Fig. 4: Longitudinal correlation between cortical gray matter volume, maternal attachment, and maternal well-being in gestational mothers (N = 98).

From our sample of 127 gestational mothers, 98 completed the MRI session at 6 months postpartum, and were therefore included in these analyses (see Fig. S7 for the dropout scheme). A Two-sided Pearson’s correlation between the percentage of cortical GM volume recovery during postpartum—from the 34th week of pregnancy to 6 months postpartum- (X-axis) and absence of hostility at 6 months postpartum (Y-axis). P-values are corrected for multiple testing, using FDR. The orange line and the gray shaded area represent the least squares regression line and the 95% confidence intervals around the sample’s mean at each experimental session, respectively. Pearson’s R, Pearson’s correlation coefficient; p, uncorrected p-value; and q, False-Discovery-Rate corrected p-value. B Path diagram of the mediation model between the percentage of cortical gray matter volume recovery (% GMV) during postpartum—from the 34th week of pregnancy to 6 months postpartum -, maternal well-being, and absence of hostility at 6 months postpartum. P-values used for the path diagram are uncorrected p-values. Numbers represent the coefficient estimates, asterisks indicate the significance of each pair of associations (*, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.01; ***, p < 0.001), and the positive symbol (+) indicates the positive association between each pair of variables.