EEG coherence before and after giving birth

Ivett Karina Sandoval; Gwendolyn Ngoh; Jia Wu; Michael J Crowley; Helena J V Rutherford

doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148468

EEG coherence before and after giving birth

Brain Res. 2023 Oct 1:1816:148468. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148468. Epub 2023 Jun 17.

Authors

Ivett Karina Sandoval¹, Gwendolyn Ngoh¹, Jia Wu¹, Michael J Crowley¹, Helena J V Rutherford²

Affiliations

¹ Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
² Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. Electronic address: helena.rutherford@yale.edu.

PMID: 37336317
DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148468

Abstract

During pregnancy and the postpartum period, changes in brain volume and in motivational, sensory, cognitive, and emotional processes have been described. However, to date, longitudinal modifications of brain function have been understudied. To explore regional cortical coupling, in pregnancy and at 3 months postpartum, we analyzed resting-state electroencephalographic (EEG) coherence in the delta, theta, alpha₁, alpha₂, beta₁, and beta₂ frequency bands across frontal and parietal regions of the maternal brain (Fp1, Fp2, F3, F4, P3, and P4). We found that from pregnancy to the postpartum period, mothers showed less intrahemispheric EEG coherence between the frontal and parietal regions in the alpha₁ and alpha₂ bands, as well as greater interhemispheric EEG coherence between frontopolar regions in the beta₂ band. These changes suggest decreased inhibition of neural circuits. These neurophysiological changes may represent an adaptive process characteristic of motherhood.

Keywords: EEG coherence; Mothers; Postpartum; Pregnancy.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Brain* / physiology
Electroencephalography*
Emotions
Female
Humans
Parietal Lobe
Postpartum Period
Pregnancy