older adults.
• Cortical thickness was correlated with parity (number of children) in women.
• Cortical thickness differences were compared between parents and non-parents in subsamples of older men and women.

Main Results:

• In older women, higher parity correlated with better memory performance and altered cortical thickness in specific brain regions (parahippocampus, precuneus, cuneus, pericalcarine sulcus).
• Significant differences in cortical thickness between parents and non-parents were observed in both older women (six regions) and men (five regions).
• The identified brain regions in parents align with those previously shown to be affected during pregnancy and postpartum.

Conclusions:

• Parenthood-related neural changes persist into older age.
• These persistent changes may be associated with cognitive outcomes, showing a marginal benefit in women's cognitive function.
• This study provides the first evidence of parenthood-related brain differences in late life.