1
|
Cherki BR, Winter E, Mankuta D, Zerbib S, Israel S. Intranasal oxytocin interacts with testosterone reactivity to modulate parochial altruism. COMMUNICATIONS PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 2:18. [PMID: 39242967 PMCID: PMC11332015 DOI: 10.1038/s44271-024-00066-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
The neuropeptide hormone oxytocin and the steroid hormone testosterone have received attention as modulators of behavior in the context of intergroup conflict. However, to date, their interactive effect has yet to be tested. Here, in a double-blind placebo-control design, 204 participants (102 female participants) self-administrated oxytocin or placebo and completed an experimental economic game modeling intergroup conflict. Salivary testosterone (n = 192) was measured throughout the task to assess endogenous reactivity. As a caveat, even at this sample size, our derived power to detect small effects for 2- and 3-way interactions was relatively low. For male participants, changes in testosterone predicted willingness to sacrifice investments for the betterment of the group. Intranasal administration of oxytocin strongly diminished this effect. In female participants, we found no credible evidence for association between changes in testosterone and investments, rather, oxytocin effects were independent of testosterone. This 3-way interaction was of medium to large effect size (Odds Ratio 5.11). Behavior was also affected by social cues such as signaling of ingroup and outgroup members. Our findings provide insights as to the biological processes underpinning parochial altruism and suggest an additional path for the dual influence of oxytocin and testosterone on human social behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Boaz R Cherki
- Psychology Department, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus Campus, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, 9190501, Israel
- The Federmann Center for the Study of Rationality, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Eyal Winter
- The Federmann Center for the Study of Rationality, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
- Economics Department, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus Campus, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, 9190501, Israel
- Management School, University of Lancaster, Lancaster, LA1 4YX, UK
| | - David Mankuta
- Hadassah Medical Center, Department of Labor and Delivery, Kiryat Hadassah, Jerusalem, 9112001, Israel
| | - Shirli Zerbib
- Psychology Department, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus Campus, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, 9190501, Israel
| | - Salomon Israel
- Psychology Department, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus Campus, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, 9190501, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Jukes LM, Di Folco S, Kearney L, Sawrikar V. Barriers and Facilitators to Engaging Mothers and Fathers in Family-Based Interventions: A Qualitative Systematic Review. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2024; 55:137-151. [PMID: 35763177 PMCID: PMC10796537 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-022-01389-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The current systematic review examined the similarities and differences between mothers' and fathers' reported barriers and facilitators to engaging in family-based interventions for child and adolescent behavioural problems (aged 2-17 years). Systematic searches of six electronic databases and grey literature alongside a two-way screening process identified twenty eligible qualitative studies from 2004 to 2019. A thematic meta-synthesis identified similarities in major themes of psychological, situational, knowledge/awareness, programme/intervention, co-parenting, practitioner, and beliefs/attitudes factors, alongside group experiences and stages of engagement. However, differences emerged in subthemes related to parental, treatment, and service delivery factors that included individual ideologies of parenting, parental roles, and treatment participation; the role of mothers in facilitating engagement; and individual preferences for treatment content and delivery. Overall, findings suggest that while mothers and fathers experience similar challenges to engagement, they can also experience distinct challenges which need to be addressed at the treatment outset to maximise engagement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Jukes
- School of Health in Social Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
- National Health Service (NHS) Lothian, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Simona Di Folco
- School of Health in Social Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
- National Health Service (NHS) Lothian, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Lisa Kearney
- School of Health in Social Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
- National Health Service (NHS) Lothian, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Vilas Sawrikar
- School of Health in Social Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Abstract
Fathers have been an important source of child endurance and prosperity since the dawn of civilization, promoting adaptation to social rules, defining cultural meaning systems, teaching daily living skills, and providing the material background against which children developed; still, the recent reformulation in the role of the father requires theory-building. Paternal caregiving is rare in mammals, occurring in 3-5% of species, expresses in multiple formats, and involves flexible neurobiological accommodations to ecological conditions and active caregiving. Here, we discuss father contribution to resilience across development. Our model proposes three tenets of resilience - plasticity, sociality, and meaning - and discussion focuses on father-specific contributions to each tenet at different developmental stages; newborn, infant, preschooler, child, and adolescent. Father's style of high arousal, energetic physicality, guided participation in daily skills, joint adventure, and conflict resolution promotes children's flexible approach and social competence within intimate bonds and social groups. By expanding children's interests, sharpening cognitions, tuning affect regulation, encouraging exploration, and accompanying the search for identity, fathers support the sense of meaning, enhancing the human-specific dimension of resilience. We end by highlighting pitfalls to paternal contribution, including absence, abuse, rigidity, expectations, and gender typing, and the need to formulate novel theories to accommodate the "involved dad."
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Feldman
- Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience, Reichman University,Israel
- Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Townsend C, Ferraro JV, Habecker H, Flinn MV. Human cooperation and evolutionary transitions in individuality. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210414. [PMID: 36688393 PMCID: PMC9869453 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
A major evolutionary transition in individuality involves the formation of a cooperative group and the transformation of that group into an evolutionary entity. Human cooperation shares principles with those of multicellular organisms that have undergone transitions in individuality: division of labour, communication, and fitness interdependence. After the split from the last common ancestor of hominoids, early hominins adapted to an increasingly terrestrial niche for several million years. We posit that new challenges in this niche set in motion a positive feedback loop in selection pressure for cooperation that ratcheted coevolutionary changes in sociality, communication, brains, cognition, kin relations and technology, eventually resulting in egalitarian societies with suppressed competition and rapid cumulative culture. The increasing pace of information innovation and transmission became a key aspect of the evolutionary niche that enabled humans to become formidable cooperators with explosive population growth, the ability to cooperate and compete in groups of millions, and emergent social norms, e.g. private property. Despite considerable fitness interdependence, the rise of private property, in concert with population explosion and socioeconomic inequality, subverts potential transition of human groups into evolutionary entities due to resurgence of latent competition and conflict. This article is part of the theme issue 'Human socio-cultural evolution in light of evolutionary transitions'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cathryn Townsend
- Department of Anthropology, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798-7334, USA
| | - Joseph V. Ferraro
- Department of Anthropology, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798-7334, USA
| | - Heather Habecker
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798-7334, USA
| | - Mark V. Flinn
- Department of Anthropology, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798-7334, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Diaz-Rojas F, Matsunaga M, Tanaka Y, Kikusui T, Mogi K, Nagasawa M, Asano K, Abe N, Myowa M. Development of the Paternal Brain in Humans throughout Pregnancy. J Cogn Neurosci 2023; 35:396-420. [PMID: 36603042 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that paternal caregiving behaviors are reliant on neural pathways similar to those supporting maternal care. Interestingly, a greater variability exists in parental phenotypes in men than in women among individuals and mammalian species. However, less is known about when or how such variability emerges in men. We investigated the longitudinal changes in the neural, hormonal, and psychological bases of expression of paternal caregiving in humans throughout pregnancy and the first 4 months of the postnatal period. We measured oxytocin and testosterone, paternity-related psychological traits, and neural response to infant-interaction videos using fMRI in first-time fathers and childless men at three time points (early to mid-pregnancy, late pregnancy, and postnatal). We found that paternal-specific brain activity in prefrontal areas distinctly develops during middle-to-late pregnancy and is enhanced in the postnatal period. In addition, among fathers, the timing of the development of prefrontal brain activity was associated with specific parenting phenotypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yukari Tanaka
- Kansai University, Suita, Japan.,Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo
| | | | | | | | - Kohei Asano
- Kyoto University, Japan.,Osaka University of Comprehensive Children Education, Japan
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Jiang Y, Sheng F, Belkaya N, Platt ML. Oxytocin and testosterone administration amplify viewing preferences for sexual images in male rhesus macaques. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210133. [PMID: 35858095 PMCID: PMC9272140 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Social stimuli, like faces, and sexual stimuli, like genitalia, spontaneously attract visual attention in both human and non-human primates. Social orienting behaviour is thought to be modulated by neuropeptides as well as sex hormones. Using a free viewing task in which paired images of monkey faces and anogenital regions were presented simultaneously, we found that male rhesus macaques overwhelmingly preferred to view images of anogenital regions over faces. They were more likely to make an initial gaze shift towards, and spent more time viewing, anogenital regions compared with faces, and this preference was accompanied by relatively constricted pupils. On face images, monkeys mostly fixated on the forehead and eyes. These viewing preferences were found for images of both males and females. Both oxytocin (OT), a neuropeptide linked to social bonding and affiliation, and testosterone (TE), a sex hormone implicated in mating and aggression, amplified the pre-existing orienting bias for female genitalia over female faces; neither treatment altered the viewing preference for male anogenital regions over male faces. Testosterone but not OT increased the probability of monkeys making the first gaze shift towards female anogenital rather than face pictures, with the strongest effects on anogenital images of young and unfamiliar females. Finally, both OT and TE promoted viewing of the forehead region of both female and male faces, which display sexual skins, but decreased the relative salience of the eyes of older males. Together, these results invite the hypothesis that both OT and TE regulate reproductive behaviours by acting as a gain control on the visual orienting network to increase attention to mating-relevant signals in the environment. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours’.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yaoguang Jiang
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Feng Sheng
- Wharton Neuroscience Initiative, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- School of Management and MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science & Brain–Machine Integration, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Naz Belkaya
- Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon, 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Michael L. Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Psychology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Marketing Department, the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Wharton Neuroscience Initiative, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Lotz AM, Buisman RSM, Alyousefi-van Dijk K, Witte AM, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Verhees MWFT. Exploring the role of endocrine factors in sensitive parenting in men. Horm Behav 2022; 140:105118. [PMID: 35121300 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Parental sensitivity has been studied extensively in parenting research. Recently, there has been increasing attention to endocrine factors that may be related to parental sensitivity, such as oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, and cortisol. Although hormones do not act in isolation, few studies integrated multiple hormones and examined their combined associations with parental sensitivity. The current study aimed to explore the hormonal correlates of paternal sensitivity by examining in 79 first-time fathers of young infants (2-4 months old) (1) the separate and combined associations of basal oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, and cortisol levels with sensitivity, and (2) the associations between paternal sensitivity and oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, and cortisol reactivity following father-infant interactions. We additionally explored whether interactions between the various basal hormone levels could predict paternal sensitivity. Saliva for the quantification of fathers' hormone levels was sampled before and after an interaction with their infant to determine basal levels and reactivity. Results revealed no significant associations between sensitivity and basal hormone levels or reactivity. However, results indicated that cortisol and testosterone interacted in their effects on paternal sensitive parenting. Namely, fathers with low basal cortisol levels showed more sensitivity with increasing T levels, but fathers with high cortisol levels were less sensitive with increasing T levels. However, it should be noted that the latter slope was not significantly different from zero. These findings suggest that variations in parental sensitivity might be better explained by interactions between hormones than by single hormone levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A M Lotz
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Institute of Education and Child Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, the Netherlands.
