Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2012 Oct 10;10(4):659-87.
doi: 10.1177/147470491201000402.

Cognitive reorganization during pregnancy and the postpartum period: an evolutionary perspective

Marla V Anderson  1 , Mel D Rutherford
Affiliations
Review

Cognitive reorganization during pregnancy and the postpartum period: an evolutionary perspective

Marla V Anderson et al. Evol Psychol. .

Abstract

Where the non-human animal research investigating reproduction-induced cognitive reorganization has focused on neural plasticity and adaptive advantage in response to the demands associated with pregnancy and parenting, human studies have primarily concentrated on pregnancy-induced memory decline. The current review updates Henry and Rendell's 2007 meta-analysis, and examines cognitive reorganization as the result of reproductive experience from an adaptationist perspective. Investigations of pregnancy-induced cognitive change in human females may benefit by focusing on areas, such as social cognition, where a cognitive advantage would serve a protective function, and by extending the study duration beyond pregnancy into the postpartum period.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Anderson M. V., and Rutherford M. D. (in prep). Women show specific cognitive deficits across pregnancy and into the postpartum period.
    1. Anderson M. V., and Rutherford M. D. (2009). Pregnant women have a threat-detection advantage. Paper contributed to the Human Behavior and Evolution Society (21st), Fullerton, CA.
    1. Anderson M. V., and Rutherford M. D. (2010). Recognition of novel faces after single exposure is enhanced during pregnancy. Evolutionary Psychology, 9, 47–60. - PubMed
    1. Baddeley A., and Emslie H., and Nimmo-Smith I. (1992). The speed and capacity of language-processing test. Bury St. Edmunds: Thames Valley Test Company.
    1. Barrett J., and Fleming A. S. (2011). Annual research review: All mothers are not created equal: Neural and psychobiological perspectives on mothering and the importance of individual differences. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 52, 368–397. - PubMed