Women's Journal — Health, Beauty, Fitness & Lifestyle

A new study in Science Bulletin links high estrogen during pregnancy with task-specific memory changes and identifies a hypothalamus-to-hippocampus circuit that altered memory in mice. Researchers also tested 70 women. The findings add biological evidence to pregnancy brain research while leaving an important question open: whether the same circuit operates in humans. Key Takeaways A study identified a neural pathway that may help explain some pregnancy-related memory changes. In mice, sustained high estrogen altered activity in a circuit linking the lateral hypothalamus with the hippocampus and produced memory impairment. Turning off the identified pathway protected mice from estrogen-related memory problems, while activating it impaired memory even without elevated estrogen. Researchers also assessed 70 women and found task-specific memory changes during late pregnancy that were associated with circulating estrogen levels. The human study did not directly test the neural circuit demonstrated in mice, so it does not establish the same causal mechanism in pregnant women. Pregnancy Brain Research Identifies a Specific Neural Pathway Researchers have identified a possible biological pathway behind some of the memory changes commonly described as “pregnancy brain” or “momnesia.” The study, published online August 25 in Science Bulletin, involved researchers affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine, Shandong