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Li M. Is melanin-concentrating hormone in the medial preoptic area a signal for the decline of maternal care in late postpartum? Front Neuroendocrinol 2024; 75:101155. [PMID: 39222798 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2024.101155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2024] [Revised: 08/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
This manuscript proposes that melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) is an neurochemical signal evolved to trigger the declining process of maternal care. MCH in the MPOA appears only after parturition and is progressively increased with the progression of lactation, while maternal behavior declines progressively. Intra-MPOA injection of MCH decreases active maternal responses. MCH is also highly responsive to infant characteristics and maternal condition. Behavioral changes induced by MCH in late postpartum period are conducive to the decline of infant-directed maternal behavior. The MPOA MCH system may mediate the maternal behavior decline by suppressing the maternal approach motivation and/or increasing maternal withdrawal via its inhibitory action onto the mesolimbic dopamine D1/D2 receptors and its stimulating action on serotonin 5-HT2C receptors in the ventral tegmental area. Research into the MCH maternal effects will enhance our understanding of the neurochemical mechanisms underlying the maternal behavior decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Li
- Department of Psychology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
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2
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Lonstein JS, Meinhardt TA, Pavlidi P, Kokras N, Dalla C, Charlier TD, Pawluski JL. Maternal probiotic Lactocaseibacillus rhamnosus HN001 treatment alters postpartum anxiety, cortical monoamines, and the gut microbiome. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 165:107033. [PMID: 38569396 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Peripartum mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) affect 15-20% of peripartum women and are well known to disrupt infant caregiving. A recent study in humans reported that anxiety and depressive symptoms were alleviated by peripartum treatment with the probiotic, Lactocaseibacillus rhamnosus HN001. The current study determined the effects of chronic Lactocaseibacillus rhamnosus HN001 (HN001) treatment on postpartum affective and caregiving behaviors in a laboratory rodent model. Female rats were given probiotic overnight in their drinking water, or untreated water, from the first day of pregnancy through postpartum day 10. To determine whether the HN001 effects were influenced by a background of stress, half the females underwent chronic variable pregnancy stress and the other half remained undisturbed. The results revealed that, even without pregnancy stress, HN001 reduced postpartum anxiety-related behavior, increased variability in behavioral fragmentation when dams interacted with pups, increased time away from pups, and decreased prefrontal cortex norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT). Probiotic plus stress consistently reduced the latency to float in the forced swim test, increased DA and 5-HT turnovers in the prefrontal cortex, increased hippocampal NE, and reduced hypothalamic DA. Fecal microbe alpha and beta diversities were lower postpartum than prepartum, which was prevented by the probiotic treatment and/or stress. Across the entire sample lower postpartum anxiety behavior was associated with lower fecal Bacteroides dorei. This study reveals novel information about how L. rhamnosus HN001 influences postpartum behavior and microbiota-gut-brain physiology in female laboratory rats, with implications for probiotic supplement use by pregnant and postpartum women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph S Lonstein
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Taryn A Meinhardt
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Pavlina Pavlidi
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Athens, Goudi 11527, Greece
| | - Nikos Kokras
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Athens, Goudi 11527, Greece; First Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
| | - Christina Dalla
- First Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
| | - Thierry D Charlier
- Universite de Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), Rennes F-35000, France
| | - Jodi L Pawluski
- Universite de Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), Rennes F-35000, France
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3
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Mykins M, Bridges B, Jo A, Krishnan K. Multidimensional Analysis of a Social Behavior Identifies Regression and Phenotypic Heterogeneity in a Female Mouse Model for Rett Syndrome. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1078232023. [PMID: 38199865 PMCID: PMC10957218 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1078-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Regression is a key feature of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, Fragile X syndrome, and Rett syndrome (RTT). RTT is caused by mutations in the X-linked gene methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2). It is characterized by an early period of typical development with subsequent regression of previously acquired motor and speech skills in girls. The syndromic phenotypes are individualistic and dynamic over time. Thus far, it has been difficult to capture these dynamics and syndromic heterogeneity in the preclinical Mecp2-heterozygous female mouse model (Het). The emergence of computational neuroethology tools allows for robust analysis of complex and dynamic behaviors to model endophenotypes in preclinical models. Toward this first step, we utilized DeepLabCut, a marker-less pose estimation software to quantify trajectory kinematics and multidimensional analysis to characterize behavioral heterogeneity in Het in the previously benchmarked, ethologically relevant social cognition task of pup retrieval. We report the identification of two distinct phenotypes of adult Het: Het that display a delay in efficiency in early days and then improve over days like wild-type mice and Het that regress and perform worse in later days. Furthermore, regression is dependent on age and behavioral context and can be detected in the initial days of retrieval. Together, the novel identification of two populations of Het suggests differential effects on neural circuitry, opens new avenues to investigate the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms of heterogeneity, and designs better studies for stratifying therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Mykins
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
| | - Benjamin Bridges
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
| | - Angela Jo
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
| | - Keerthi Krishnan
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
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4
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Lapp HE, Salazar MG, Champagne FA. Automated maternal behavior during early life in rodents (AMBER) pipeline. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18277. [PMID: 37880307 PMCID: PMC10600172 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45495-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Mother-infant interactions during the early postnatal period are critical for infant survival and the scaffolding of infant development. Rodent models are used extensively to understand how these early social experiences influence neurobiology across the lifespan. However, methods for measuring postnatal dam-pup interactions typically involve time-consuming manual scoring, vary widely between research groups, and produce low density data that limits downstream analytical applications. To address these methodological issues, we developed the Automated Maternal Behavior during Early life in Rodents (AMBER) pipeline for quantifying home-cage maternal and mother-pup interactions using open-source machine learning tools. DeepLabCut was used to track key points on rat dams (32 points) and individual pups (9 points per pup) in postnatal day 1-10 video recordings. Pose estimation models reached key point test errors of approximately 4.1-10 mm (14.39 pixels) and 3.44-7.87 mm (11.81 pixels) depending on depth of animal in the frame averaged across all key points for dam and pups respectively. Pose estimation data and human-annotated behavior labels from 38 videos were used with Simple Behavioral Analysis (SimBA) to generate behavior classifiers for dam active nursing, passive nursing, nest attendance, licking and grooming, self-directed grooming, eating, and drinking using random forest algorithms. All classifiers had excellent performance on test frames, with F1 scores above 0.886. Performance on hold-out videos remained high for nest attendance (F1 = 0.990), active nursing (F1 = 0.828), and licking and grooming (F1 = 0.766) but was lower for eating, drinking, and self-directed grooming (F1 = 0.534-0.554). A set of 242 videos was used with AMBER and produced behavior measures in the expected range from postnatal 1-10 home-cage videos. This pipeline is a major advancement in assessing home-cage dam-pup interactions in a way that reduces experimenter burden while increasing reproducibility, reliability, and detail of data for use in developmental studies without the need for special housing systems or proprietary software.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E Lapp
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, 108 E. Dean Keaton St, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
| | - Melissa G Salazar
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, 108 E. Dean Keaton St, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Frances A Champagne
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, 108 E. Dean Keaton St, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
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5
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Bouguiyoud N, Xie WB, Bronchti G, Frasnelli J, Al Aïn S. Enhanced maternal behaviors in a mouse model of congenital blindness. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22406. [PMID: 37607896 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, mothering is one of the most important prosocial female behavior to promote survival, proper sensorimotor, and emotional development of the offspring. Different intrinsic and extrinsic factors can initiate and maintain these behaviors, such as hormonal, cerebral, and sensory changes. Infant cues also stimulate multisensory systems and orchestrate complex maternal responsiveness. To understand the maternal behavior driven by complex sensory interactions, it is necessary to comprehend the individual sensory systems by taking out other senses. An excellent model for investigating sensory regulation of maternal behavior is a murine model of congenital blindness, the ZRDBA mice, where both an anophthalmic and sighted mice are generated from the same litter. Therefore, this study aims to assess whether visual inputs are essential to driving maternal behaviors in mice. Maternal behaviors were assessed using three behavioral tests, including the pup retrieval test, the home cage maternal behavior test, and the maternal aggression test. Our results show that blind mothers (1) took less time to retrieve their offspring inside the nest, (2) spent more time nursing and licking their offspring in the second- and third-week postpartum, and (3) exhibited faster aggressive behaviors when exposed to an intruder male, compared to the sighted counterparts. This study provides evidence that congenitally blind mothers show more motivation to retrieve the pups, care, and protection towards their pups than sighted ones, likely due to a phenomenon of sensory compensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nouhaila Bouguiyoud
- Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
- CogNAC Research Group, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
| | - Wen Bin Xie
- Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gilles Bronchti
- Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
| | - Johannes Frasnelli
- Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
- CogNAC Research Group, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
| | - Syrina Al Aïn
- Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
- CogNAC Research Group, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
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6
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Mykins M, Layo-Carris D, Dunn LR, Skinner DW, McBryar AH, Perez S, Shultz TR, Willems A, Lau BYB, Hong T, Krishnan K. Wild-type MECP2 expression coincides with age-dependent sensory phenotypes in a female mouse model for Rett syndrome. J Neurosci Res 2023; 101:1236-1258. [PMID: 37026482 PMCID: PMC10332853 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Rett syndrome is characterized by an early period of typical development and then, regression of learned motor and speech skills in girls. Loss of MECP2 protein is thought to cause Rett syndrome phenotypes. The specific underlying mechanisms from typical developmental trajectory to regression features throughout life are unclear. Lack of established timelines to study the molecular, cellular, and behavioral features of regression in female mouse models is a major contributing factor. Due to random X-chromosome inactivation, female patients with Rett syndrome and female mouse models for Rett syndrome (Mecp2Heterozygous , Het) express a functional copy of wild-type MECP2 protein in approximately half of all cells. As MECP2 expression is regulated during early postnatal development and experience, we characterized the expression of wild-type MECP2 in the primary somatosensory cortex of female Het mice. Here, we report increased MECP2 levels in non-parvalbumin-positive neurons of 6-week-old adolescent Het relative to age-matched wild-type controls, while also displaying typical levels of perineuronal net expression in the barrel field subregion of the primary somatosensory cortex, mild tactile sensory perception deficits, and efficient pup retrieval behavior. In contrast, 12-week-old adult Het express MECP2 at levels similar to age-matched wild-type mice, show increased perineuronal net expression in the cortex, and display significant tactile sensory perception deficits. Thus, we have identified a set of behavioral metrics and the cellular substrates to study regression during a specific time in the female Het mouse model, which coincides with changes in wild-type MECP2 expression. We speculate that the precocious increase in MECP2 expression within specific cell types of adolescent Het may provide compensatory benefits at the behavioral level, while the inability to further increase MECP2 levels leads to regressive behavioral phenotypes over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Mykins
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Dana Layo-Carris
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Logan Reid Dunn
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - David Wilson Skinner
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Alexandra Hart McBryar
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Sarah Perez
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Trinity Rose Shultz
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Andrew Willems
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Billy You Bun Lau
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Tian Hong
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Keerthi Krishnan
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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7
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Collarini E, Capponcelli L, Pierdomenico A, Norscia I, Cordoni G. Sows' Responses to Piglets in Distress: An Experimental Investigation in a Natural Setting. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2261. [PMID: 37508041 PMCID: PMC10376744 DOI: 10.3390/ani13142261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) possess complex socio-cognitive skills, and sows show high inter-individual variability in maternal behaviour. To evaluate how females-reared under natural conditions-react to the isolation calls of their own piglets or those of other females, we conducted observations and experimental trials. In January-February 2021, we conducted all-occurrences sampling on affiliation, aggression, and lactation (daily, 7:30-16:30 h) on six lactating and four non-lactating females at the ethical farm Parva Domus (Turin, Italy). The trials (30 s each, n = 37/sow) consisted of briefly catching and restraining a piglet. We recorded the sow response (none/reactive/proactive movement towards the piglet; self-directed anxiety behaviours such as body shaking) before and during the trial and under control conditions. Increased levels of anxiety behaviour in sows were accompanied by an increased frequency of responses. Less aggressive sows and lactating sows showed the highest frequencies of response. Finally, the isolation calls' maximum intensity had an influence on the type of response observed, with higher proactive response frequencies following lower intensity isolation calls. Our results suggest that being under lactation could play a key role in increasing sow response levels and that specific acoustic features may influence the response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Collarini
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino (DBIOS), Via Accademia Albertina 13, 20123 Torino, Italy
| | - Luca Capponcelli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino (DBIOS), Via Accademia Albertina 13, 20123 Torino, Italy
| | - Andrea Pierdomenico
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino (DBIOS), Via Accademia Albertina 13, 20123 Torino, Italy
| | - Ivan Norscia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino (DBIOS), Via Accademia Albertina 13, 20123 Torino, Italy
| | - Giada Cordoni
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino (DBIOS), Via Accademia Albertina 13, 20123 Torino, Italy
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Rupanagunta GP, Nandave M, Rawat D, Upadhyay J, Rashid S, Ansari MN. Postpartum depression: aetiology, pathogenesis and the role of nutrients and dietary supplements in prevention and management. Saudi Pharm J 2023; 31:1274-1293. [PMID: 37304359 PMCID: PMC10250836 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2023.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a challenging psychological disorder faced by 10-30% of mothers across the globe. In India, it occurs among 22% of mothers. Its aetiology and pathophysiology aren't fully understood as of today but multiple theories on the interplay of hormones, neurotransmitters, genetics, epigenetics, nutrients, socio-environmental factors, etc. exist. Nutrients are not only essential for the synthesis of neurotransmitters, but they may also indirectly influence genomic pathways that methylate DNA, and there is evidence for molecular associations between nutritional quality and psychological well-being. Increased behavioural disorders have been attributed to macro- and micronutrient deficiencies, and dietary supplementation has been effective in treating several neuropsychiatric illnesses. Nutritional deficiencies occur frequently in women, especially during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The aim of this study was to perform a comprehensive literature review of evidence-based research in order to identify, gather and summarize existing knowledge on PPD's aetiology, pathophysiology, and the role of nutrients in its prevention as well as management. The possible mechanisms of action of nutrients are also presented here. Study findings show that the risk of depression increases when omega-3 fatty acid levels are low. Both fish oil and folic acid supplements have been used to effectively treat depression. Antidepressant efficacy is lowered by folate insufficiency. Folate, vitamin B12, iron, etc. deficiencies are more prevalent in depressed people than in non-depressed people. Serum cholesterol levels and plasma tryptophan levels are found to be inversely correlated with PPD. Serum vitamin D levels were associated inversely with perinatal depression. These findings highlight the importance of adequate nutrition in the antepartum period. Given that nutritional therapies can be affordable, safe, simple to use, and are typically well-accepted by patients, more focus should be placed on dietary variables in PPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gnana Prasoona Rupanagunta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Energy Acres Campus, Bidholi, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Mukesh Nandave
- Department of Pharmacology, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU), MB Road, Pushp Vihar, Sector 3, New Delhi 110017, India
| | - Divya Rawat
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Energy Acres Campus, Bidholi, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Jyoti Upadhyay
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Energy Acres Campus, Bidholi, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Summya Rashid
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohd Nazam Ansari
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
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9
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Orchard ER, Voigt K, Chopra S, Thapa T, Ward PGD, Egan GF, Jamadar SD. The maternal brain is more flexible and responsive at rest: effective connectivity of the parental caregiving network in postpartum mothers. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4719. [PMID: 36959247 PMCID: PMC10036465 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31696-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The field of neuroscience has largely overlooked the impact of motherhood on brain function outside the context of responses to infant stimuli. Here, we apply spectral dynamic causal modelling (spDCM) to resting-state fMRI data to investigate differences in brain function between a group of 40 first-time mothers at 1-year postpartum and 39 age- and education-matched women who have never been pregnant. Using spDCM, we investigate the directionality (top-down vs. bottom-up) and valence (inhibition vs excitation) of functional connections between six key left hemisphere brain regions implicated in motherhood: the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens. We show a selective modulation of inhibitory pathways related to differences between (1) mothers and non-mothers, (2) the interactions between group and cognitive performance and (3) group and social cognition, and (4) differences related to maternal caregiving behaviour. Across analyses, we show consistent disinhibition between cognitive and affective regions suggesting more efficient, flexible, and responsive behaviour, subserving cognitive performance, social cognition, and maternal caregiving. Together our results support the interpretation of these key regions as constituting a parental caregiving network. The nucleus accumbens and the parahippocampal gyrus emerging as 'hub' regions of this network, highlighting the global importance of the affective limbic network for maternal caregiving, social cognition, and cognitive performance in the postpartum period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwina R Orchard
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Katharina Voigt
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Sidhant Chopra
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Tribikram Thapa
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Phillip G D Ward
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Gary F Egan
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sharna D Jamadar
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia.
