Differences in navigation performance and postpartal striatal volume associated with pregnancy in humans
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Differences in navigation performance and postpartal striatal volume associated with pregnancy in humans. / Lisofsky, Nina; Wiener, Jan; de Condappa, Olivier; Gallinat, Jürgen; Lindenberger, Ulman; Kühn, Simone.
In: NEUROBIOL LEARN MEM, Vol. 134, No. B, 10.2016, p. 400-7.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Differences in navigation performance and postpartal striatal volume associated with pregnancy in humans
AU - Lisofsky, Nina
AU - Wiener, Jan
AU - de Condappa, Olivier
AU - Gallinat, Jürgen
AU - Lindenberger, Ulman
AU - Kühn, Simone
N1 - Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
PY - 2016/10
Y1 - 2016/10
N2 - Pregnancy is accompanied by prolonged exposure to high estrogen levels. Animal studies have shown that estrogen influences navigation strategies and, hence, affects navigation performance. High estrogen levels are related to increased use of hippocampal-based allocentric strategies and decreased use of striatal-based egocentric strategies. In humans, associations between hormonal shifts and navigation strategies are less well studied. This study compared 30 peripartal women (mean age 28years) to an age-matched control group on allocentric versus egocentric navigation performance (measured in the last month of pregnancy) and gray matter volume (measured within two months after delivery). None of the women had a previous pregnancy before study participation. Relative to controls, pregnant women performed less well in the egocentric condition of the navigation task, but not the allocentric condition. A whole-brain group comparison revealed smaller left striatal volume (putamen) in the peripartal women. Across the two groups, left striatal volume was associated with superior egocentric over allocentric performance. Limited by the cross-sectional study design, the findings are a first indication that human pregnancy might be accompanied by structural brain changes in navigation-related neural systems and concomitant changes in navigation strategy.
AB - Pregnancy is accompanied by prolonged exposure to high estrogen levels. Animal studies have shown that estrogen influences navigation strategies and, hence, affects navigation performance. High estrogen levels are related to increased use of hippocampal-based allocentric strategies and decreased use of striatal-based egocentric strategies. In humans, associations between hormonal shifts and navigation strategies are less well studied. This study compared 30 peripartal women (mean age 28years) to an age-matched control group on allocentric versus egocentric navigation performance (measured in the last month of pregnancy) and gray matter volume (measured within two months after delivery). None of the women had a previous pregnancy before study participation. Relative to controls, pregnant women performed less well in the egocentric condition of the navigation task, but not the allocentric condition. A whole-brain group comparison revealed smaller left striatal volume (putamen) in the peripartal women. Across the two groups, left striatal volume was associated with superior egocentric over allocentric performance. Limited by the cross-sectional study design, the findings are a first indication that human pregnancy might be accompanied by structural brain changes in navigation-related neural systems and concomitant changes in navigation strategy.
KW - Journal Article
U2 - 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.08.022
DO - 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.08.022
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 27614142
VL - 134
SP - 400
EP - 407
JO - NEUROBIOL LEARN MEM
JF - NEUROBIOL LEARN MEM
SN - 1074-7427
IS - B
ER -