| | - R S M Buisman
- Forensic Family and Youth Care Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, the Netherlands
| | - K Alyousefi-van Dijk
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - A M Witte
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - M J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - M W F T Verhees
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Giannotti M, Gemignani M, Rigo P, Venuti P, De Falco S. The Role of Paternal Involvement on Behavioral Sensitive Responses and Neurobiological Activations in Fathers: A Systematic Review. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:820884. [PMID: 35355925 PMCID: PMC8959913 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.820884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
As fathering research has flourished, a growing body of studies has focused on behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms, respectively associated with caregiving sensitivity and responsiveness to infant stimuli. However, the association between these aspects and the key concept of paternal involvement in childcare (i.e., contribution in infant care in terms of time, availability, and responsibility) has been poorly investigated. The current work aims to systematically review the role of involvement in childcare on both neural activations and sensitive behaviors in fathers by examining (a) how paternal involvement has been measured and (b) whether paternal involvement has been associated with neurobiological activation and behavioral sensitive responses. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed quantitative studies, concerning fathers responding to infant stimuli at neurobiological or behavioral level, and including a quantitative measurement of paternal involvement in childcare. A quality rating for each study has been performed based on the measurements adopted to assess paternal involvement. Of 2,529 articles, 27 studies were included. According to our quality rating, 10 out of 27 studies included fairly good-standard measures for measuring paternal involvement, whereas 17 studies used good-standard measures. In addition, 11 studies provided details of paternal involvement in the context of neurobiological responses to infant stimuli, whereas 16 addressed paternal sensitive behaviors. Overall, only 8 studies reported relevant findings about the relationship between paternal involvement and neurobiological responses or sensitive behaviors in fathers. The present study is the first systematically evaluating the scope of paternal involvement in the field of Paternal Brain and fathers' sensitive responsiveness research. When high-standard measures are used, paternal involvement seems to play a significant role in modulating both the hormonal and the neural pathways associated with paternal behaviors. Remarkably, the role of paternal engagement may underpin an adaptive nurturance that is not dependent on pregnancy and childbirth but on caregiving experience. A promising positive link between paternal involvement and behavioral sensitivity may be expected in further studies, which will need to corroborate our conclusion by adopting detailed and appropriate measures assessing paternal involvement. As a future line of research, the inclusion of gay fathers may be beneficial for the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michele Giannotti
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Micol Gemignani
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Paola Rigo
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Paola Venuti
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Simona De Falco
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Giannotti M, Gemignani M, Rigo P, Simonelli A, Venuti P, De Falco S. Disentangling the Effect of Sex and Caregiving Role: The Investigation of Male Same-Sex Parents as an Opportunity to Learn More About the Neural Parental Caregiving Network. Front Psychol 2022; 13:842361. [PMID: 35237218 PMCID: PMC8884537 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.842361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michele Giannotti
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- *Correspondence: Michele Giannotti
| | - Micol Gemignani
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Paola Rigo
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Alessandra Simonelli
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Paola Venuti
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Simona De Falco
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Abraham E, Feldman R. The Neural Basis of Human Fatherhood: A Unique Biocultural Perspective on Plasticity of Brain and Behavior. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 2022; 25:93-109. [PMID: 35122559 DOI: 10.1007/s10567-022-00381-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
With the growing involvement of fathers in childrearing and the application of neuroscientific tools to research on parenting, there is a need to understand how a father's brain and neurohormonal systems accommodate the transition to parenthood and how such neurobiological changes impact children's mental health, sociality, and family functioning. In this paper, we present a theoretical model on the human father's brain and the neural adaptations that take place when fathers assume an involved role. The neurobiology of fatherhood shows great variability across individuals, societies, and cultures and is shaped to a great extent by bottom-up caregiving experiences and the amount of childrearing responsibilities. Mechanisms of mother-father coparental brain coordination and hormonal correlates of paternal behavior are detailed. Adaptations in the father's brain during pregnancy and across the postpartum year carry long-term implications for children's emotion regulation, stress management, and symptom formation. We propose a new conceptual model of HEALthy Father Brain that describes how a father's brain serves as a source of resilience in the context of family adversity and its capacity to "heal", protect, and foster social brain maturation and functionality in family members via paternal sensitivity, attunement, and support, which, in turn, promote child development and healthy family functioning. Father's brain provides a unique model on neural plasticity as sustained by committed acts of caregiving, thereby affording a novel perspective on the brain basis of human affiliation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eyal Abraham
- Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, 46150, Herzliya, Israel. .,Department of Psychiatry-Child and Adolescent, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA.
| | - Ruth Feldman
- Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, 46150, Herzliya, Israel. .,Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Condon EM, Dettmer A, Baker E, McFaul C, Stover CS. Early Life Adversity and Males: Biology, Behavior, and Implications for Fathers' Parenting. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 135:104531. [PMID: 35063493 PMCID: PMC9236197 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Fathers have an important and unique influence on child development, but influences on fathers' parenting have been vastly understudied in the scientific literature. In particular, very little empirical research exists on the effects of early life adversity (ELA; e.g. childhood maltreatment, parental separation) on later parenting among fathers. In this review, we draw from both the human and non-human animal literature to examine the effects of ELA, specifically among males, in the following areas: 1) neurobiology and neurocognitive functioning, 2) hormones and hormone receptors, 3) gene-environment interactions and epigenetics, and 4) behavior and development. Based on these findings, we present a conceptual model to describe the biological and behavioral pathways through which exposure to ELA may influence parenting among males, with a goal of guiding future research and intervention development in this area. Empirical studies are needed to improve understanding of the relationship between ELA and father's parenting, inform the development of paternal and biparental interventions, and prevent intergenerational transmission of ELA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eileen M Condon
- University of Connecticut School of Nursing, 231 Glenbrook Rd, Storrs CT 06269, United States; Yale Early Stress and Adversity Consortium, United States.
