For memory study

“Baby-Brain”: University of Salzburg is looking for pregnant women

What about the memory of expectant mothers? A team led by Salzburg sleep researcher Kerstin Hödlmoser is investigating this.

(Bild: parilov, stock.adobe.com)

Many women are familiar with the fact that memory is not the best during pregnancy. Complex changes take place in the female brain during this special time. But exactly what these changes are has not yet been well researched. The University of Salzburg is now looking for pregnant women for a study on memory.

It is commonly referred to as "baby brain": the kind of "fog" in the brain that many pregnant women experience. A team led by Salzburg sleep researcher Kerstin Hödlmoser is now investigating what exactly is behind it. "Sleep and memory during pregnancy" is the name of the project funded by the FWF Research Promotion Fund. 

Specifically, the scientists want to find out how hormonal changes affect memory performance, whether the quality of sleep changes during pregnancy and after birth, whether this affects memory performance, etc. 

The researchers are looking for participants - specifically twelve pregnant women until January 2025. "The most difficult thing is the time window in which we want to recruit the pregnant women," explains Hödlmoser, "because we are specifically talking about the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. And it's difficult to catch many women during this time."

Until January 2025, we are still urgently looking for twelve pregnant women to take part in our study in Salzburg.

Schlafforscherin Dr. Kerstin Hödlmoser, Universität Salzburg

Bild: Michael Brauer

Participating women can also look forward to a comprehensive thank you. We have summarized all the necessary information for you in our fact box below.

The most important facts about the study

• Wanted: first-time pregnant women in their first trimester between the ages of 18 and 35 from the immediate vicinity of the city of Salzburg, Munich and the surrounding area.
• Procedure: Five test blocks at three-month intervals with only one short appointment at the university at the very beginning of the study and two test nights each at the women's homes
• Thank you: The participants receive
  - a sleep and memory evaluation
  - a voucher for a voluntary organ screening in cooperation with the Institute for Prenatal Diagnostics
  - an expense allowance of 900 euros
• Contact: by e-mail to [e-mail] or by telephone on 0662/8044 5146.
• Further information is also available here.

Hardly any area is spared
Incidentally, a study by neuroscientist Liz Chrastil is currently causing a stir internationally: She made herself available for research during her pregnancy. We now know that hardly any area of the brain is spared changes during this time.