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia.
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Melbourne, Australia.
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10
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Chechko N, Dukart J, Tchaikovski S, Enzensberger C, Neuner I, Stickel S. The expectant brain-pregnancy leads to changes in brain morphology in the early postpartum period. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:4025-4038. [PMID: 34942007 PMCID: PMC9476604 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence that pregnancy may have a significant impact on the maternal brain, causing changes in its structure. To investigate the patterns of these changes, we compared nulliparous women (n = 40) with a group of primiparous women (n = 40) and multiparous mothers (n = 37) within 1-4 days postpartum, using voxel-based and surface-based morphometry (SBM). Compared with the nulliparous women, the young mothers showed decreases in gray matter volume in the bilateral hippocampus/amygdala, the orbitofrontal/subgenual prefrontal area, the right superior temporal gyrus and insula, and the cerebellum. These pregnancy-related changes in brain structure did not predict the quality of mother-infant attachment at either 3 or 12 weeks postpartum nor were they more pronounced among the multiparous women. SBM analyses showed significant cortical thinning especially in the frontal and parietal cortices, with the parietal cortical thinning likely potentiated by multiple pregnancies. We conclude that, compared with the brain of nulliparous women, the maternal brain shows widespread morphological changes shortly after childbirth. Also, the experience of pregnancy alone may not be the underlying cause of the adaptations for mothering. As regards the exact biological function of the changes in brain morphology, longitudinal research will be needed to draw any definitive conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Chechko
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen, Aachen 52074, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Center Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany
| | - Jürgen Dukart
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Center Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Svetlana Tchaikovski
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen, Aachen 52074, Germany
| | - Christian Enzensberger
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen, Aachen 52074, Germany
| | - Irene Neuner
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen, Aachen 52074, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany
| | - Susanne Stickel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen, Aachen 52074, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany
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11
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Scalabrini A, Mucci C, Northoff G. The nested hierarchy of self and its trauma: In search for a synchronic dynamic and topographical re-organization. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:980353. [PMID: 36118976 PMCID: PMC9478193 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.980353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The sense of self has always been a topic of high interest in both psychoanalysis and most recently in neuroscience. Nowadays, there is an agreement in psychoanalysis that the self emerges from the relationship with the other (e.g., the caregiver) in terms of his/her capacity to attune, regulate, and synchronize with the emergent self of the infant. The outcome of this relational/intersubjective synchronization is the development of the sense of self and its regulatory processes both in dynamic psychology and neuroscience. In this work, we propose that synchrony is a fundamental biobehavioral factor in these dialectical processes between self and others which shapes the brain-body-mind system of the individuals, including their sense of self. Recently in neuroscience, it has been proposed by the research group around Northoff that the self is constituted by a brain-based nested hierarchical three-layer structure, including interoceptive, proprio-exteroceptive, and mental layers of self. This may be disrupted, though, when traumatic experiences occur. Following the three levels of trauma theorized by Mucci, we here suggest how different levels of traumatic experiences might have an enduring effect in yielding a trauma-based topographic and dynamic re-organization of the nested model of self featured by dissociation. In conclusion, we propose that different levels and degrees of traumatic experience are related to corresponding disruptions in the topography and dynamic of the brain-based three-layer hierarchical structure of the self.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Scalabrini
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Clara Mucci
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Georg Northoff
- Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Neural Dynamics, The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Mental Health Centre, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
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12
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Raghunath BL, Sng KHL, Chen SHA, Vijayaragavan V, Gulyás B, Setoh P, Esposito G. Stronger brain activation for own baby but similar activation toward babies of own and different ethnicities in parents living in a multicultural environment. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10988. [PMID: 35768627 PMCID: PMC9243063 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15289-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Specific facial features in infants automatically elicit attention, affection, and nurturing behaviour of adults, known as the baby schema effect. There is also an innate tendency to categorize people into in-group and out-group members based on salient features such as ethnicity. Societies are becoming increasingly multi-cultural and multi-ethnic, and there are limited investigations into the underlying neural mechanism of the baby schema effect in a multi-ethnic context. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine parents' (N = 27) neural responses to (a) non-own ethnic in-group and out-group infants, (b) non-own in-group and own infants, and (c) non-own out-group and own infants. Parents showed similar brain activations, regardless of ethnicity and kinship, in regions associated with attention, reward processing, empathy, memory, goal-directed action planning, and social cognition. The same regions were activated to a higher degree when viewing the parents' own infant. These findings contribute further understanding to the dynamics of baby schema effect in an increasingly interconnected social world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bindiya Lakshmi Raghunath
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kelly Hwee Leng Sng
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - S H Annabel Chen
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Centre for Research and Development in Learning (CRADLE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Office of Educational Research, National Institute of Education, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Vimalan Vijayaragavan
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Balázs Gulyás
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Peipei Setoh
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Gianluca Esposito
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
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13
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Witte AM, de Moor MHM, Majdandžić M, Verhees MWFT, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Effects of oxytocin and vasopressin administration on human fathers' sensitive and challenging parenting: A randomized within-subject controlled trial. Horm Behav 2022; 142:105175. [PMID: 35430502 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled within-subject study examined the effects of intranasal administration of oxytocin and vasopressin on fathers' sensitive and challenging parenting behaviors. Furthermore, we examined the moderating role of fathers' early childhood experiences. The sample consisted of 70 fathers with their 2- to 12-month-old infants. All fathers were assigned to each of the three experimental sessions (oxytocin, vasopressin, and placebo), on three separate days, with random order and intervening periods of one to two weeks. Sensitive and challenging parenting behaviors (CPB) were observed during a 10-minute free play task. Results showed no effects of vasopressin administration on paternal sensitivity. Fathers in the oxytocin condition were less sensitive than fathers in the placebo condition, and this effect was moderated by fathers' own childhood experiences: Fathers who reported higher levels of experienced parental love withdrawal were less sensitive in the oxytocin condition as compared to the placebo condition, whereas fathers with less experienced parental love withdrawal showed no difference in sensitivity between the oxytocin and placebo condition. No effects were found of oxytocin and vasopressin administration on fathers' CPB. Our results, although partly unexpected, are largely in line with previous literature showing that oxytocin administration can exert negative effects in individuals with adverse childhood experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemieke M Witte
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Marleen H M de Moor
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mirjana Majdandžić
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Research Department of Clinical, Education and Health Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, UCL, London, UK
| | - 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
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14
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Sánchez‐Olguin CP, Zamudio SR, Guzmán‐Velázquez S, Márquez‐Portillo M, Caba‐Flores MD, Camacho‐Abrego I, Flores G, Melo AI. Neonatal ventral hippocampus lesion disrupts maternal behavior in rats: An animal model of schizophrenia. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22283. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.22283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia P. Sánchez‐Olguin