| | - Amanda Dettmer
- Yale Early Stress and Adversity Consortium, United States; Yale Child Study Center, 230 S Frontage Rd, New Haven, CT 06519, United States
| | - Ellie Baker
- Yale Child Study Center, 230 S Frontage Rd, New Haven, CT 06519, United States; Division of Psychology and Language Science, University College London (UCL), 26 Bedford Way, Bloomsbury, London WC1H 0AP, United Kingdom
| | - Ciara McFaul
- Yale Child Study Center, 230 S Frontage Rd, New Haven, CT 06519, United States
| | - Carla Smith Stover
- Yale Early Stress and Adversity Consortium, United States; Yale Child Study Center, 230 S Frontage Rd, New Haven, CT 06519, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Marshall NA, Kaplan J, Stoycos SA, Goldenberg D, Khoddam H, Cárdenas SI, Sellery P, Saxbe D. Stronger Mentalizing Network Connectivity in Expectant Fathers Predicts Postpartum Father-Infant Bonding and Parenting Behavior. Soc Neurosci 2022; 17:21-36. [PMID: 35034575 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2022.2029559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Fathers play a critical role in parenting and in shaping child outcomes. However, the neurobiological underpinnings of successful adjustment to fatherhood have not been well-specified. Empathy and mentalizing abilities may characterize more effective fathering. These abilities may be supported by the functional connectivity (FC) of brain regions associated with social cognition and executive control. We used a seed-region-based approach to assess resting-state FC (rsFC) of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in 40 expectant fathers. We tested associations between mPFC whole-brain rsFC and fathers' self-report measures of empathy during pregnancy, as well as their ratings of father-infant bonding and fathering behaviors at six months postpartum. Stronger prenatal rsFC between the mPFC and precuneus, frontal pole, planum polare, and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) was negatively associated with self-reported empathic concern and perspective-taking, whereas mPFC rsFC with the lateral occipital cortex (LOC) was positively associated with self-reported perspective-taking. Additionally, stronger prenatal connectivity between the mPFC rsFC and the superior parietal lobule and LOC regions predicted father reports of postpartum bonding with infants, and stronger prenatal mPFC rsFC with the LOC predicted more effective postpartum parenting. This study is the first to measure rsFC in expectant fathers as a predictor of subsequent adjustment to fathering.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonas Kaplan
- University of Southern California, Department of Psychology
| | | | | | - Hannah Khoddam
- University of Southern California, Department of Psychology
| | | | - Pia Sellery
- University of Southern California, Department of Psychology
| | - Darby Saxbe
- University of Southern California, Department of Psychology
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Rilling JK, Gonzalez A, Lee M. The neural correlates of grandmaternal caregiving. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211997. [PMID: 34784762 PMCID: PMC8596004 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In many societies, grandmothers are important caregivers, and grandmaternal investment is often associated with improved grandchild well-being. Here, we present, to our knowledge, the first study to examine grandmaternal brain function. We recruited 50 grandmothers with at least one biological grandchild between 3 and 12 years old. Brain function was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging as grandmothers viewed pictures of their grandchild, an unknown child, the same-sex parent of the grandchild, and an unknown adult. Grandmothers also completed questionnaires to measure their degree of involvement with and attachment to their grandchild. After controlling for age and familiarity of stimuli, viewing grandchild pictures activated areas involved with emotional empathy (insula and secondary somatosensory cortex) and movement (motor cortex and supplementary motor area). Grandmothers who more strongly activated areas involved with cognitive empathy (temporo-parietal junction and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex) when viewing pictures of the grandchild desired greater involvement in caring for the grandchild. Finally, compared with results from an earlier study of fathers, grandmothers more strongly activated regions involved with emotional empathy (dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, insula and secondary somatosensory cortex), and motivation (nucleus accumbens, ventral pallidum and caudate nucleus). All in all, our findings suggest that emotional empathy may be a key component of grandmaternal responses to their grandchildren.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James K. Rilling
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Amber Gonzalez
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Minwoo Lee
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
Creativity generates novel solutions to tasks by processing information. Imagination and mental representations are part of the creative process; we can mull over ideas of our own making, and construct algorithms or scenarios from them. Social scenario-building can be viewed as a human cognitive "super-power" that involves abstraction, meta-representation, time-travel, and directed imaginative thought. We humans have a "theater in our minds" to play out a near-infinite array of social strategies and contingencies. Here we propose an integrative model for why and how humans evolved extraordinary creative abilities. We posit that a key aspect of hominin evolution involved relatively open and fluid social relationships among communities, enabled by a unique extended family structure similar to that of contemporary hunter-gatherer band societies. Intercommunity relationships facilitated the rapid flow of information-"Culture"-that underpinned arms-races in information processing, language, imagination, and creativity that distinguishes humans from other species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark V. Flinn
- Department of Anthropology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Nine Levels of Explanation : A Proposed Expansion of Tinbergen's Four-Level Framework for Understanding the Causes of Behavior. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2021; 32:748-793. [PMID: 34739657 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-021-09414-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Tinbergen's classic "On Aims and Methods of Ethology" (Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie, 20, 1963) proposed four levels of explanation of behavior, which he thought would soon apply to humans. This paper discusses the need for multilevel explanation; Huxley and Mayr's prior models, and others that followed; Tinbergen's differences with Lorenz on "the innate"; and Mayr's ultimate/proximate distinction. It synthesizes these approaches with nine levels of explanation in three categories: phylogeny, natural selection, and genomics (ultimate causes); maturation, sensitive period effects, and routine environmental effects (intermediate causes); and hormonal/metabolic processes, neural circuitry, and eliciting stimuli (proximate causes), as a respectful extension of Tinbergen's levels. The proposed classification supports and builds on Tinbergen's multilevel model and Mayr's ultimate/proximate continuum, adding intermediate causes in accord with Tinbergen's emphasis on ontogeny. It requires no modification of Standard Evolutionary Theory or The Modern Synthesis, but shows that much that critics claim was missing was in fact part of Neo-Darwinian theory (so named by J. Mark Baldwin in The American Naturalist in 1896) all along, notably reciprocal causation in ontogeny, niche construction, cultural evolution, and multilevel selection. Updates of classical examples in ethology are offered at each of the nine levels, including the neuroethological and genomic findings Tinbergen foresaw. Finally, human examples are supplied at each level, fulfilling his hope of human applications as part of the biology of behavior. This broad ethological framework empowers us to explain human behavior-eventually completely-and vindicates the idea of human nature, and of humans as a part of nature.
Collapse
|
16
|
Horstman LI, Riem MME, Alyousefi-van Dijk K, Lotz AM, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Fathers' Involvement in Early Childcare is Associated with Amygdala Resting-State Connectivity. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 17:198-205. [PMID: 34651177 PMCID: PMC8847902 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Becoming a parent requires new skills and frequent task switching during daily childcare. Little is known about the paternal brain during the transition to fatherhood. The present study examined intrinsic neuronal network connectivity in a group of first-time expectant and new fathers (total N = 131) using amygdala seed-based resting-state functional connectivity analysis. Furthermore, we examined the association between paternal involvement (i.e. hours spent in childcare and real-time push notifications on smartphone) and connectivity within the parental brain network in new fathers. There were no significant differences in functional connectivity between expectant and new fathers. However, results show that in new fathers, time spent in childcare was positively related to amygdala connectivity with the supramarginal gyrus, postcentral gyrus and the superior parietal lobule—all regions within the cognition/mentalizing network that have been associated with empathy and social cognition. Our results suggest that fathers’ time investment in childcare is related to connectivity networks in the parental brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa I Horstman
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Madelon M E Riem
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, The Netherlands
| | - Kim Alyousefi-van Dijk
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Anna M Lotz
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Bos PA, Lesemann FHP, Spencer H, Stein DJ, van Honk J, Montoya ER. Preliminary data on increased reactivity towards children in distress after testosterone administration in women: A matter of protection? Biol Psychol 2021; 165:108176. [PMID: 34474128 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Emotional reactivity to others' distress is a vital prerequisite for a caring response. Testosterone, in contrast, is mostly associated with protection of personal dominance and decreased responsiveness to others' needs. However, experimental work also indicates that rising testosterone levels in response to infant distress can potentially facilitate protection. We assessed the impact of testosterone administration on participants' emotional reactivity to infants in distress, measuring their facial responses on the corrugator supercilii forehead muscle ('frowning') and the zygomaticus major ('smiling') as an index of emotional responses towards children. Moreover, we probed whether the effect of testosterone is moderated by participants' self-reported nurturance and protective tendencies. Our preliminary results showed that testosterone not only increased emotional reactivity to empathy eliciting images of children, but that this increase was strongest in participants with strong protective tendencies. Our administration study is the first to link testosterone to infant protection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Bos
- Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Franca H Parianen Lesemann
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Hannah Spencer
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 15780, 1001 NG, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dan J Stein
- SA MRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, J-Block Groote Schuur Hospital Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jack van Honk
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands; SA MRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, J-Block Groote Schuur Hospital Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Estrella R Montoya
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Vullioud P, Mendonça R, Glauser G, Bennett N, Zöttl M, Katlein N, Leal R, Fuerst R, Clutton-Brock T. Increases in glucocorticoids are sufficient but not necessary to increase cooperative burrowing in Damaraland mole-rats. Horm Behav 2021; 135:105034. [PMID: 34320418 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Despite widespread interest in the evolution of cooperative behaviour, the physiological mechanisms shaping their expression remain elusive. We tested the hypothesis that glucocorticoid (GC) hormones affect cooperative behaviour using captive Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis), a cooperatively breeding mammal. Within groups, individuals routinely contribute to public goods that include foraging tunnels, which provide all group members access to the tubers of desert plants they feed on, communal food stores and nests. We found that experimental increases in glucocorticoid concentration (GCc) in non-breeding female helpers led them to be active for longer and to burrow more while active, raising their daily contributions to burrowing, but not food carrying or nest building. However, experimentally induced increases in burrowing did not lead to elevated GCc in helpers of both sexes. These results suggest that heightened GCc may stimulate some cooperative behaviours that are energetically demanding (a characteristic shared by many types of cooperative activities across species) but that the cooperative behaviours affected by GCc can also be regulated by other mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Rute Mendonça
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland; Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Gaëtan Glauser
- Neuchatel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Nigel Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Markus Zöttl
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, EEMiS, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Nathan Katlein
- Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Rita Leal
- Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Romain Fuerst
- Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Tim Clutton-Brock
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Eslinger PJ, Anders S, Ballarini T, Boutros S, Krach S, Mayer AV, Moll J, Newton TL, Schroeter ML, de Oliveira-Souza R, Raber J, Sullivan GB, Swain JE, Lowe L, Zahn R. The neuroscience of social feelings: mechanisms of adaptive social functioning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 128:592-620. [PMID: 34089764 PMCID: PMC8388127 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Social feelings have conceptual and empirical connections with affect and emotion. In this review, we discuss how they relate to cognition, emotion, behavior and well-being. We examine the functional neuroanatomy and neurobiology of social feelings and their role in adaptive social functioning. Existing neuroscience literature is reviewed to identify concepts, methods and challenges that might be addressed by social feelings research. Specific topic areas highlight the influence and modulation of social feelings on interpersonal affiliation, parent-child attachments, moral sentiments, interpersonal stressors, and emotional communication. Brain regions involved in social feelings were confirmed by meta-analysis using the Neurosynth platform for large-scale, automated synthesis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Words that relate specifically to social feelings were identfied as potential research variables. Topical inquiries into social media behaviors, loneliness, trauma, and social sensitivity, especially with recent physical distancing for guarding public and personal health, underscored the increasing importance of social feelings for affective and second person neuroscience research with implications for brain development, physical and mental health, and lifelong adaptive functioning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Eslinger
- Departments of Neurology, Neural & Behavioral Sciences, Pediatrics, and Radiology, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA.
