Verbal and visuospatial working memory during pregnancy: EEG correlation between the prefrontal and parietal cortices

Heart rate variability in late pregnancy: exploration of distinctive patterns in relation to maternal mental health

“…Memory deficit is a complaint of many women that increases during the perinatal period but also is more associated with depression and anxiety disorders 79 , 80 . There is evidence that women may utilize different parts of the brain to accomplish working memory tasks during different time points in pregnancy; and these different processes may result in women with anxiety having more stress in navigating the task, particularly in late pregnancy 81 . Another example where a longitudinal study would be beneficial is in understanding the finding with regards to SSRI users exhibiting less change in VLF between before and after completing the memory task, compared with those not taking SSRIs.…”

Birthing Consciousness as a Case of Adaptive Altered State of Consciousness Associated With Transient Hypofrontality

“…In particular, the dorsolateral region and its functional connections with the posterior parietal cortex are primary in relation to both verbal and visuospatial working memory processes. Almanza-Sepúlveda et al (2018) found that although pregnancy had only a subtle effect on the visuospatial working memory task, different patterns of cortical synchronization were found in each trimester of pregnancy. They maintained that these patterns could represent adaptive mechanisms enabling the pregnant women to focus their attention and activate additional cognitive resources necessary to solve the working memory tasks adequately.…”

“…Numerous studies of maternal brain neuroplasticity indicate neurofunctional and neuroanatomical changes in the brain during pregnancy (Almanza-Sepúlveda, Hernández-González, Hevia-Orozco, Amezcua-Gutiérrez, & Guevara, 2018; Farrar, Tuffnell, Neill, Scally, & Marshall, 2014; Hoekzema et al, 2017; Kim, Strathearn, & Swain, 2016; Lübke, Busch, Hoenen, Schaal, & Pause, 2017; Macbeth & Luine, 2010; Roos, Robertson, Lochner, Vythilingum, & Stein, 2011). There has been surprisingly little brain research involving the specific episode of childbirth.…”

“…Pregnancy is a dynamic process during which significant cognitive changes take place, including changes affecting memory (Almanza-Sepúlveda et al, 2018; Glynn, 2010; Raz, 2014). Almanza-Sepúlveda et al (2018) examined cortical electroencephalographic correlations during performance of working memory tasks in each trimester of pregnancy.…”

“…Pregnancy is a dynamic process during which significant cognitive changes take place, including changes affecting memory (Almanza-Sepúlveda et al, 2018; Glynn, 2010; Raz, 2014). Almanza-Sepúlveda et al (2018) examined cortical electroencephalographic correlations during performance of working memory tasks in each trimester of pregnancy. 8 Although the neural system responsible for working memory is known to involve a large number of brain regions, evidence from neurophysiological and lesion studies indicates that the prefrontal cortex is key.…”