- Departamento de Fisiología Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas Instituto Politécnico Nacional Mexico City Mexico
- Maestría en Ciencias Biológicas Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala Tlaxcala Mexico
| | - Sergio R. Zamudio
- Departamento de Fisiología Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas Instituto Politécnico Nacional Mexico City Mexico
| | - Sonia Guzmán‐Velázquez
- Departamento de Fisiología Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas Instituto Politécnico Nacional Mexico City Mexico
| | - Mariana Márquez‐Portillo
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal CINVESTAV Laboratorio Tlaxcala Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala Tlaxcala Mexico
| | | | - Israel Camacho‐Abrego
- Laboratorio de Neuropsiquiatría Instituto de Fisiología Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla Puebla Mexico
- Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala Tlaxcala Mexico
| | - Gonzalo Flores
- Laboratorio de Neuropsiquiatría Instituto de Fisiología Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla Puebla Mexico
| | - Angel I. Melo
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal CINVESTAV Laboratorio Tlaxcala Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala Tlaxcala Mexico
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15
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Vitale EM, Smith AS. Neurobiology of Loneliness, Isolation, and Loss: Integrating Human and Animal Perspectives. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:846315. [PMID: 35464141 PMCID: PMC9029604 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.846315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In social species such as humans, non-human primates, and even many rodent species, social interaction and the maintenance of social bonds are necessary for mental and physical health and wellbeing. In humans, perceived isolation, or loneliness, is not only characterized by physical isolation from peers or loved ones, but also involves negative perceptions about social interactions and connectedness that reinforce the feelings of isolation and anxiety. As a complex behavioral state, it is no surprise that loneliness and isolation are associated with dysfunction within the ventral striatum and the limbic system - brain regions that regulate motivation and stress responsiveness, respectively. Accompanying these neural changes are physiological symptoms such as increased plasma and urinary cortisol levels and an increase in stress responsivity. Although studies using animal models are not perfectly analogous to the uniquely human state of loneliness, studies on the effects of social isolation in animals have observed similar physiological symptoms such as increased corticosterone, the rodent analog to human cortisol, and also display altered motivation, increased stress responsiveness, and dysregulation of the mesocortical dopamine and limbic systems. This review will discuss behavioral and neuropsychological components of loneliness in humans, social isolation in rodent models, and the neurochemical regulators of these behavioral phenotypes with a neuroanatomical focus on the corticostriatal and limbic systems. We will also discuss social loss as a unique form of social isolation, and the consequences of bond disruption on stress-related behavior and neurophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika M. Vitale
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
| | - Adam S. Smith
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
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16
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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.
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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
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17
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Hiraoka D, Nomura M, Kato M. Longitudinal Study of Maternal Beliefs About Infant Crying During the Postpartum Period: Interplay With Infant’s Temperament. Front Psychol 2021; 12:786391. [PMID: 34975680 PMCID: PMC8716885 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.786391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Infant crying is an important signal for their survival and development, and maternal beliefs about crying predict responsiveness to crying. Most studies have considered caregivers’ reactions to crying to be fixed, and it is unclear how they change with their caregiving experience. Additionally, it has recently been suggested that there is a bidirectional relationship between changes in mothers’ beliefs about crying and infants’ temperament. This study examined that relationship using a longitudinal study design. Maternal beliefs about crying and infant temperament of 339 Asian first-time mothers (mean age = 28.7 years, SD = 4.1) were measured at 1-month intervals over 4 months. There were 289 participants in Wave 2, 240 in Wave 3, and 164 in Wave 4. Prior to the main survey, we conducted a pre-survey to confirm the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Infant Crying Questionnaire. The results showed that parent-oriented beliefs, which focus on the caregiver rather than the crying infant, increased in mothers who had infants aged 3 months or older at Wave 1. We also found that the process of change in maternal beliefs was not uniform, and that infants high on surgency predicted changes in maternal beliefs about infant crying. Longitudinal studies of caregivers’ changes, such as the present study, are expected to contribute to understanding the co-development of caregivers and infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiki Hiraoka
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
- *Correspondence: Daiki Hiraoka,
| | - Michio Nomura
- Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masaharu Kato
- Center for Baby Science, Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan
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18
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Linossier J, Casey C, Charrier I, Mathevon N, Reichmuth C. Maternal responses to pup calls in a high-cost lactation species. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20210469. [PMID: 34932922 PMCID: PMC8692032 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Bonding between mothers and their young is fundamental to mammalian reproductive behaviour and individual fitness. In social systems where the risk of confusing filial and non-filial offspring is high, mothers should demonstrate early, strong and consistent responses to their kin throughout the period of offspring dependence, irrespective of maternal traits. We tested this hypothesis through playback experiments in the northern elephant seal Mirounga angustirostris, a phocid species that breeds in high-density colonies. We found that mothers recognized their offspring throughout lactation and as early as 1-2 days after parturition. Measures of experience (age) and temperament (aggressivity) did not predict their response strength to filial playback treatments, nor did pup age or sex. Some mothers showed great consistency in behavioural responses throughout the lactation period, while others were less predictable. The strength of a female's response did not influence her pup's weaning weight; however, more consistent females weaned pups of higher mass. This is a rare demonstration of individual recognition among phocid mothers and their offspring, and suggests that consistency in maternal responsiveness may be an important social factor influencing the pup's growth and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette Linossier
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Long Marine Laboratory, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
- Biophonia, Sualello 20232, Oletta, France
| | - Caroline Casey
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Long Marine Laboratory, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Isabelle Charrier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, UMR 9197, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Orsay 91405, France
| | - Nicolas Mathevon
- Equipe Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle ENES / CRNL, University of Lyon / Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Inserm, 42100 Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Colleen Reichmuth
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Long Marine Laboratory, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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19
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Been LE, Sheppard PAS, Galea LAM, Glasper ER. Hormones and neuroplasticity: A lifetime of adaptive responses. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:679-690. [PMID: 34808191 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Major life transitions often co-occur with significant fluctuations in hormones that modulate the central nervous system. These hormones enact neuroplastic mechanisms that prepare an organism to respond to novel environmental conditions and/or previously unencountered cognitive, emotional, and/or behavioral demands. In this review, we will explore several examples of how hormones mediate neuroplastic changes in order to produce adaptive responses, particularly during transitions in life stages. First, we will explore hormonal influences on social recognition in both males and females as they transition to sexual maturity. Next, we will probe the role of hormones in mediating the transitions to motherhood and fatherhood, respectively. Finally, we will survey the long-term impact of reproductive experience on neuroplasticity in females, including potential protective effects and risk factors associated with reproductive experience in mid-life and beyond. Ultimately, a more complete understanding of how hormones influence neuroplasticity throughout the lifespan, beyond development, is necessary for understanding how individuals respond to life changes in adaptive ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Been
- Department of Psychology, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA, 19041, USA.
| | - Paul A S Sheppard
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada.
| | - Liisa A M Galea
- Department of Psychology, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - Erica R Glasper
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742 USA.
