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Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
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Beyond sex differences: short- and long-term effects of pregnancy on the brain

Tanvi A Puri1, Jennifer E Richard2, Liisa A M Galea3

  • 1Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Center for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Trends in Neurosciences
|April 29, 2023
PubMed

Growing attention has been directed to the inclusion of females in neuroscience studies, and to the importance of studying sex as a biological variable. However, how female-specific factors such as menopause and pregnancy, affect the brain remains understudied. In this review, we use pregnancy as a case in point of a female-unique experience that can alter neuroplasticity, neuroinflammation, and cognition. We examine studies in both humans and rodents indicating that pregnancy can modify neural function in the short term, as well as alter the trajectory of brain aging. Furthermore, we discuss the influence of maternal age, fetal sex, number of pregnancies, and presence of pregnancy complications on brain health outcomes. We conclude by encouraging the scientific community to prioritize researching female health by recognizing and including factors such as pregnancy history in research.

Keywords:
Alzheimer's diseaseagingcognitiondisease riskinflammationneurogenesispostpartumreproductive experience

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