Description du projet
Une étude innovante sur les effets de la grossesse sur le cerveau
La grossesse représente l’un des événements endocriniens les plus extrêmes de la vie, mais les effets de cette transition monumentale sur le cerveau humain sont largement inconnus. Des études antérieures ont démontré que la grossesse entraîne des changements durables dans la structure du cerveau humain, indiquant l’existence d’une neuroplasticité unique liée à la grossesse. Le projet PREGBRAIN, financé par l’UE, vise à cartographier les changements qui se produisent dans le cerveau d’une femme en suivant les principaux aspects de l’anatomie et du fonctionnement du cerveau tout au long de la grossesse et de la période post-partum. La recherche dressera le profil des changements neuroplastiques liés à la grossesse, identifiera les facteurs clés à l’origine de ces changements et identifiera les substrats neuronaux des processus adaptatifs qui facilitent la transition vers la maternité.
Objectif
Pregnancy represents one of the most extreme endocrine events of life, involving unequaled hormone surges that orchestrate widespread maternal adaptations. Animal studies have demonstrated reproduction-related neural and behavioral changes that are evident across the lifespan. However, remarkably little is known on the effects of this monumental transition on the human brain. I have previously shown—for the first time—that pregnancy leads to long-lasting changes in human brain structure, revealing the existence of a dramatic pregnancy-related neuroplasticity in humans. Building on these results and new pilot data, I propose a cutting-edge research project that aims to A) comprehensively map the changes manifesting in a woman’s brain by tracking core aspects of brain anatomy and function across pregnancy and the postpartum period, B) pinpoint key factors driving pregnancy-related neuroplasticity by means of an extensive profile of endocrine and lifestyle changes, and C) reveal the neural substrates for potential adaptive and maladaptive processes, focusing on specific functional domains highlighted by promising pilot results. I postulate that pregnancy-related changes in a woman’s brain not only underlie well-known adverse peripartum processes such as the development of mental health disorders and memory issues, but also comprise adaptive processes conferring long-lasting changes in specific domains of functioning that play a key role in—but are not restricted to—maternal caregiving. I will investigate this novel topic by means of an innovative prospective cohort study tracking women from before conception across pregnancy and into the postpartum period, which combines cutting-edge neuroimaging approaches with various psychopedagogic and biomedical measures. The proposed project has the potential to lay a firm foundation for this emerging field of human neuroscience and generate groundbreaking insights into a woman’s remarkable neurobiological journey to motherhood.
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ERC-STG - Starting GrantInstitution d’accueil
1081 HV Amsterdam
Pays-Bas