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20
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Chifa M, Hadar T, Politimou N, Reynolds G, Franco F. The Soundscape of Neonatal Intensive Care: A Mixed-Methods Study of the Parents' Experience. CHILDREN-BASEL 2021; 8:children8080644. [PMID: 34438535 PMCID: PMC8391440 DOI: 10.3390/children8080644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Parents who have infants hospitalised in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) experience high levels of stress, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. However, whether sounds contribute to parents’ stress remains largely unknown. Critically, researchers lack a comprehensive instrument to investigate the relationship between sounds in NICUs and parental stress. To address this gap, this report presents the “Soundscape of NICU Questionnaire” (SON-Q), which was developed specifically to capture parents’ perceptions and beliefs about the impact that sound had on them and their infants, from pre-birth throughout the NICU stay and in the first postdischarge period. Parents of children born preterm (n = 386) completed the SON-Q and the Perinatal PTSD Questionnaire (PPQ). Principal Component Analysis identifying underlying dimensions comprising the parental experience of the NICU soundscape was followed by an exploration of the relationships between subscales of the SON-Q and the PPQ. Moderation analysis was carried out to further elucidate relationships between variables. Finally, thematic analysis was employed to analyse one memory of sounds in NICU open question. The results highlight systematic associations between aspects of the NICU soundscape and parental stress/trauma. The findings underscore the importance of developing specific studies in this area and devising interventions to best support parents’ mental health, which could in turn support infants’ developmental outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Chifa
- Psychology Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, Middlesex University, London NW4 4BT, UK; (M.C.); (G.R.)
| | - Tamar Hadar
- Division of Expressive Therapies, Graduate School of Arts & Social Sciences, Lesley University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA;
| | - Nina Politimou
- Institute of Education, University College London, London WC1H 0AA, UK;
| | - Gemma Reynolds
- Psychology Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, Middlesex University, London NW4 4BT, UK; (M.C.); (G.R.)
| | - Fabia Franco
- Psychology Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, Middlesex University, London NW4 4BT, UK; (M.C.); (G.R.)
- Correspondence:
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21
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Norscia I, Agostini L, Moroni A, Caselli M, Micheletti-Cremasco M, Vardé C, Palagi E. Yawning Is More Contagious in Pregnant Than Nulliparous Women : Naturalistic and Experimental Evidence. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2021; 32:301-325. [PMID: 34255275 PMCID: PMC8321968 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-021-09404-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Contrary to spontaneous yawning, which is widespread in vertebrates and probably evolutionary ancient, contagious yawning—yawning triggered by others’ yawns—is considered an evolutionarily recent phenomenon, found in species characterized by complex sociality. Whether the social asymmetry observed in the occurrence of contagious yawning is related to social and emotional attachment and may therefore reflect emotional contagion is a subject of debate. In this study we assessed whether yawn contagion was enhanced in pregnant women, a cohort of subjects who develop prenatal emotional attachment in preparation for parental care, via hormonal and neurobiological changes. We predicted that if yawn contagion underlies social and emotional attachment, pregnant women would be more likely to contagiously yawn than nonpregnant, nulliparous women of reproductive age. We gathered data in two different settings. In the experimental setting, 49 women were exposed to video stimuli of newborns either yawning or moving their mouth (control) and we video-recorded the women during repeated trials to measure their yawning response. In the naturalistic setting, 131 women were observed in a social environment and their yawning response was recorded. We tested the factors influencing the yawning response, including the reproductive status (pregnant vs. not pregnant). In both settings, yawn contagion occurred significantly more in pregnant than nonpregnant women. By showing that pregnant women were most likely to respond to others’ yawns, our results support the hypothesis that the social variation observed in yawn contagion may be influenced by emotional attachment and that yawning in highly social species might have been coopted for emotional contagion during evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Norscia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
| | - Lucia Agostini
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Alessia Moroni
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Marta Caselli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | | | - Concetta Vardé
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic, Pinerolo, Turin, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Department of Biology, Unit of Ethology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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22
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Stevenson P, Casenhiser DM, Lau BY, Krishnan K. Systematic analysis of goal-related movement sequences during maternal behaviour in a female mouse model for Rett syndrome. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:4528-4549. [PMID: 34043854 PMCID: PMC8450021 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15327] [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: 12/25/2020] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Rodent dams seek and gather scattered pups back to the nest (pup retrieval), an essential aspect of maternal care. Systematic analysis of the dynamic sequences of goal-related movements that comprise the entire behavioural sequence, which would be ultimately essential for understanding the underlying neurobiology, is not well-characterized. Here, we present such analysis across 3 days in alloparental female mice (Surrogates or Sur) of two genotypes; Mecp2Heterozygotes (Het), a female mouse model for Rett syndrome and their wild type (WT) siblings. We analysed CBA/CaJ and C57BL/6J WT surrogates for within-strain comparisons. Frame-by-frame analysis over different phases was performed manually using DataVyu software. We previously showed that surrogate Het are inefficient at pup retrieval, by end-point analysis such as latency index and errors. Here, the sequence of searching, pup-approach and successful retrieval streamlines over days for WT, while Het exhibits variations in this pattern. Goal-related movements between Het and WT are similar in other phases, suggesting context-driven atypical patterns in Het during the pup retrieval phase. We identified proximal pup approach and pup grooming as atypical tactile interactions between pups and Het. Day-by-day analysis showed dynamic changes in goal-related movements in individual animals across genotypes and strains. Overall, our approach (1) highlights natural variation in individual mice on different days, (2) establishes a "gold-standard" manually curated dataset to help build behavioural repertoires using machine learning approaches, and (3) suggests atypical tactile sensory processing and possible regression in a female mouse model for Rett syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parker Stevenson
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996
| | - Devin M. Casenhiser
- Audiology and Speech Pathology Department, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Knoxville, TN 37996
| | - Billy Y.B. Lau
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996
| | - Keerthi Krishnan
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996
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23
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Abstract
A birth-to-adulthood study tested the effects of maternal–newborn contact and synchronous caregiving on the social processing brain in human adults. For two decades, we followed preterm and full-term neonates, who received or lacked initial maternal bodily contact, repeatedly observing mother–child social synchrony. We measured the brain basis of affect-specific empathy in young adulthood to pinpoint regions sensitive to others’ distinct emotions. Maternal–newborn contact enhanced social synchrony across development, which, in turn, predicted amygdalar and insular sensitivity to emotion-specific empathy. Findings demonstrate the long-term effects of maternal caregiving in humans, similar to their role in other mammals, particularly in tuning core regions implicated in salience detection, simulation, and interoception that sustain empathy and human attachment. Mammalian young are born with immature brain and rely on the mother’s body and caregiving behavior for maturation of neurobiological systems that sustain adult sociality. While research in animal models indicated the long-term effects of maternal contact and caregiving on the adult brain, little is known about the effects of maternal–newborn contact and parenting behavior on social brain functioning in human adults. We followed human neonates, including premature infants who initially lacked or received maternal–newborn skin-to-skin contact and full-term controls, from birth to adulthood, repeatedly observing mother–child social synchrony at key developmental nodes. We tested the brain basis of affect-specific empathy in young adulthood and utilized multivariate techniques to distinguish brain regions sensitive to others’ distinct emotions from those globally activated by the empathy task. The amygdala, insula, temporal pole (TP), and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) showed high sensitivity to others’ distinct emotions. Provision of maternal–newborn contact enhanced social synchrony across development from infancy and up until adulthood. The experience of synchrony, in turn, predicted the brain’s sensitivity to emotion-specific empathy in the amygdala and insula, core structures of the social brain. Social synchrony linked with greater empathic understanding in adolescence, which was longitudinally associated with higher neural sensitivity to emotion-specific empathy in TP and VMPFC. Findings demonstrate the centrality of synchronous caregiving, by which infants practice the detection and sharing of others’ affective states, for tuning the human social brain, particularly in regions implicated in salience detection, interoception, and mentalization that underpin affect sharing and human attachment.
