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Updated: Dec 12, 2025

Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
Published on: June 13, 2021
[Variations of the cognitive status in the puerperium and their determinants: a narrative review]
Eugenia Carrizo1, Julia Domini1, Ruth Yohana Julieta Quezada1
1Escuela de Fonoaudiología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Av. La Reforma, Ciudad Universitaria. 5014 Córdoba Argentina. eugenia.carrizo@fcm.unc.edu.ar.
The neurobiological modifications that women experience during the puerperium, together with the consequent psychosocial changes, lead to variations in cognitive functions. In order to describe the cognitive variations that occur during postpartum and the determining factors, a narrative review was conducted by means of a bibliographic search in PubMed and Google Scholar. A steady increase in the number of published works was located (PubMed = 186; Google Scholar = 26,730). The analysis of the articles made it possible to: a) characterize the cognitive functions during the puerperium; b) analyze the neuropsychological effects produced by the endocrinological and anatomophysiological changes; c) analyze the effect of the quality of sleep on cognition; d) analyze cognitive functions according to obstetric experiences. In conclusion, puerperal women are characterized by variations in their cognitive functions, which are determined by structural, functional, psychological and social changes. It is necessary to conduct neuropsychological research in this population, since postpartum care still focuses on the care of the newborn, without addressing the puerperal woman in a comprehensive manner.
The neurobiological modifications that women experience during the puerperium, together with the consequent psychosocial changes, lead to variations in cognitive functions. In order to describe the cognitive variations that occur during postpartum and the determining factors, a narrative review was conducted by means of a bibliographic search in PubMed and Google Scholar. A steady increase in the number of published works was located (PubMed = 186; Google Scholar = 26,730). The analysis of the articles made it possible to: a) characterize the cognitive functions during the puerperium; b) analyze the neuropsychological effects produced by the endocrinological and anatomophysiological changes; c) analyze the effect of the quality of sleep on cognition; d) analyze cognitive functions according to obstetric experiences. In conclusion, puerperal women are characterized by variations in their cognitive functions, which are determined by structural, functional, psychological and social changes. It is necessary to conduct neuropsychological research in this population, since postpartum care still focuses on the care of the newborn, without addressing the puerperal woman in a comprehensive manner.
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