| | - Silke Anders
- Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Tommaso Ballarini
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sydney Boutros
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Sören Krach
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Translational Psychiatry Unit, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Annalina V Mayer
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Translational Psychiatry Unit, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Jorge Moll
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Tamara L Newton
- University of Louisville, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Matthias L Schroeter
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ricardo de Oliveira-Souza
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), BR Hospital Universitario, Universidade do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jacob Raber
- Departments of Behavioral Neuroscience, Neurology, and Radiation Medicine, Division of Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Gavin B Sullivan
- International Psychoanalytic University, Berlin, Germany, Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, UK
| | - James E Swain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Psychology and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | | | - Roland Zahn
- Centre for Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Provenzi L, Lindstedt J, De Coen K, Gasparini L, Peruzzo D, Grumi S, Arrigoni F, Ahlqvist-Björkroth S. The Paternal Brain in Action: A Review of Human Fathers' fMRI Brain Responses to Child-Related Stimuli. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11060816. [PMID: 34202946 PMCID: PMC8233834 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11060816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
As fathers are increasingly involved in childcare, understanding the neurological underpinnings of fathering has become a key research issue in developmental psychobiology research. This systematic review specifically focused on (1) highlighting methodological issues of paternal brain research using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and (2) summarizing findings related to paternal brain responses to auditory and visual infant stimuli. Sixteen papers were included from 157 retrieved records. Sample characteristics (e.g., fathers’ and infant’s age, number of kids, and time spent caregiving), neuroimaging information (e.g., technique, task, stimuli, and processing), and main findings were synthesized by two independent authors. Most of the reviewed works used different stimuli and tasks to test fathers’ responses to child visual and/or auditory stimuli. Pre-processing and first-level analyses were performed with standard pipelines. Greater heterogeneity emerged in second-level analyses. Three main cortical networks (mentalization, embodied simulation, and emotion regulation) and a subcortical network emerged linked with fathers’ responses to infants’ stimuli, but additional areas (e.g., frontal gyrus, posterior cingulate cortex) were also responsive to infants’ visual or auditory stimuli. This review suggests that a distributed and complex brain network may be involved in facilitating fathers’ sensitivity and responses to infant-related stimuli. Nonetheless, specific methodological caveats, the exploratory nature of large parts of the literature to date, and the presence of heterogeneous tasks and measures also demonstrate that systematic improvements in study designs are needed to further advance the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Livio Provenzi
- Child Psychiatry and Neurology Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0382-380287
| | - Johanna Lindstedt
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, 20500 Turku, Finland; (J.L.); (S.A.-B.)
| | - Kris De Coen
- Neonatal Intensive Care Department, University Hospital of Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
| | - Linda Gasparini
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Università di Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
| | - Denis Peruzzo
- Neuroimaging Lab, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy; (D.P.); (F.A.)
| | - Serena Grumi
- Child Psychiatry and Neurology Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
| | - Filippo Arrigoni
- Neuroimaging Lab, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy; (D.P.); (F.A.)
| | - Sari Ahlqvist-Björkroth
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, 20500 Turku, Finland; (J.L.); (S.A.-B.)
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Cerrito P, DeCasien AR. The expression of care: Alloparental care frequency predicts neural control of facial muscles in primates. Evolution 2021; 75:1727-1737. [PMID: 34019303 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The adaptive value of facial expressions has been debated in evolutionary biology ever since Darwin's seminal work. Among mammals, primates, including humans, exhibit the most intricate facial displays. Although previous work has focused on the role of sociality in the evolution of primate facial expressions, this relationship has not been verified in a wide sample of species. Here, we examine the relationship between allomaternal care (paternal or alloparental) and the morphology of three orofacial brainstem nuclei (facial; trigeminal motor; hypoglossal) across primates to test the hypothesis that allomaternal care explains variation in the complexity of facial expressions, proxied by relative facial nucleus size and neuropil fraction. The latter represents the proportion of synaptically dense tissue and may, therefore, correlate with dexterity. We find that alloparental care frequency predicts relative neuropil fraction of the facial nucleus, even after controlling for social system organization, whereas allomaternal care is not associated with the trigeminal motor or hypoglossal nuclei. Overall, this work suggests that alloparenting requires increased facial dexterity to facilitate nonverbal communication between infants and their nonparent caregivers and/or between caregivers. Accordingly, alloparenting and complex facial expressions are likely to have coevolved in primates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paola Cerrito
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, 10003.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, 10024.,Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York, 10010
| | - Alex R DeCasien
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, 10003.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, 10024
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Löwenbrück F, Hess U. Not all "caregivers" are created equal: Liking, caring and facial expression responses to the baby schema as a function of parenthood and testosterone. Biol Psychol 2021; 163:108120. [PMID: 34044066 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The baby schema elicits care from potential caregivers. However, much of the research on the baby schema is based on self-report only. To address this issue, we explored the effects of baby schema and child age on facial expressions (EMG) and eye-blink startle, in addition to self-reported liking and caring for 43 men and 48 women (39 parents). Further, basal testosterone was assessed. All groups responded with liking and caring to high baby schema, but only women also responded with more positive facial expressions. Caring and smiling towards infants compared to first graders depended on parenthood and testosterone levels. Basal testosterone levels were negatively associated with overall responsiveness to children in women and fathers, but positively in non-fathers. Whereas the baby schema overall lead to positive affect and caring, the scope of these responses and the processes underlying them depended on gender, parenthood and hormonal status.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Löwenbrück
- Humboldt University Berlin, Department of Psychology, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Ursula Hess
- Humboldt University Berlin, Department of Psychology, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Gettler LT, Kuo PX, Sarma MS, Trumble BC, Burke Lefever JE, Braungart-Rieker JM. Fathers' oxytocin responses to first holding their newborns: Interactions with testosterone reactivity to predict later parenting behavior and father-infant bonds. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:1384-1398. [PMID: 33860940 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Little is known about human fathers' physiology near infants' births. This may represent a period during which paternal psychobiological axes are sensitive to fathers' new experiences of interacting with their newborns and that can provide insights on how individual differences in fathers' biology relate to post-partum parenting. Drawing on a sample of men in South Bend, IN (U.S.), we report results from a longitudinal study of fathers' oxytocin, cortisol, and testosterone (N = 211) responses to their first holding of their infants on the day of birth and men's reported caregiving and father-infant bonding at 2-4 months post-partum (N = 114). First-time fathers' oxytocin was higher following first holding of their newborns, compared to their pre-holding levels. Contrasting with prior results, fathers' percentage change in oxytocin did not differ based on skin-to-skin or standard holding. Drawing on psychobiological frameworks, we modeled the interactions for oxytocin reactivity with testosterone and cortisol reactivity, respectively, in predicting father-infant outcomes months later. We found significant cross-over interactions for (oxytocin × testosterone) in predicting fathers' later post-partum involvement and bonding. Specifically, we found that fathers whose testosterone declined during holding reported greater post-partum play if their oxytocin increased, compared to fathers who experienced increases in both hormones. We also observed a similar non-significant interaction for (oxytocin × cortisol) in predicting fathers' post-partum play. Fathers whose testosterone declined during holding also reported less involvement in direct caregiving and lower father-infant bonding if their oxytocin decreased but greater direct care and bonding if their testosterone increased and oxytocin decreased. The results inform our understanding of the developmental time course of men's physiological responsiveness to father-infant interaction and its relevance to later fathering behavior and family relationships.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.,Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.,William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN, USA
| | - Patty X Kuo
- Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Mallika S Sarma
- Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Benjamin C Trumble
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | - Julia M Braungart-Rieker
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Shimon-Raz O, Salomon R, Bloch M, Aisenberg Romano G, Yeshurun Y, Ulmer Yaniv A, Zagoory-Sharon O, Feldman R. Mother brain is wired for social moments. eLife 2021; 10:e59436. [PMID: 33764299 PMCID: PMC8026217 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Reorganization of the maternal brain upon childbirth triggers the species-typical maternal social behavior. These brief social moments carry profound effects on the infant's brain and likely have a distinct signature in the maternal brain. Utilizing a double-blind, within-subject oxytocin/placebo administration crossover design, mothers' brain was imaged twice using fMRI while observing three naturalistic maternal-infant contexts in the home ecology; 'unavailable', 'unresponsive', and 'social', when mothers engaged in synchronous peek-a-boo play. The social condition elicited greater neural response across the human caregiving network, including amygdala, VTA, hippocampus, insula, ACC, and temporal cortex. Oxytocin impacted neural response primarily to the social condition and attenuated differences between social and non-social stimuli. Greater temporal consistency emerged in the 'social' condition across the two imaging sessions, particularly in insula, amygdala, and TP. Findings describe how mother's brain varies by caregiving experiences and gives salience to moments of social synchrony that support infant development and brain maturation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ortal Shimon-Raz
- IDC Herzliya, Bar Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
- Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
| | - Roy Salomon
- Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
| | - Miki Bloch
- Department of Psychiatry, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical CenterTel AvivIsrael
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
| | - Gabi Aisenberg Romano
- Department of Psychiatry, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical CenterTel AvivIsrael
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
| | - Yaara Yeshurun
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
| | - Adi Ulmer Yaniv
- IDC Herzliya, Bar Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
- Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
| | | | - Ruth Feldman
- IDC Herzliya, Bar Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Cardenas SI, Stoycos SA, Sellery P, Marshall N, Khoddam H, Kaplan J, Goldenberg D, Saxbe DE. Theory of mind processing in expectant fathers: Associations with prenatal oxytocin and parental attunement. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:1549-1567. [PMID: 33748973 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Social cognition may facilitate fathers' sensitive caregiving behavior. We administered the Why-How Task, an fMRI task that elicits theory of mind processing, to expectant fathers (n = 39) who also visited the laboratory during their partner's pregnancy and provided a plasma sample for oxytocin assay. Three months postpartum, fathers reported their beliefs about parenting. When rating "Why" an action was being performed versus "How" the action was being performed (Why > How contrast), participants showed activation in regions theorized to support theory of mind, including the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and superior temporal sulcus. Fathers' prenatal oxytocin levels predicted greater signal change during the Why > How contrast in the inferior parietal lobule. Both prenatal oxytocin and attunement parenting beliefs were associated with Why > How activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a theory of mind region implicated in emotion regulation. Posterior parahippocampal gyrus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation during the Why > How contrast predicted fathers' attunement parenting beliefs. In conclusion, fathers' neural activation when engaging in a theory of mind task was associated with their prenatal oxytocin levels and their postpartum attunement parenting beliefs. Results suggest biological and cognitive components of fathering may track with the theory of mind processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sofia I Cardenas
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sarah A Stoycos
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Pia Sellery
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Narcis Marshall
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hannah Khoddam
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jonas Kaplan
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Diane Goldenberg
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Darby E Saxbe
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Berman S, Long C. Towards a formulation of the fatherhood constellation: Representing absence. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/14780887.2021.1873473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Berman
- University of the Witwatersrand, Department of Psychology, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Carol Long
- University of the Witwatersrand, Department of Psychology, Johannesburg, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Rilling JK, Richey L, Andari E, Hamann S. The neural correlates of paternal consoling behavior and frustration in response to infant crying. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:1370-1383. [PMID: 33452675 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Human fathers often form strong attachments to their infants that contribute to positive developmental outcomes. However, fathers are also the most common perpetrators of infant abuse, and infant crying is a known trigger. Research on parental brain responses to infant crying have typically employed passive listening paradigms. However, parents usually engage with crying infants. Therefore, we examined the neural responses of 20 new fathers to infant cries both while passively listening, and while actively attempting to console the infant by selecting soothing strategies in a video game format. Compared with passive listening, active responding robustly activated brain regions involved in movement, empathy and approach motivation, and deactivated regions involved in stress and anxiety. Fathers reporting more frustration had less activation in basal forebrain areas and in brain areas involved with emotion regulation (e.g., prefrontal cortex and the supplementary motor area). Successful consolation of infant crying activated regions involved in both action-outcome learning and parental caregiving (anterior and posterior cingulate cortex). Overall, results suggest that active responding to infant cries amplifies activation in many brain areas typically activated during passive listening. Additionally, paternal frustration during active responding may involve a combination of low approach motivation and low engagement of emotion regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James K Rilling
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Lynnet Richey
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elissar Andari
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Stephan Hamann
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Corpuz R, D'Alessandro S, Collom GKS. The postnatal testosterone rebound in first-time fathers and the quality and quantity of paternal care. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:1415-1427. [PMID: 33274434 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In human males, testosterone (T) decreases in the period following the birth of offspring. This decline has been widely interpreted as a facultative neuroendocrine response that facilitates parenting effort. Conversely, research on if (or when) this decline in T would be followed by an eventual recovery and subsequent shift away from parenting effort is lacking. In a U.S. community sample of 225 males transitioning to first-time fatherhood, we measured T at three occasions: third trimester, infant 3 months postnatal, and infant 9-10 months postnatal. Using a piecewise latent growth curve model (GCM), we detected a T rebound from when infants were 3 months old to when infants were 9-10 months old. The slope of this rebound was able to predict paternal care using two distinct measures: (a) an experience sampling method (ESM) that gathered data on paternal time allocation over the course of the study period and (b) independent coders rating fathers for the quality of paternal care during a structured task designed to elicit an infant fear response. As predicted, the more accelerated one's T rebound (slope), the less time fathers invested in their infants across the study period. However, we found a positive relationship between T rebound and quality of paternal care during a challenging activity. Discussion will focus on nuanced reasons that contribute to these findings as well as speculate on the ultimate function of a human paternal T rebound.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Randy Corpuz
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Lotz AM, Verhees MWFT, Horstman LI, Riem MME, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Buisman RSM. Exploring the hormonal and neural correlates of paternal protective behavior to their infants. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:1358-1369. [PMID: 33146413 PMCID: PMC8451880 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Infant protection is an important but largely neglected aspect of parental care. Available theory and research suggest that endocrine levels and neural responses might be biological correlates of protective behavior. However, no research to date examined associations between these neurobiological and behavioral aspects. This study, preregistered on https://osf.io/2acxd, explored the psychobiology of paternal protection in 77 new fathers by combining neural responses to infant-threatening situations, self-reported protective behavior, behavioral observations in a newly developed experimental set-up (Auditory Startling Task), and measurements of testosterone and vasopressin. fMRI analyses validated the role of several brain networks in the processing of infant-threatening situations and indicated replicable findings with the infant-threat paradigm. We found little overlap between observed and reported protective behavior. Robust associations between endocrine levels, neural responses, and paternal protective behavior were absent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Lotz
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Martine W F T Verhees
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lisa I Horstman
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Madelon M E Riem
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Renate S M Buisman