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A Scientometric Approach to Review the Role of the Medial Preoptic Area (MPOA) in Parental Behavior. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11030393. [PMID: 33804634 PMCID: PMC8003755 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11030393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Research investigating the neural substrates underpinning parental behaviour has recently gained momentum. Particularly, the hypothalamic medial preoptic area (MPOA) has been identified as a crucial region for parenting. The current study conducted a scientometric analysis of publications from 1 January 1972 to 19 January 2021 using CiteSpace software to determine trends in the scientific literature exploring the relationship between MPOA and parental behaviour. In total, 677 scientific papers were analysed, producing a network of 1509 nodes and 5498 links. Four major clusters were identified: “C-Fos Expression”, “Lactating Rat”, “Medial Preoptic Area Interaction” and “Parental Behavior”. Their content suggests an initial trend in which the properties of the MPOA in response to parental behavior were studied, followed by a growing attention towards the presence of a brain network, including the reward circuits, regulating such behavior. Furthermore, while attention was initially directed uniquely to maternal behavior, it has recently been extended to the understanding of paternal behaviors as well. Finally, although the majority of the studies were conducted on rodents, recent publications broaden the implications of previous documents to human parental behavior, giving insight into the mechanisms underlying postpartum depression. Potential directions in future works were also discussed.
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25
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Lonstein JS, Charlier TD, Pawluski JL, Aigueperse N, Meurisse M, Lévy F, Lumineau S. Fos expression in the medial preoptic area and nucleus accumbens of female Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) after maternal induction and interaction with chicks. Physiol Behav 2021; 234:113357. [PMID: 33582165 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113357] [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: 12/20/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The neural system underlying maternal caregiving has often been studied using laboratory rodents and a few other mammalian species. This research shows that the medial preoptic area (mPOA) integrates sensory cues from the young that, along with hormonal and other environmental signals, control maternal acceptance of neonates. The mPOA then activates the mesolimbic system to drive maternal motivation and caregiving activities. How components of this neural system respond to maternal experience and exposure to young in non-mammals has rarely been examined. To gain more insight into this question, virgin female Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) were induced to be maternal through four days of continuous exposure to chicks (Maternal), or were not exposed to chicks (Non-Maternal). Chicks were removed overnight from the Maternal group and half the females from each group were then exposed to chicks for 90 minutes (Exposed), or not exposed to chicks (Non-Exposed), before euthanasia. The number of Fos-immunoreactive (Fos-ir) cells was examined as a marker of neuronal activation. As expected, repeated exposure to chicks induced caregiving behavior in the Maternal females, which persisted after the overnight separation, suggesting the formation of a maternal memory. In contrast, Non-Maternal females were aggressive and rejected the chicks when exposed to them. Exposed females, whether or not they were given prior experience with chicks (i.e., regardless if they accepted or rejected chicks during the exposure before euthanasia), had more Fos-ir cells in the mPOA compared to Non-Exposed females. In the nucleus accumbens (NAC), the number of Fos-ir cells was high in all Maternal females whether or not they were Exposed to chicks again before euthanasia. In the lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, a site involved in general stress responding, groups did not differ in the number of Fos-ir cells. These data indicate a conserved role for the mPOA and NAC in maternal caregiving across vertebrates, with the mPOA acutely responding to the salience rather than valence of offspring cues, and the NAC showing longer-term changes in activity after a positive maternal experience even without a recent exposure to young.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph S Lonstein
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States.
| | - Thierry D Charlier
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Jodi L Pawluski
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Nadege Aigueperse
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie animale et humaine) - UMR 6552, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Maryse Meurisse
- Unité de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportemenst (PRC), INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Frédéric Lévy
- Unité de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportemenst (PRC), INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Sophie Lumineau
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie animale et humaine) - UMR 6552, F-35000 Rennes, France
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26
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Brain orchestration of pregnancy and maternal behavior in mice: A longitudinal morphometric study. Neuroimage 2021; 230:117776. [PMID: 33516895 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Reproduction induces changes within the brain to prepare for gestation and motherhood. However, the dynamic of these central changes and their relationships with the development of maternal behavior remain poorly understood. Here, we describe a longitudinal morphometric neuroimaging study in female mice between pre-gestation and weaning, using new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) resources comprising a high-resolution brain template, its associated tissue priors (60-µm isotropic resolution) and a corresponding mouse brain atlas (1320 regions of interest). Using these tools, we observed transient hypertrophies not only within key regions controlling gestation and maternal behavior (medial preoptic area, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis), but also in the amygdala, caudate nucleus and hippocampus. Additionally, unlike females exhibiting lower levels of maternal care, highly maternal females developed transient hypertrophies in somatosensory, entorhinal and retrosplenial cortices among other regions. Therefore, coordinated and transient brain modifications associated with maternal performance occurred during gestation and lactation.
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27
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Kim P. How stress can influence brain adaptations to motherhood. Front Neuroendocrinol 2021; 60:100875. [PMID: 33038383 PMCID: PMC7539902 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2020.100875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Research shows that a woman's brain and body undergo drastic changes to support her transition to parenthood during the perinatal period. The presence of this plasticity suggests that mothers' brains may be changed by their experiences. Exposure to severe stress may disrupt adaptive changes in the maternal brain and further impact the neural circuits of stress regulation and maternal motivation. Emerging literature of human mothers provides evidence that stressful experience, whether from the past or present environment, is associated with altered responses to infant cues in brain circuits that support maternal motivation, emotion regulation, and empathy. Interventions that reduce stress levels in mothers may reverse the negative impact of stress exposure on the maternal brain. Finally, outstanding questions regarding the timing, chronicity, types, and severity of stress exposure, as well as study design to identify the causal impact of stress, and the role of race/ethnicity are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilyoung Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States.
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28
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Hiraoka D, Ooishi Y, Mugitani R, Nomura M. Relationship between oxytocin and maternal approach behaviors to infants’ vocalizations. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2020; 4:100010. [PMID: 35755631 PMCID: PMC9216626 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2020.100010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
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29
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Ross KM, Letourneau N, Climie E, Giesbrecht G, Dewey D. Perinatal Maternal Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms and Child Executive Function and Attention at Two-years of Age. Dev Neuropsychol 2020; 45:380-395. [PMID: 33081504 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2020.1838525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The objective was to investigate whether perinatal maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms predicted child attention and executive function (EF). Mothers (N = 614) reported pregnancy and three-months postnatal anxiety and depressive symptoms. Attention and EF were measured at two-years-of-age. Covariates were demographics, alcohol use, mood disorder history, and pregnancy factors. Higher prenatal anxiety, b(SE) =.020(.005), p<.001, and postnatal depressive symptoms, b(SE) =.009(.004), p=.04, predicted poorer child attention. A prenatal-by-postnatal depressive symptom interaction emerged, b(SE) = -.005(.003), p=.04: When pregnancy depressive symptoms were low, higher postnatal symptoms predicted poorer attention. No distress variables predicted EF, p's>.22. Perinatal distress timing, kind, and change were important for child attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kharah M Ross
- Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Faculty of Nursing, Department of Paediatrics, and Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Paediatrics and Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Paediatrics, Department of Community Health Sciences, And Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada
| | - Nicole Letourneau
- Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Faculty of Nursing, Department of Paediatrics, and Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Paediatrics and Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Paediatrics, Department of Community Health Sciences, And Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada
| | - Emma Climie
- Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Faculty of Nursing, Department of Paediatrics, and Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Paediatrics and Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Paediatrics, Department of Community Health Sciences, And Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada
| | - Gerald Giesbrecht
- Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Faculty of Nursing, Department of Paediatrics, and Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Paediatrics and Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Paediatrics, Department of Community Health Sciences, And Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada
| | - Deborah Dewey
- Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Faculty of Nursing, Department of Paediatrics, and Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Paediatrics and Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Paediatrics, Department of Community Health Sciences, And Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary , Calgary, Canada
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30
