Humphreys leads study on brain changes during pregnancy and potential effects on mental health

By Jenna Somers

Kathryn Humphreys

During pregnancy, the body undergoes dramatic physical changes. However, how brain structure and function change is not well understood. A new study aims to shed light on these changes and their potential effects on mental health throughout the peripartum period, the time during pregnancy and after giving birth. Kathryn Humphreys, associate professor of psychology and human development at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development, leads the study, supported by a five-year, $3.9 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health.

The peripartum period is marked by significant biological changes and high rates of depression. To better understand the implications of brain changes on mental health, the study seeks to characterize those changes throughout the full 40 weeks of pregnancy. To support this work, Humphreys is collaborating with a multidisciplinary team of researchers in depression, imaging science, bioethics, and maternal-fetal medicine.

The research team will study brain changes in 100 pregnant participants who will undergo a series of MRI scans. The team will use an innovative data collection design, known as planned missingness, to scan each participant only four times but one month apart from each other. This approach will allow the researchers to discover unprecedented insights into brain changes that occur across the full course of pregnancy without overburdening participants. It also will allow them to examine individual- and group-level brain changes and draw conclusions about these changes across early, middle, and late pregnancy.

The study will focus on three primary aims: to characterize alterations in brain structure and function across pregnancy, to investigate hormonal fluctuations that may be responsible for these changes, and to examine the potential consequences of changes in structure and function.

According to Humphreys, preliminary data suggests that the total brain volume, and in particular cortical thickness, decreases during pregnancy. The hormone, progesterone, may partially explain reductions in gray matter volume. To explore potential functional consequences to changes in the brain, the research team will collect electroencephalogram (EEG) data on participants' reward and threat responses, collect tests of cognitive functioning, and assess self-reported emotions. Participants will also report on peripartum depressive symptoms at each assessment and at eight-weeks postpartum.

Given the limited knowledge on peripartum neurobiology, this study could fill critical knowledge gaps and lay the foundation for further study of peripartum depression as well as its impacts on individuals and families.

Research team members include faculty from Vanderbilt Peabody College and Vanderbilt University Medical Center:

• Ellen Clayton, professor of pediatrics and of law
• David Cole, Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor of Psychology
• Autumn Kujawa, associate professor of psychology and human development
• Sarah Osmundson, vice chair of research and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology
• Saikat Sengupta, research associate professor of radiology and radiological science
• Seth Smith, professor of radiology and radiological sciences and associate director of the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science

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