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Diaz-Rojas F, Matsunaga M, Tanaka Y, Kikusui T, Mogi K, Nagasawa M, Asano K, Abe N, Myowa M. Development of the paternal brain in expectant fathers during early pregnancy. Neuroimage 2020; 225:117527. [PMID: 33147508 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The human parenting brain network mediates caregiving behaviors. When exposed to the stimuli of their infants, compared with non-parents, both fathers and mothers exhibit distinct patterns of neural activation. As human males, relative to females, do not undergo robust physiological changes during pregnancy, when and how the paternal brain networks begin to form remains unclear. Thus, using functional MRI, we examined brain activation in response to infant-interaction videos in two groups, childless males and first-time expectant fathers during their partners' early pregnancy before remarkable changes in their partners' appearances commenced. Multivoxel pattern analysis revealed that expectant fathers' left anterior insula and inferior frontal gyrus showed incipient changes in response to parenthood during early pregnancy. Furthermore, these changes were associated with several paternal traits, such as a negative image toward parenting. Such external factors might influence the paternal brain's development during early pregnancy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yukari Tanaka
- Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takefumi Kikusui
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Mogi
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Miho Nagasawa
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kohei Asano
- Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Osaka University of Comprehensive Children Education, Osaka, Japan
| | - Nobuhito Abe
- Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masako Myowa
- Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Kohrt BA, Ottman K, Panter-Brick C, Konner M, Patel V. Why we heal: The evolution of psychological healing and implications for global mental health. Clin Psychol Rev 2020; 82:101920. [PMID: 33126037 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Why do humans heal one another? Evolutionary psychology has advanced our understanding of why humans suffer psychological distress and mental illness. However, to date, the evolutionary origins of what drives humans to alleviate the suffering of others has received limited attention. Therefore, we draw upon evolutionary theory to assess why humans psychologically support one another, focusing on the interpersonal regulation of emotions that shapes how humans heal and console one another when in psychosocial distress. To understand why we engage in psychological healing, we review the evolution of cooperation among social species and the roles of emotional contagion, empathy, and self-regulation. We discuss key aspects of human biocultural evolution that have contributed to healing behaviors: symbolic logic including language, complex social networks, and the long period of childhood that necessitates identifying and responding to others in distress. However, both biological and cultural evolution also have led to social context when empathy and consoling are impeded. Ultimately, by understanding the evolutionary processes shaping why humans psychologically do or do not heal one another, we can improve our current approaches in global mental health and uncover new opportunities to improve the treatment of mental illness across cultures and context around the world.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brandon A Kohrt
- Division of Global Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Katherine Ottman
- Division of Global Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Catherine Panter-Brick
- Jackson Institute of Global Affairs, Yale University, New Haven, and Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, USA
| | - Melvin Konner
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
| | - Vikram Patel
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, and Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Abraham E, Posner J, Wickramaratne PJ, Aw N, van Dijk MT, Cha J, Weissman MM, Talati A. Concordance in parent and offspring cortico-basal ganglia white matter connectivity varies by parental history of major depressive disorder and early parental care. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2020; 15:889-903. [PMID: 33031555 PMCID: PMC7543940 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Social behavior is transmitted cross-generationally through coordinated behavior within attachment bonds. Parental depression and poor parental care are major risks for disruptions of such coordination and are associated with offspring's psychopathology and interpersonal dysfunction. Given the key role of the cortico-basal ganglia (CBG) circuits in social communication, we examined similarities (concordance) of parent-offspring CBG white matter (WM) connections and how parental history of major depressive disorder (MDD) and early parental care moderate these similarities. We imaged 44 parent-offspring dyads and investigated WM connections between basal-ganglia seeds and selected regions in temporal cortex using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography. We found significant concordance in parent-offspring strength of CBG WM connections, moderated by parental lifetime-MDD and care. The results showed diminished neural concordance among dyads with a depressed parent and that better parental care predicted greater concordance, which also provided a protective buffer against attenuated concordance among dyads with a depressed parent. Our findings provide the first neurobiological evidence of concordance between parents-offspring in WM tracts and that concordance is diminished in families where parents have lifetime-MDD. This disruption may be a risk factor for intergenerational transmission of psychopathology. Findings emphasize the long-term role of early caregiving in shaping the neural concordance among at-risk and affected dyads.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eyal Abraham
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Divisions of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan Posner
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Child Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Priya J Wickramaratne
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Divisions of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Natalie Aw
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Child Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Milenna T van Dijk
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Divisions of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jiook Cha
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Child Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Myrna M Weissman
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Divisions of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Departments of Epidemiology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ardesheer Talati
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Divisions of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Brown GL, Kogan SM, Cho J. Pathways linking childhood trauma to rural, unmarried, African American father involvement through oxytocin receptor gene methylation. Dev Psychol 2020; 56:1496-1508. [PMID: 32790448 DOI: 10.1037/dev0000929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Father involvement contributes uniquely to children's developmental outcomes. The antecedents of father involvement among unmarried, African American fathers from rural areas, however, have been largely overlooked. The present study tested a conceptual model linking retrospective reports of childhood trauma and early adulthood social instability to father involvement among unmarried, African American men living in resource-poor, rural communities in the southeastern United States. We hypothesized these factors would influence father involvement indirectly, via DNA methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR). A sample of 192 fathers participated in 3 waves of data collection in early adulthood. Fathers reported on social instability at Wave 1; OXTR methylation was assessed via saliva samples at Wave 2; and measures of father involvement, retrospective childhood trauma, and quality of the fathers' relationships with their children's mothers were collected at Wave 3. Structural equation modeling indicated that childhood trauma was related directly to reduced levels of father involvement and to increased social instability. Social instability was associated with elevated levels of OXTR methylation, which in turn predicted decreased father involvement. The indirect effect from social instability to father involvement via OXTR methylation was significant. These associations did not operate through fathers' relationship with the child's mother and remained significant even accounting for associations between interparental relationship quality and father involvement. Findings suggest that OXTR methylation might be a biological mechanism linking social instability to father involvement among unmarried, African American fathers in vulnerable contexts and underscore the detrimental influence of childhood trauma on father involvement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
|
34
|
Attractiveness and neural processing of infant faces: effects of a facial abnormality but not dopamine. Physiol Behav 2020; 222:112937. [PMID: 32433919 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Adults' caregiving responses toward infants may have important origins in the perception and processing of infant cues as well as the motivation to attend to these cues. Moreover, some biological processes, such as dopaminergic neurotransmission, may be crucially involved. Although infant stimuli are generally experienced as cute and rewarding, infants with a visible disability may be regarded much less favorably than others, perhaps dependent on differences in perception, motivation, and neural processing. The current study investigated effects of administered dopamine on the perceived attractiveness and neurophysiological indices of attention and processing (i.e., the P1, P2, and N170 components of the event-related potential) of infant faces with and without a cleft lip. No evidence for effects of dopamine was found, but we replicated the finding that the decreased attractiveness of infants with a cleft lip was mediated by decreased configural face processing (smaller N170 amplitudes), but not more general attentional and/or executive processing (P2). The current findings show once again the unfavorable consequences of a cleft lip, but also highlight the importance of combining and relating measures across various levels of analysis and underscore the importance of replication.