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Sundström-Poromaa I, Comasco E, Sumner R, Luders E. Progesterone - Friend or foe? Front Neuroendocrinol 2020; 59:100856. [PMID: 32730861 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2020.100856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Estradiol is the "prototypic" sex hormone of women. Yet, women have another sex hormone, which is often disregarded: Progesterone. The goal of this article is to provide a comprehensive review on progesterone, and its metabolite allopregnanolone, emphasizing three key areas: biological properties, main functions, and effects on mood in women. Recent years of intensive research on progesterone and allopregnanolone have paved the way for new treatment of postpartum depression. However, treatment for premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder as well as contraception that women can use without risking mental health problems are still needed. As far as progesterone is concerned, we might be dealing with a two-edged sword: while its metabolite allopregnanolone has been proven useful for treatment of PPD, it may trigger negative symptoms in women with PMS and PMDD. Overall, our current knowledge on the beneficial and harmful effects of progesterone is limited and further research is imperative.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erika Comasco
- Department of Neuroscience, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Eileen Luders
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand; Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
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31
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Okino E, Morita S, Hoshikawa Y, Tsukahara S. The glutamatergic system in the preoptic area is involved in the retention of maternal behavior in maternally experienced female rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 120:104792. [PMID: 32653768 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Maternally experienced female rats show high maternal behavior performance for a long time after acquisition of maternal experience, although the mechanisms responsible for the retention of maternal behavior are not well understood. The medial preoptic area (MPOA) plays an important role in the onset and maintenance of maternal behavior in female rats. We aimed to determine whether maternal experience affects the glutamatergic system in the MPOA for the retention of maternal behavior in female rats. First, to determine the effects of maternal experience in the postpartum period on dendritic spines, which are the postsynaptic component of excitatory glutamatergic neurotransmission, we examined the number of dendritic spines on MPOA neurons of primiparous mothers that had experienced mothering until weaning (sufficiently experienced mothers) and of primiparous mothers that were separated from their pups on the day of parturition (insufficiently experienced mothers). The number of mushroom spines, but not other types of spine, was significantly greater in the sufficiently experienced mothers compared with that in the insufficiently experienced mothers. Next, to determine the effects of maternal experience in the postpartum period on the expression of ionotropic glutamate receptors, we measured the mRNA levels of AMPA receptor subunits (GluA1-A4) and NMDA receptor subunits (GluN1, GluN2A-2D) in the MPOA of primiparous female rats that were kept with pups until brain sampling. As a result, we found that the mRNA levels of GluA3 and GluN2B were significantly higher in primiparous females on the day of weaning compared with those in primiparous females on the day of parturition. Additionally, we examined the effects of CNQX, an AMPA receptor antagonist, and MK-801, an NMDA receptor antagonist, injected into the MPOA on maternal behavior in maternally experienced primiparous female rats. Maternal behavioral activity was significantly reduced when CNQX or MK-801 was injected into the MPOA. These findings indicate that long-term maternal experience in the postpartum period up-regulates glutamatergic neurotransmission by increasing the number of mushroom spines and glutamate receptor expression, which may be involved in the retention of maternal behavior in maternally experienced female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eri Okino
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, 338-8570, Japan
| | - Sayaka Morita
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, 338-8570, Japan
| | - Yumi Hoshikawa
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, 338-8570, Japan
| | - Shinji Tsukahara
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, 338-8570, Japan.
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32
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Kim P, Tribble R, Olsavsky AK, Dufford AJ, Erhart A, Hansen M, Grande L, Gonzalez DM. Associations between stress exposure and new mothers' brain responses to infant cry sounds. Neuroimage 2020; 223:117360. [PMID: 32927083 PMCID: PMC8291268 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to severe stress has been linked to negative postpartum outcomes among new mothers including mood disorders and harsh parenting. Non-human animal studies show that stress exposure disrupts the normative adaptation of the maternal brain, thus identifying a neurobiological mechanism by which stress can lead to negative maternal outcomes. However, little is known about the impact of stress exposure on the maternal brain response to infant cues in human mothers. We examined the association of stress exposure with brain response to infant cries and maternal behaviors, in a socioeconomically diverse (low- and middle-income) sample of first-time mothers (N=53). Exposure to stress across socioeconomic, environmental, and psychosocial domains was associated with reduced brain response to infant cry sounds in several regions, including the right insula/inferior frontal gyrus and superior temporal gyrus. Reduced activation in these regions was further associated with lower maternal sensitivity observed during a mother-infant interaction. The findings demonstrate that higher levels of stress exposure may be associated with reduced brain response to an infant’s cry in regions that are important for emotional and social information processing, and that reduced brain responses may further be associated with increased difficulties in developing positive mother-infant relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilyoung Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, 2155 South Race Street, Denver, CO 80208-3500, United States.
| | - Rebekah Tribble
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, 2155 South Race Street, Denver, CO 80208-3500, United States
| | - Aviva K Olsavsky
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, 2155 South Race Street, Denver, CO 80208-3500, United States; University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine/Children's Hospital Colorado, 13123 E. 16th Avenue, CO 80045, United States
| | - Alexander J Dufford
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, 2155 South Race Street, Denver, CO 80208-3500, United States
| | - Andrew Erhart
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, 2155 South Race Street, Denver, CO 80208-3500, United States
| | - Melissa Hansen
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, 2155 South Race Street, Denver, CO 80208-3500, United States
| | - Leah Grande
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, 2155 South Race Street, Denver, CO 80208-3500, United States
| | - Daniel M Gonzalez
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, 2155 South Race Street, Denver, CO 80208-3500, United States; Harvard Medical School, Boston, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA 02115, United States
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33
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Psychological and neurobiological mechanisms underlying the decline of maternal behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 116:164-181. [PMID: 32569707 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.009] [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] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The maternal behavior decline is important for the normal development of the young and the wellbeing of the mother. This paper reviews limited research on the factors and mechanisms involved in the rat maternal behavior decline and proposes a multi-level model. Framed in the parent-offspring conflict theory (an ultimate cause) and the approach-withdrawal model (a proximate cause), the maternal behavior decline is viewed as an active and effortful process, reflecting the dynamic interplay between the mother and her offspring. It is instigated by the waning of maternal motivation, coupled with the increased maternal aversion by the mother in responding to the changing sensory and motoric patterns of pup stimuli. In the decline phase, the neural circuit that mediates the inhibitory ("withdrawal") responses starts to increase activity and gain control of behavioral outputs, while the excitatory ("approach") maternal neural circuit is being inhibited or reorganized. Various hormones and certain monoamines may play a critical role in tipping the balance between the excitatory and inhibitory neural circuits to synchronize the mother-infant interaction.
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34
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Zhang K, Rigo P, Su X, Wang M, Chen Z, Esposito G, Putnick DL, Bornstein MH, Du X. Brain Responses to Emotional Infant Faces in New Mothers and Nulliparous Women. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9560. [PMID: 32533113 PMCID: PMC7293211 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66511-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The experience of motherhood is one of the most salient events in a woman’s life. Motherhood is associated with a series of neurophysiological, psychological, and behavioral changes that allow women to better adapt to their new role as mothers. Infants communicate their needs and physiological states mainly through salient emotional expressions, and maternal responses to infant signals are critical for infant survival and development. In this study, we investigated the whole brain functional response to emotional infant faces in 20 new mothers and 22 nulliparous women during functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. New mothers showed higher brain activation in regions involved in infant facial expression processing and empathic and mentalizing networks than nulliparous women. Furthermore, magnitudes of the activation of the left parahippocampal gyrus and the left fusiform gyrus, recruited during facial expression processing, were positively correlated with empathic concern (EC) scores in new mothers when viewing emotional (happy-sad) faces contrasted to neutral faces. Taken together, these results indicate that the experience of being a mother affects human brain responses in visual and social cognitive brain areas and in brain areas associated with theory-of-mind related and empathic processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaihua Zhang
- Department of Electronic Science, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Plasma and Magnetic Resonance, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Department of Physics, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Paola Rigo
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Xueyun Su
- Department of Special Education, Faculty of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Mengxing Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Department of Physics, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Zhong Chen
- Department of Electronic Science, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Plasma and Magnetic Resonance, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
| | - Gianluca Esposito
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.,Psychology Programme, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang, Singapore
| | - Diane L Putnick
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marc H Bornstein
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Xiaoxia Du
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Department of Physics, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China.
