Altered functional connectivity of emotional circuits and default mode network in postpartum women: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study.
Kaihua Zhang, Yingli Gao, Qi Hu, Yangxue Su, Qianwen Zhang, Xiaoxia Du, Shouxin Li
BMC Psychology April 14, 2026 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-026-04399-4 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cross-sectional neuroimaging study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 63 |
| Population | 38 postpartum women and 25 nulliparous women |
| Measures | Interpersonal Reactivity Index-C |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Keywords | Nerve net Humans Magnetic resonance imaging Brain mapping Emotions Postpartum period Female Young adult Postpartum women Functional connectivity Resting-State FMRI Maternal brain |
| Key findings | Postpartum women showed increased resting-state functional connectivity in emotion-related regions (insula, hippocampus, posterior cingulate gyrus, medial frontal gyrus) and decreased connectivity in default mode network regions (inferior parietal lobule, precuneus) compared with nulliparous women. The authors suggest this may reflect a neuroanatomical basis for emotional and cognitive processing in postpartum women. |
Abstract
Background: In the postpartum period, postpartum women experience numerous brain structural and functional changes. Functional neuroimaging studies have focused on the responses of the maternal brain to infant stimuli ; however, the connectivity of the maternal brain remains to be explored. We aimed to examine the differences in functional connectivity patterns between postpartum women and nulliparous women.
Methods: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 38 postpartum women and 25 nulliparous women were used to analyze functional connectivity. Moreover, we also collected Interpersonal Reactivity Index-C scores. The group functional connectivity differences were analyzed by a two-sample T test.
Results: Compared to nulliparous women, postpartum women exhibited increased functional connectivity in regions associated with emotional processes (insula, hippocampus, posterior cingulate gyrus, and medial frontal gyrus), while functional connectivity in the default mode network (inferior parietal lobule and precuneus) decreased significantly.
Conclusion: These results suggest that the maternal brain shows altered connectivity patterns, which may reveal the neuroanatomical basis for processing emotional and cognitive information in postpartum women.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functional connectivity of default mode network components: Correlation, anticorrelation, and causality Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study using resting-state fMRI and seed correlation analysis | |
| Patterns of Brain Activity Supporting Autobiographical Memory, Prospection, and Theory of Mind, and Their Relationship to the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2009 | Experimental study using fMRI | |
| Dynamic reconfiguration of the default mode network during narrative comprehension Human subjects | 2016 | Experimental study | |
| Broadband Cortical Desynchronization Underlies the Human Psychedelic State Healthy human participants | 2013 | Experimental study | |
| The brain on art: intense aesthetic experience activates the default mode network Human observers | 2012 | Observational study with fMRI and behavioral analysis |