The Maternal Brain: Short- and Long-Term Effects of Reproductive Experience on Hippocampus Structure and Function in Adulthood

Reproductive experience (pregnancy and mothering) affects both hippocampus-dependent learning and memory and neurogenesis in the mother during the postpartum period and long after weaning. However, what is less known is that reproductive experience is associated with an increased risk to develop Alzheimer’s pathology and disease. There are only a handful of studies that have examined the maternal brain into older age. This review will outline the short- and long-term effects of reproductive experience on the female brain with respect to cognition and implications for increased risk to develop neurodegenerative disorders in the long term with motherhood. The neuroendocrine correlates are discussed, with a focus on the hippocampus and ovarian hormones, and integrating human observational studies with experimental animal models.