Scientists have uncovered the causes of "brain fog" in depression
Pregnancy and the first months after the birth of a child are accompanied by significant physical and emotional changes. During this period, some women find it harder to concentrate, remember information, and hold their attention. Such difficulties may depend not only on physical changes, but also on the psychological state. About how anxiety, depressive symptoms and physical activity are associated with memory problems in pregnant and young mothers — in the material of Izvestia.
How emotions relate to memory
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have studied the factors associated with the so-called brain fog during pregnancy and after childbirth. The results are published in the journal Psychology & Health (PH). The study involved 56 women around the 30th week of pregnancy. Six weeks after giving birth, 46 of them filled out the same questionnaires.
The participants talked about their physical activity, symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as difficulties with memory, attention, and speech. On average, women who reported more severe symptoms of anxiety or depression were more likely to experience cognitive difficulties.
Victoria Sukhi, PhD student in the Department of Kinesiology at Penn State University and the first author of the study
We expected that physical activity would reduce forgetfulness and memory lapses, but the reality turned out to be more complicated. Exercise can indirectly reduce the "fog in the head" in women with symptoms of depression, but it can worsen cognitive impairment in women with symptoms of anxiety.
Why anxiety increases difficulties
Anxiety symptoms, including excessive anxiety, sleep disorders, and concentration problems, were associated with more pronounced "brain fog." A similar relationship was observed with depressive symptoms, including feelings of hopelessness and inferiority, as well as loss of appetite.
Brain fog (English pregnancy brain, also baby brain) refers to subjective cognitive difficulties that can occur during pregnancy and after the birth of a child. These include forgetfulness, problems with concentration, and a feeling that it has become more difficult to think clearly. The authors emphasize that this is not a medical diagnosis.
Thus, the emotional state may be one of the factors associated with subjective memory and attention problems during this period. However, the study does not prove that anxiety or depression directly cause cognitive impairment: scientists have found a relationship between the indicators.
The authors emphasize that the well-being of pregnant and young mothers is influenced by a combination of factors. Therefore, an attempt to cope with forgetfulness only by increasing physical activity may not take into account other important circumstances, in particular, the emotional state of a woman and the burden she faces in everyday life.
When physical activity Helps
The researchers also tested whether physical activity is associated with a reduction in cognitive difficulties. The recommendations of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which provide for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week, were used for the assessment.
On average, women who followed these recommendations reported slightly less pronounced brain fog, but the difference was not statistically significant. In other words, the study did not allow us to confidently conclude that physical activity alone reduces such symptoms in all participants.
At the same time, the relationship differed depending on the emotional state. In women with severe depressive symptoms, physical activity was associated with less cognitive difficulties. The opposite pattern was observed in young mothers with severe anxiety: compliance with activity recommendations could be accompanied by more frequent complaints of cognitive failures.
Victoria Sukhi
Perhaps young mothers who experience increased anxiety and follow the recommendations for physical activity are overexerting themselves. They may be trying to do too much, which explains why following the recommendations can become an additional burden. If a woman experiences anxiety and exercises out of a sense of duty or a desire to lose weight after pregnancy, this may actually increase the number of times when the brain crashes.
Why self-care is important
According to the senior author of the study, Daniel Simons Downs, Professor of kinesiology and Obstetrics and Gynecology, pregnant women and new mothers need time and opportunity to pay attention to their own condition.
Daniel Simons Downs
Because of the many responsibilities that women often have, self-care is sometimes considered a manifestation of selfishness rather than a necessity. This is especially true of pregnancy and the postpartum period, when women are more vulnerable to cognitive fog and emotional changes.
She added that taking care of yourself and monitoring your own condition should be a part of motherhood. It is not necessary to allocate a lot of time for this: according to the researcher, even a few minutes in the morning and before going to bed can be used to assess your mood and notice significant changes in your emotional state or increased cognitive difficulties.
The authors also called on relatives and medical professionals to support women during pregnancy and after childbirth. At the same time, the study was small, and not all participants underwent a repeat examination. Therefore, the results require further verification and do not allow us to draw universal conclusions about the effect of physical activity on the memory of all pregnant and young mothers.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