Collapse
|
35
|
Abstract
Killing of unrelated young by sexually naïve male mammals is taxonomically widespread, but in many species, males subsequently show paternal care or at least do not harm their own young. This dramatic and important change is due to a shift in paternal state rather than to recognition of young, the mother or the location in which mating occurred. This transition from infanticidal to paternal behaviour is timed so that the inhibition of infanticide is synchronized with the birth of their own young. Ejaculation followed by cohabitation with the pregnant female causes this transition, but the precise stimuli from the female remain elusive. However, changes in social status also cause changes in infanticide. The switch from infanticide is accompanied by physiological change in the male that can be detected by both females and pups. Hormonal changes have been implicated in the switch but establishing causal links has been difficult. Recent neuroanatomical studies show that pup odours activate the vomeronasal organ and its efferent projections to induce infanticide. The emergence of paternal care depends on the inability of the vomeronasal organ to detect pup odours. In the absence of vomeronasal input, pup odours activate a conserved parental circuit and induce caregiving behaviour. An emerging picture is of complex, antagonistic circuits competing for behavioural expression, which allow for males to commit infanticide when they may benefit from such activity but ensure that they do not damage their fitness by killing their own young. However, we stress the need for more work on the neural mechanisms that mediate this process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert W. Elwood
- Queen’s University Belfast, School of Biological Sciences, Belfast, U.K
| | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Paternal care in rodents: Ultimate causation and proximate mechanisms. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF THERIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.15298/rusjtheriol.19.1.01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
37
|
Fischer EK, O'Connell LA. Hormonal and neural correlates of care in active versus observing poison frog parents. Horm Behav 2020; 120:104696. [PMID: 31987899 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The occasional reversal of sex-typical behavior suggests that many of the neural circuits underlying behavior are conserved between males and females and can be activated in response to the appropriate social condition or stimulus. Most poison frog species (Family Dendrobatidae) exhibit male uniparental care, but flexible compensation has been observed in some species, where females will take over parental care duties when males disappear. We investigated hormonal and neural correlates of sex-typical and sex-reversed parental care in a typically male uniparental species, the Dyeing Poison Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius). We first characterized hormone levels and whole brain gene expression across parental care stages during sex-typical care. Surprisingly, hormonal changes and brain gene expression differences associated with active parental behavior in males were mirrored in their non-caregiving female partners. To further explore the disconnect between neuroendocrine patterns and behavior, we characterized hormone levels and neural activity patterns in females performing sex-reversed parental care. In contrast to hormone and gene expression patterns, we found that patterns of neural activity were linked to the active performance of parental behavior, with sex-reversed tadpole transporting females exhibiting neural activity patterns more similar to those of transporting males than non-caregiving females. We suggest that parallels in hormones and brain gene expression in active and observing parents are related to females' ability to flexibly take over parental care in the absence of their male partners.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eva K Fischer
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Lauren A O'Connell
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Richey L, Li T, Rilling JK. Perception of male and female infant cry aversiveness by adult men. J Reprod Infant Psychol 2020; 40:76-90. [PMID: 32115986 DOI: 10.1080/02646838.2020.1732896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Objective: The study aimed to determine why male infants are abused more frequently than female infants.Background: Infant crying is a well-known trigger for Shaken Baby Syndrome or Abusive Head Trauma (SBS/AHT). For unknown reasons, male infants are more often victims of SBS/AHT than female infants. We hypothesised that this sex difference in victimisation was attributable to either acoustic or movement differences between male and female infants when crying, or to gender stereotypes about infant crying (e.g. 'boys don't cry').Methods: Adult male participants rated auditory and video cry stimuli from male and female infants for aversiveness. Each infant was rated while wearing both blue and pink clothing to denote male or female gender.Results: In two experiments, male infants spent more time producing expiratory phonations than did female infants, and this variable was positively correlated with aversiveness ratings. Including visual stimuli increased male but not female infant cry aversiveness compared with audio stimuli alone. Finally, dressing infants in blue did not increase cry aversiveness.Conclusions: These findings suggest that both the tendency of male infants to produce more expiratory phonations when crying, as well as their visual appearance when crying, may contribute to their increased vulnerability to abuse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lynnet Richey
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ting Li
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - James K Rilling
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Shilton D, Breski M, Dor D, Jablonka E. Human Social Evolution: Self-Domestication or Self-Control? Front Psychol 2020; 11:134. [PMID: 32116937 PMCID: PMC7033472 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The self-domestication hypothesis suggests that, like mammalian domesticates, humans have gone through a process of selection against aggression - a process that in the case of humans was self-induced. Here, we extend previous proposals and suggest that what underlies human social evolution is selection for socially mediated emotional control and plasticity. In the first part of the paper we highlight general features of human social evolution, which, we argue, is more similar to that of other social mammals than to that of mammalian domesticates and is therefore incompatible with the notion of human self-domestication. In the second part, we discuss the unique aspects of human evolution and propose that emotional control and social motivation in humans evolved during two major, partially overlapping stages. The first stage, which followed the emergence of mimetic communication, the beginnings of musical engagement, and mimesis-related cognition, required socially mediated emotional plasticity and was accompanied by new social emotions. The second stage followed the emergence of language, when individuals began to instruct the imagination of their interlocutors, and to rely even more extensively on emotional plasticity and culturally learned emotional control. This account further illustrates the significant differences between humans and domesticates, thus challenging the notion of human self-domestication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dor Shilton
- The Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Mati Breski
- The Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Daniel Dor
- The Department of Communication, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Eva Jablonka
- The Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science (CPNSS), London School of Economics, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Lotz AM, Rijlaarsdam J, Witteman J, Meijer W, van Dijk K, van Ijzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Vasopressin and parental expressed emotion in the transition to fatherhood. Attach Hum Dev 2020; 23:257-273. [PMID: 31997704 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2020.1719427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In the last decades, parenting researchers increasingly focused on the role of fathers in child development. However, it is still largely unknown which factors contribute to fathers' beliefs about their child, which may be crucial in the transition to fatherhood. In the current randomized within-subject experiment, the effect of nasal administration of vasopressin (AVP) on both Five Minute Speech Sample-based (FMSS) expressed emotion and emotional content or prosody was explored in 25 prospectivefathers. Moreover, we explored how the transition to fatherhood affected these FMSS-based parameters, using prenatal and early postnatal measurements. Analyses revealed that FMSS-based expressed emotion and emotional content were correlated, but not affected by prenatal AVP administration. However,child's birth was associated with an increase in positivity and a decrease in emotional prosody, suggesting that the child's birth is more influential with regard to paternal thoughts and feelings than prenatal AVP administration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Lotz
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jolien Rijlaarsdam
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jurriaan Witteman
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Willemijn Meijer
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Kim van Dijk
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van Ijzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
van ‘t Veer AE, Thijssen S, Witteman J, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Exploring the neural basis for paternal protection: an investigation of the neural response to infants in danger. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2020; 14:447-457. [PMID: 30847472 PMCID: PMC6523437 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsz018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Perceiving potential threat to an infant and responding to it is crucial for offspring survival and parent–child bonding. Using a combination of functional magnetic resonance imaging and multi-informant reports, this longitudinal study explores the neural basis for paternal responses to threat to infants pre-natally (N = 21) and early post-natally (n = 17). Participants viewed videos showing an infant in danger and matched control videos, while instructed to imagine that the infant was their own or someone else’s. Effects were found for infant-threatening vs neutral situations in the amygdala (region-of-interest analyses) and in clusters spanning cortical and subcortical areas (whole-brain analyses). An interaction effect revealed increased activation for own (vs unknown) infants in threatening (vs neutral) situations in bilateral motor areas, possibly indicating preparation for action. Post-natal activation patterns were similar; however, in part of the superior frontal gyrus the distinction between threat to own and unknown infant faded. Fathers showing more protective behavior in daily life recruited part of the frontal pole more when confronted with threat to their own vs an unknown infant. This exploratory study is the first to describe neural mechanisms involved in paternal protection and provides a basis for future work on fathers’ protective parenting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna E van ‘t Veer
- Methodology and Statistics Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Correspondence should be addressed to Anna van ‘t Veer, Methodology and Statistics Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, Box 9555, 2300 RB, Leiden, the Netherlands. E-mail:
| | - Sandra Thijssen
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jurriaan Witteman
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Abstract
In recent decades, human sociocultural changes have increased the numbers of fathers that are involved in direct caregiving in Western societies. This trend has led to a resurgence of interest in understanding the mechanisms and effects of paternal care. Across the animal kingdom, paternal caregiving has been found to be a highly malleable phenomenon, presenting with great variability among and within species. The emergence of paternal behaviour in a male animal has been shown to be accompanied by substantial neural plasticity and to be shaped by previous and current caregiving experiences, maternal and infant stimuli and ecological conditions. Recent research has allowed us to gain a better understanding of the neural basis of mammalian paternal care, the genomic and circuit-level mechanisms underlying paternal behaviour and the ways in which the subcortical structures that support maternal caregiving have evolved into a global network of parental care. In addition, the behavioural, neural and molecular consequences of paternal caregiving for offspring are becoming increasingly apparent. Future cross-species research on the effects of absence of the father and the transmission of paternal influences across generations may allow research on the neuroscience of fatherhood to impact society at large in a number of important ways.
