title: Mental rotation task in a pilot during and after pregnancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Discordant findings have been reported about the change in pregnant women's cognitive test performance. Visuo-spatial abilities, which are crucial in terrestrial/flight navigation, could be influenced by hormonal variations.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 32-yr-old Italian Air Force pilot underwent a 2-D Mental Rotation Task (MRT) and hormonal assessment in the second trimester of pregnancy and 1 yr after delivery. Her performance was compared with that of two nonpregnant groups of women: one with flying experience and the other without. Estradiol and progesterone were significantly higher in pregnancy compared with postpartum, while testosterone was almost unchanged. During pregnancy, we observed a significant difference in the subject's response time compared with pilots (she was slower) and nonpilots (she was faster). One year after delivery, her performance was still better than the nonpilot group and was almost the same as the pilot group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data are consistent with an effect of pregnancy on visuo-spatial ability that can last for some time after delivery, even with the early recovery of the hormonal levels. MRT smoothly changed in our subject, supporting previous findings that women who are experts in flight navigation are less sensitive to hormonal fluctuations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this case, visuospatial ability requiring effortful processing underwent variations during pregnancy and postpartum. Further studies are needed in order to confirm our observations in a wider population.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Flight Center, Aerospace Medicine Department, Pratica Di Mare AFB, Pomezia, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Piccardi
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Verde
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bianchini
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Morgagni
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guariglia
authors.forename: Felice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Strollo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D013028:Space Perception; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol