Nicoletta Lanese is the health channel editor at Live Science and was previously a news editor and staff writer at the site. She holds a graduate certificate in science communication from UC Santa Cruz and degrees in neuroscience and dance from the University of Florida.
That's what researchers found when a pregnant neuroscientist underwent more than two dozen brain scans throughout her pregnancy and for two years postpartum. After pregnancy, the new mom regained some gray matter, which includes both the cell bodies of neurons and the connections between them. But much seemed to be gone for good.
That fine-tuning may forever change the brain."Many of these changes seem to be what you might think of as permanent etchings in the brain," Jacobs said. "We think of it as like a tube or like a straw," Liz Chrastil, an associate professor of neurobiology and behavior at University of California, Irvine and senior co-author of the study, said at the news conference. When white matter is robust, water flows straight through it without pooling or diverting it and similarly relays information more efficiently.
While this study looked at only one person, the findings align with those of larger studies that looked at first-time mothers over time,"suggesting that pregnancy-induced brain changes may be a ubiquitous phenomenon," Magdalena Martínez-García, a postdoctoral researcher in human neuroscience at UCSB, told Live Science in an email.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The Democratic National Convention starts today in Chicago. Here's how to watchNPR will be reporting live from the convention in Chicago, including live updates online, live video each night and live special coverage on air and on video Wednesday and Thursday night.
Read more »
LPGA Live Odds After Round 2: Nelly Korda Live Favorite to Win AIG Women's OpenNelly Korda is set as the live favorite at the conclusion of the second round of the AIG Women's Open at the Old Course.
Read more »
How to Watch 'Colin Jost & Michael Che: New York After Dark' Live: Time, Live StreamLive from New York, it’s Thursday night!
Read more »
Live From New York, It's Three New 'Saturday Night Live' Cast MembersAshley Padilla, Emil Wakim, and Jane Wickline will be joining the primetime sketch show for its 50th season, as Marcello Hernández, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker get bumped up to full-time players.
Read more »
The Democratic National Convention starts today in Chicago. Here's how to watchNPR will be reporting live from the convention in Chicago, including live updates online, live video each night and live special coverage on air and on video Wednesday and Thursday night.
Read more »
How to watch the Democratic National Convention from homeNPR will be reporting live from the convention in Chicago, including live updates online, live video each night and live special coverage on air and on video Wednesday and Thursday night.
Read more »