Fatherhood rewires brain

Becoming a father is a life-changing experience—one that reshapes not just a man’s daily routine but also his brain.

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A groundbreaking study, led by Professor Darby Saxbe, a professor of psychology at the University of Southern California, has revealed that fatherhood alters brain structure in ways that reflect the profound emotional and cognitive shifts involved in parenting.

The research, published in 2022, involved scanning the brains of first-time fathers both before and after the birth of their babies. Conducted in collaboration with researchers in Spain, the study used MRI scans to analyze the neurological changes in 40 men—20 in Spain and 20 in California—as they transitioned into fatherhood.

The most striking finding? First-time fathers experienced a measurable reduction in grey matter volume in certain regions of the cerebral cortex. At first glance, brain shrinkage might sound alarming, but Dr. Saxbe explains that this reduction likely reflects a form of neural “fine-tuning.”