- Feb 5, 2002
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A new study has found that fathers who are actively involved in their children's lives receive a powerful boost in their cognitive abilities.
The study, "The paternal brain: longitudinal insights into structural and functional plasticity and attachment over 24 weeks postpartum," was published last month in the journal Translational Psychiatry. It tracked changes in gray matter volume and resting-state functional connectivity in the brains of 25 fathers immediately after childbirth and at three, six, nine, 12 and 24 weeks later.
Gray matter, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is a major type of tissue in the central nervous system that serves as the brain's information-processing center.
Researchers found that in the first six weeks after the birth of their child, gray matter volume in the brains of the fathers in the study decreased across almost all areas, before gradually stabilizing. From around 12 weeks onwards, it begins to grow in the areas of the brain responsible for planning and reasoning, as well as in the cerebellum, which is usually associated with motor control and emotion.
“Our findings reveal significant morphological and functional connectivity changes in the male brain following childbirth, with the first 6–9 weeks postpartum emerging as a critical period for paternal neuroplasticity,” said the researchers.
Continued below.
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The study, "The paternal brain: longitudinal insights into structural and functional plasticity and attachment over 24 weeks postpartum," was published last month in the journal Translational Psychiatry. It tracked changes in gray matter volume and resting-state functional connectivity in the brains of 25 fathers immediately after childbirth and at three, six, nine, 12 and 24 weeks later.
Gray matter, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is a major type of tissue in the central nervous system that serves as the brain's information-processing center.
Researchers found that in the first six weeks after the birth of their child, gray matter volume in the brains of the fathers in the study decreased across almost all areas, before gradually stabilizing. From around 12 weeks onwards, it begins to grow in the areas of the brain responsible for planning and reasoning, as well as in the cerebellum, which is usually associated with motor control and emotion.
“Our findings reveal significant morphological and functional connectivity changes in the male brain following childbirth, with the first 6–9 weeks postpartum emerging as a critical period for paternal neuroplasticity,” said the researchers.
Continued below.
Fatherhood is a powerful brain booster for involved parents: study
A new study has found that fathers who are actively involved in the lives of their children receive a powerful boost to their cognitive abilities
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