The Protective Role of Parenthood on Brain Function

Academic Background

Parenthood is a universal stage in human life that profoundly impacts both the body and mind, and may also have long-term effects on brain function. However, current research on the long-term impact of parenthood on brain function, especially its relationship with brain aging, remains limited. Previous studies have primarily focused on neuroplasticity during pregnancy and the early postpartum period, but little is known about the role of parenthood in brain function during mid- to late-life.

With the intensification of global aging issues, understanding factors that can slow brain aging has become an important research topic. Parenthood, as an environmental factor that may influence brain function, warrants further exploration for its long-term effects. Additionally, while many studies have focused on changes in mothers’ brains, the neural changes in fathers during the parenting process are equally noteworthy. Therefore, this study aims to explore the relationship between parenthood and brain function, particularly its potential protective role in mitigating brain aging.

Source of the Paper

The study was conducted by scholars from multiple prestigious institutions, with primary authors including Edwina R. Orchard and Sidhant Chopra from the Yale Child Study Center, along with collaborators from the National University of Singapore, the University of Melbourne, and others. The paper was published on February 25, 2025, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), titled “Protective Role of Parenthood on Age-Related Brain Function in Mid- to Late-Life.”

Research Process

1. Study Population and Data Collection

This study utilized data from the UK Biobank, the largest population-based neuroimaging study to date. A total of 19,964 females and 17,607 males were included in the study, all of whom completed structural magnetic resonance imaging (structural MRI) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (resting-state fMRI) scans. Additionally, demographic information such as age, education level, socioeconomic status, and the number of children parented were collected from participants.

2. Data Processing and Analysis

The research team employed data processing pipelines developed by the FMRIB laboratory at Oxford University. First, preprocessing steps were applied to the fMRI data, including gradient distortion correction, motion correction, intensity normalization, and high-pass filtering. Then, the data were projected into MNI152 standard space and denoised using independent component analysis (ICA). Subsequently, time series were extracted from 419 brain regions, and pairwise functional connectivity was calculated, resulting in a 419×419 functional connectivity matrix.

3. Statistical Analysis

To explore the relationship between parenthood and brain function, the research team used Spearman correlation analysis to calculate the correlation between the number of children parented and functional connectivity. To control for the effects of age, education level, and socioeconomic status, these variables were adjusted in the analysis. Subsequently, network-based statistics (NBS) were used for multiple comparison corrections to identify significant functional connectivity networks.

Additionally, the study analyzed the effect of age on brain function and compared the opposing effects of parenthood and age on brain function. To validate the robustness of the results, the research team conducted several sensitivity analyses, including excluding participants without children and comparing functional connectivity differences between those with and without children.

Key Results

1. Relationship Between Parenthood and Brain Function

The study found that parents with more children exhibited higher whole-brain functional connectivity in mid- to late-life, particularly in networks associated with movement and sensation. This effect was significant in both females and males, suggesting that the impact of parenthood on brain function may be more related to the caregiving environment rather than pregnancy alone.

Specifically, females with more children showed significant positive correlations in 12,740 functional connections, with 84.3% of these connections exhibiting higher functional connectivity. These connections were mainly concentrated within the somatomotor network and between the default, visual, and dorsal attention networks. Similar results were observed in males, with 36,474 functional connections significantly correlated with the number of children parented, of which 98.4% showed positive correlations.

2. Effect of Age on Brain Function

In contrast to the effects of parenthood, aging was associated with a decrease in brain functional connectivity, particularly within the somatomotor network. This result aligns with existing aging research, indicating that brain functional networks gradually decline with age.

3. Opposite Effects of Parenthood and Age

A key finding of the study was that the effects of parenthood on brain function were in the opposite direction to those of aging. Parents with more children exhibited patterns of functional connectivity opposite to age-related brain functional decline, suggesting that parenthood may have a protective effect against brain aging.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that parenthood has long-term effects on brain function, particularly in mid- to late-life. Parents with more children exhibited higher functional connectivity, especially in networks associated with movement and sensation. This effect was significant in both females and males, suggesting that the caregiving environment may be the primary driver. Furthermore, the effects of parenthood on brain function were in the opposite direction to those of aging, indicating that parenthood may have a protective effect against brain aging.

These findings provide new insights into the long-term impact of parenthood on brain function and suggest that future research should further explore the underlying biological and environmental mechanisms.

Highlights of the Study

1. Large-Scale Sample: This study used large-scale neuroimaging data from the UK Biobank, making it one of the largest studies to date on the relationship between parenthood and brain function.
2. Gender Consistency: Significant effects of parenthood on brain function were observed in both females and males, suggesting that the caregiving environment may be the main driver.
3. Protective Effect: The effects of parenthood on brain function were in the opposite direction to those of aging, suggesting that parenthood may have a protective effect against brain aging.
4. Multi-Dimensional Analysis: The study employed various statistical methods, including network-based statistics and sensitivity analyses, ensuring the robustness and reliability of the results.

Research Value

The scientific value of this study lies in revealing the long-term impact of parenthood on brain function and providing new directions for research on slowing brain aging. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of the caregiving environment on brain function, suggesting that future research should further explore its underlying biological and environmental mechanisms. This discovery is not only significant for the field of neuroscience but also provides new perspectives on understanding brain changes throughout the human lifespan.