Collapse
|
43
|
Van Puyvelde M, Collette L, Gorissen AS, Pattyn N, McGlone F. Infants Autonomic Cardio- Respiratory Responses to Nurturing Stroking Touch Delivered by the Mother or the Father. Front Physiol 2019; 10:1117. [PMID: 31555148 PMCID: PMC6724449 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.01117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The building of physiological self-regulation during bonding is a crucial developmental process based on early cardio-respiratory maturation. The mother’s role as a facilitator of this physiological maturation has been evidenced and recognized in many respects. Research in fathers, however, remains sparse which may be due to the belief that bonding is a physiological behavior reserved for a mother’s maternal instinct. In the current study we compared the impact of paternal and maternal nurturing stroking touch on infants’ physiological self-regulation in terms of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). We compared the impact of a 3-min stroking period (STROKING) with a pre-baseline (PRE-STROKING) and post-baseline (POST-STROKING) of 25 mothers and 25 fathers (unrelated to one another) on their infants, aged 4–16 weeks. We registered infant electrocardiogram (ECG) and respiration to calculate infant RR-interval (RRI), respiration rate (fR) and (respiratory corrected) RSA (RSAcorr). Based on video-recordings, we analyzed the stroking speed. Infants’ RSAcorr significantly increased during and after stroking, no matter whether touch was delivered by fathers or mothers. This effect was mediated by both heart rate (HR) and respiration. However, respiratory mediation occurred later when delivered by fathers than by mothers. Both mothers’ and fathers’ stroking speed occurred within the optimal stimulation range of c-tactile (CT) afferents, a particular class of cutaneous unmyelinated, low-threshold mechano-sensitive nerves hypothesized to be involved in inter-personal bonding. The discussion builds on the idea to mitigate fathers’ doubts about their paternal capabilities and proposes a research agenda regarding the further examination of the role of nurturing touch and its underlying mechanisms within the development of infants’ physiological self-regulation. Finally, the importance of respiratory measurements in infant physiological research is emphasized.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martine Van Puyvelde
- VIPER Research Unit, LIFE Department, Royal Military Academy, Brussels, Belgium.,Experimental and Applied Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,Clinical and Lifespan Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laetitia Collette
- Experimental and Applied Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - An-Sofie Gorissen
- Experimental and Applied Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,Cancer in Pregnancy, Department of Gynaecological Oncology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Pattyn
- VIPER Research Unit, LIFE Department, Royal Military Academy, Brussels, Belgium.,Experimental and Applied Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,MFYS-BLITS, Human Physiology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Francis McGlone
- Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Faculty of Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Rogers FD, Bales KL. Mothers, Fathers, and Others: Neural Substrates of Parental Care. Trends Neurosci 2019; 42:552-562. [PMID: 31255381 PMCID: PMC6660995 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2019.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Parental care is essential for the survival of offspring in altricial mammalian species. However, in most mammals, virgin females tend to avoid or attack infants. Moreover, most males demonstrate avoidance and aggression toward infants, and have little to no involvement in parental care. What mechanisms suppress avoidance, and support approach towards pups, to promote maternal care? In biparental and cooperatively breeding species, what mechanisms allow nonmothers (i.e., fathers and alloparents) to demonstrate parental care? In this review we consider the mechanisms that subserve parental care in mothers, fathers, and others (i.e., alloparents). We emphasize recent discoveries and research trends with particular emphasis on neuroendocrinology, neuroplasticity, transcriptomics, and epigenetics. Finally, we consider outstanding questions and outline opportunities for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Forrest Dylan Rogers
- Graduate Program in Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Karen Lisa Bales
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Fischer EK, Roland AB, Moskowitz NA, Tapia EE, Summers K, Coloma LA, O'Connell LA. The neural basis of tadpole transport in poison frogs. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191084. [PMID: 31311480 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental care has evolved repeatedly and independently across animals. While the ecological and evolutionary significance of parental behaviour is well recognized, underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We took advantage of behavioural diversity across closely related species of South American poison frogs (Family Dendrobatidae) to identify neural correlates of parental behaviour shared across sexes and species. We characterized differences in neural induction, gene expression in active neurons and activity of specific neuronal types in three species with distinct care patterns: male uniparental, female uniparental and biparental. We identified the medial pallium and preoptic area as core brain regions associated with parental care, independent of sex and species. The identification of neurons active during parental care confirms a role for neuropeptides associated with care in other vertebrates as well as identifying novel candidates. Our work is the first to explore neural and molecular mechanisms of parental care in amphibians and highlights the potential for mechanistic studies in closely related but behaviourally variable species to help build a more complete understanding of how shared principles and species-specific diversity govern parental care and other social behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eva K Fischer
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, 371 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Nora A Moskowitz
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, 371 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Elicio E Tapia
- Centro Jambatu de Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios, Fundación Otonga, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Kyle Summers
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Luis A Coloma
- Centro Jambatu de Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios, Fundación Otonga, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Lauren A O'Connell
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, 371 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Fischer EK, Nowicki JP, O'Connell LA. Evolution of affiliation: patterns of convergence from genomes to behaviour. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180242. [PMID: 31154971 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Affiliative behaviours have evolved many times across animals. Research on the mechanisms underlying affiliative behaviour demonstrates remarkable convergence across species spanning wide evolutionary distances. Shared mechanisms have been identified with genomic approaches analysing genetic variants and gene expression differences as well as neuroendocrine and molecular approaches exploring the role of hormones and signalling molecules. We review the genomic and neural basis of pair bonding and parental care across diverse taxa to shed light on mechanistic patterns that underpin the convergent evolution of affiliative behaviour. We emphasize that mechanisms underlying convergence in complex phenotypes like affiliation should be evaluated on a continuum, where signatures of convergence may vary across levels of biological organization. In particular, additional comparative studies within and across major vertebrate lineages will be essential in resolving when and why shared neural substrates are repeatedly targeted in the independent evolution of affiliation, and how similar mechanisms are evolutionarily tuned to give rise to species-specific variations in behaviour. This article is part of the theme issue 'Convergent evolution in the genomics era: new insights and directions'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eva K Fischer
- Department of Biology, Stanford University , Stanford, CA 95305 , USA
| | - Jessica P Nowicki
- Department of Biology, Stanford University , Stanford, CA 95305 , USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Alyousefi-van Dijk K, van 't Veer AE, Meijer WM, Lotz AM, Rijlaarsdam J, Witteman J, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Vasopressin Differentially Affects Handgrip Force of Expectant Fathers in Reaction to Own and Unknown Infant Faces. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:105. [PMID: 31164810 PMCID: PMC6536625 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The underlying mechanisms of paternal responses to infant signals are poorly understood. Vasopressin has previously been proposed to affect these responses. Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject design (N = 25 expectant fathers), we examined the effect of vasopressin administration on the use of excessive handgrip force during exposure to infant crying versus matched control sounds, while participants saw morphed images representing their own infant versus an unknown infant. We found that, compared to placebo, AVP administration elicited more excessive force while viewing an unknown infant image compared to viewing the image representing one’s own infant, while the reverse was true under placebo. The results are discussed in light of vasopressin’s role in parenting and parental protection among human fathers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kim Alyousefi-van Dijk
- Clinical Child and Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Anna E van 't Veer
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Methodology and Statistics Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Willemijn M Meijer
- Clinical Child and Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Anna M Lotz
- Clinical Child and Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Jolien Rijlaarsdam
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jurriaan Witteman
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child and Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
van den Berg LJM, Tollenaar MS, Compier-de Block LHCG, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Elzinga BM. An intergenerational family study on the impact of experienced and perpetrated child maltreatment on neural face processing. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 103:266-275. [PMID: 30754001 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Altered processing of emotional faces due to childhood maltreatment has repeatedly been reported, and may be a key process underlying the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment. The current study is the first to examine the role of neural reactivity to emotional and neutral faces in the transmission of maltreatment, using a multi-generational family design including 171 participants of 51 families of two generations with a large age range (8-69 years). The impact of experienced and perpetrated maltreatment (abuse and neglect) on face processing was examined in association with activation in the amygdala, hippocampus, inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and insula in response to angry, fearful, happy and neutral faces. Results showed enhanced bilateral amygdala activation in response to fearful faces in older neglected individuals, whereas reduced amygdala activation was found in response to these faces in younger neglected individuals. Furthermore, while experienced abuse was associated with lower IFG activation in younger individuals, experience of neglect was associated with higher IFG activation in this age group, pointing to potentially differential effects of abuse and neglect and significant age effects. Perpetrated abusive and neglectful behavior were not related to neural activation in any of these regions. Hence, no indications for a role of neural reactivity to emotional faces in the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment were found.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa J M van den Berg
- Clinical Psychology Unit, Leiden University, PO Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Marieke S Tollenaar
- Clinical Psychology Unit, Leiden University, PO Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Bernet M Elzinga
- Clinical Psychology Unit, Leiden University, PO Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Glasper ER, Kenkel WM, Bick J, Rilling JK. More than just mothers: The neurobiological and neuroendocrine underpinnings of allomaternal caregiving. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 53:100741. [PMID: 30822428 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
In a minority of mammalian species, mothers depend on others to help raise their offspring. New research is investigating the neuroendocrine mechanisms supporting this allomaternal behavior. Several hormones have been implicated in allomaternal caregiving; however, the role of specific hormones is variable across species, perhaps because allomothering independently evolved multiple times. Brain regions involved in maternal behavior in non-human animals, such as the medial preoptic area, are also critically involved in allomaternal behavior. Allomaternal experience modulates hormonal systems, neural plasticity, and behavioral reactivity. In humans, fatherhood-induced decreases in testosterone and increases in oxytocin may support sensitive caregiving. Fathers and mothers activate similar neural systems when exposed to child stimuli, and this can be considered a global "parental caregiving" network. Finally, early work on caregiving by non-kin (e.g., foster parents) suggests reliance on similar mechanisms as biologically-related parents. This article is part of the 'Parental Brain and Behavior' Special Issue.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E R Glasper
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, 4094 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| | - W M Kenkel
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, 150 S. Woodlawn Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - J Bick
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, 4849 Calhoun Road, Houston, TX 77204, USA; Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics, University of Houston, 4849 Calhoun Rd, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - J K Rilling
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, 207 Anthropology Building, 1557 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, 101 Woodruff Circle, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Emory University, PO Box 3966, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA; Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, 201 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Abraham E, Feldman R. The neurobiology of human allomaternal care; implications for fathering, coparenting, and children's social development. Physiol Behav 2018; 193:25-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.12.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 12/16/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
|