The study found that people who become fathers for the first time may atrophy the cerebral cortex?

Becoming a new parent is a challenge
for both men and women.

More than a dozen previous studies have shown that motherhood can alter a person's brain structure, while paternity is relatively ignored
.

Now, new international research has confirmed that the nerves of men who become fathers for the first time also change
.

This article is the original of the translational medicine network, please indicate the source when reprinting

Author: Sophia

Research overview

 01 

The study was small, but it confirmed that after becoming a mom and dad, the neural basis of parenthood is not unique to mothers
.

It turns out that men are also affected by the shift in the role of parenthood, even in a less obvious and uniform
way.

The researchers found that, on average, men's cerebral cortex shrank by 1%-2%
after becoming a dad for the first time.

This contraction is mainly confined to an area of the brain known as the "default pattern network," which is associated
with parental acceptance and warmth.

At first, the loss of cortical volume may sound like a bad thing, but it actually suggests an improvement in the brain—the connection with the child is stronger and more efficient
.

For example, similar cortical loss in mothers is associated
with a stronger neural response to the child and stronger child-parent attachment.

Previous studies have confirmed subtle neurological changes in the male brain after the birth of a child, but the small amount of evidence that has been collected has proven to be mixed and contradictory
.

Some studies have shown that gray matter increases after the child is born, while others have shown it as a loss
.

The different regions of the brain are also closely linked, and there are few ways to distinguish between a childless man, a first-time father, and a father
with multiple children.

Research process

 02 

This study is more rigorous
than most.

The study was based on MRI data from 40 first-time heterosexual fathers, half in Spain and half in the United States
.

Fathers-to-be in Spain had brain scans before their partners became pregnant and then again
a few months after birth.

On the other hand, expectant fathers in the United States attend in the middle and late stages of their partner's pregnancy and then again 7 to 8 months after giving birth
.

The new study also included a control group
of 17 childless men in Spain.

The two labs collected all their data and compared the volume, thickness, and structural characteristics
of the brains of all three groups of men.

In contrast to similar studies by new mothers, in the current study, first-time fathers did not show changes in
their marginal subcortical networks.

This makes sense, because this part of the brain is related
to pregnancy hormones.

But just because fathers don't carry offspring when they grow up doesn't mean their brains aren't affected by parenthood
.

For example, recent studies have shown that men are also affected by postpartum depression, although this is rarely considered a problem
.

Part of the problem may be that the new father's brain is less malleable than the new mother's
.

But thankfully, brain imaging can help experts see even the slightest neural change
.

In the current study, neither the first fathers in Spain nor California showed changes under the cerebral cortex, which were linked
to reward and motivation.

The study found

 03 

However, they did show signs of brain plasticity in the gray matter of the cerebral cortex, which is largely related to social understanding — the researchers also found that the volume of the visual system was significantly reduced
.

More research is needed on this visual brain region and its role in parenthood, but the findings are consistent with a recent 2020 study that found that fathers are better
at visual memory tasks than men without children.

The authors of the new paper write: "These findings may indicate the unique role of the visual system in helping fathers identify babies and respond accordingly, a hypothesis that will be confirmed
in future studies.
"
"Understanding how structural changes associated with paternity translate into parenting and child outcomes is largely an unexplored topic that offers exciting avenues
for future research.
"

Resources:

This article is intended to introduce medical research advances and cannot be used as a reference for
treatment options.

Recommended Live/Events

09/27 14:00-17:30 Shanghai

Innovative technology to facilitate the summit forum on accurate diagnosis and treatment of tumors

Scan the code to participate for free

November 03-04 09:00-17:30 Shanghai

The 3rd Yangtze River Delta In Vitro Diagnostic Industry Forum

Scan the code to participate for free

November 11-25 27:09-00:17 Shanghai

The 4th Shanghai International Cancer Congress

Scan the code to participate