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35
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Lateralized Expression of Cortical Perineuronal Nets during Maternal Experience is Dependent on MECP2. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0500-19.2020. [PMID: 32332080 PMCID: PMC7294466 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0500-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortical neuronal circuits along the sensorimotor pathways are shaped by experience during critical periods of heightened plasticity in early postnatal development. After closure of critical periods, measured histologically by the formation and maintenance of extracellular matrix structures called perineuronal nets (PNNs), the adult mouse brain exhibits restricted plasticity and maturity. Mature PNNs are typically considered to be stable structures that restrict synaptic plasticity on cortical parvalbumin+ (PV+) GABAergic neurons. Changes in environment (i.e., novel behavioral training) or social contexts (i.e., motherhood) are known to elicit synaptic plasticity in relevant neural circuitry. However, little is known about concomitant changes in the PNNs surrounding the cortical PV+ GABAergic neurons. Here, we show novel changes in PNN density in the primary somatosensory cortex (SS1) of adult female mice after maternal experience [called surrogate (Sur)], using systematic microscopy analysis of a whole brain region. On average, PNNs were increased in the right barrel field and decreased in the left forelimb regions. Individual mice had left hemisphere dominance in PNN density. Using adult female mice deficient in methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2), an epigenetic regulator involved in regulating experience-dependent plasticity, we found that MECP2 is critical for this precise and dynamic expression of PNN. Adult naive Mecp2-heterozygous (Het) females had increased PNN density in specific subregions in both hemispheres before maternal experience, compared with wild-type (WT) littermate controls. The laterality in PNN expression seen in naive Het (NH) was lost after maternal experience in Sur Het (SH) mice, suggesting possible intact mechanisms for plasticity. Together, our results identify subregion and hemisphere-specific alterations in PNN expression in adult females, suggesting extracellular matrix plasticity as a possible neurobiological mechanism for adult behaviors in rodents.
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36
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Scarola S, Kent M, Neal S, Trejo JP, Bardi M, Lambert K. Postpartum environmental challenges alter maternal responsiveness and offspring development. Horm Behav 2020; 122:104761. [PMID: 32330549 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Because many threats exist in an animal's natural habitat, it is important to understand the impact of environmental challenges on maternal-offspring interactions and outcomes. In the current study, a rodent model incorporating the presence of restricted resources and an environmental threat (e.g. predator-related odors and sounds) was investigated. Specifically, pregnant females were assigned to one of four treatments: standard resources, without threat (SR; n = 7); standard resources plus threat (SR-T; n = 8); restricted resources, without threat (RR; n = 7); and restricted resources plus threat (RR-T; n = 6). Maternal rats were moved into the assigned conditions on postnatal day 2 and remained until pups were weaned. Following a standard pup retrieval task on postnatal days 2 and 6, maternal rats were exposed to a retrieval challenge task on postnatal day 8 in which each rat had to traverse a novel barrier to retrieve pups. For neurobiological measures of stress/resilience responsiveness, fecal samples were collected for detection of corticosterone and DHEA metabolites; additionally, immunohistochemistry was conducted on the maternal brains to indicate the presence of Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) immunoreactivity in the hippocampus, amygdala and hypothalamus. Pup development measures, including body weight and tail length, were also collected. Results suggest that maternal rats with restricted resources exhibited diminished maternal responsiveness that resulted in altered pup development measures; further, restricted resource rats exhibited endocrine markers of compromised emotional resilience (lower DHEA) and decreased neural markers of neuroplasticity (BDNF) and emotional resilience (NPY). Interestingly, predator threat affected various aspects of maternal-pup interactions but had no effect on neurobiological variables, suggesting that restricted resources had a more negative impact on maternal-related outcomes than the presence of predator threat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Scarola
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Randolph Macon College, Ashland, VA 23005, USA
| | - Molly Kent
- Department of Biology, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, VA 25440, USA
| | - Steven Neal
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Randolph Macon College, Ashland, VA 23005, USA
| | - Jose Perdomo Trejo
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Randolph Macon College, Ashland, VA 23005, USA
| | - Massimo Bardi
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Randolph Macon College, Ashland, VA 23005, USA
| | - Kelly Lambert
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA 23173, USA.
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37
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Endendijk JJ, Smit AK, van Baar AL, Bos PA. What a cute baby! Preliminary evidence from a fMRI study for the association between mothers' neural responses to infant faces and activation of the parental care system. Neuropsychologia 2020; 143:107493. [PMID: 32407904 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Infant facial characteristics, i.e., baby schema, are thought to automatically elicit parenting behavior and affective orientation toward infants. Only a few studies, conducted in non-parents, have directly examined the neural underpinnings of this baby schema effect by manipulating distinctiveness of baby schema in infant faces. This study aims to further our understanding of the intuitive nature of parenting, by studying the baby schema effect in mothers of young children (at least one child aged between 2 and 6 years old). Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine mothers' (N = 23) neural responses to unfamiliar infant faces varying in distinctiveness of baby schema. Also, it was studied how this neural activation to infant faces was associated with maternal nurturance. Results revealed that infant faces elicited widespread activation in bilateral visual cortices, the hippocampus, sensory-motor areas, parietal and frontal cortices, and the insula, which was not modulated by the distinctiveness of baby schema in the infant faces. Furthermore, higher self-reported maternal nurturance was related to increased neural responses to infant faces in the putamen and amygdala, brain regions known to be associated with reward and salience processing. These findings could suggest that in our small sample of mothers some of the core networks involved in reward and salience processing might be less sensitive to variation in distinctiveness of baby schema. Also, unfamiliar infant faces seem to be rewarding only for mothers who report high nurturance. These findings should be considered preliminary, because they need to be replicated in studies with larger samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce J Endendijk
- Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3548, CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Anne K Smit
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713, GZ, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Anneloes L van Baar
- Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3548, CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Peter A Bos
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3548, CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333, AK Leiden, the Netherlands
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38
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Almanza-Sepulveda ML, Fleming AS, Jonas W. Mothering revisited: A role for cortisol? Horm Behav 2020; 121:104679. [PMID: 31927022 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
This selective review first describes the involvement of the maternal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis during pregnancy and the postpartum period, and the relation between peripartum HPA axis function and maternal behavior, stress reactivity and emotional dysregulation in human mothers. To provide experimental background to this correlational work, where helpful, animal studies are also described. It then explores the association between HPA axis function in mothers and their infants, under ongoing non-stressful conditions and during stressful challenges, the moderating role of mothers' sensitivity and behavior in the mother-child co-regulation and the effects of more traumatic risk factors on these relations. The overarching theme being explored is that the HPA axis - albeit a system designed to function during periods of high stress and challenge - also functions to promote adaptation to more normative processes, shown in the new mother who experiences both high cortisol and enhanced attraction and attention to and recognition of, their infants and their cues. Hence the same HPA system shows positive relations with behavior at some time points and inverse ones at others. However, the literature is not uniform and results vary widely depending on the number, timing, place, and type of samplings and assessments, and, of course, the population being studied and, in the present context, the state, the stage, and the stress levels of mother and infant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayra L Almanza-Sepulveda
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Alison S Fleming
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada.
| | - Wibke Jonas
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Widerströmska Huset, Tomtebodavägen 18a, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
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39
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Olsavsky AK, Stoddard J, Erhart A, Tribble R, Kim P. Neural processing of infant and adult face emotion and maternal exposure to childhood maltreatment. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2020; 14:997-1008. [PMID: 31680141 PMCID: PMC7058929 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsz069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Face processing in mothers is linked to mother–infant social communication, which is critical for parenting and in turn for child development. Neuroimaging studies of child maltreatment-exposed (CME) mothers are sparse compared to studies of mothers with postpartum depression, which have suggested blunted amygdala reactivity to infant stimuli. We expected to see a similar pattern in CME mothers. Based on broader studies in trauma-exposed populations, we anticipated increased amygdala reactivity to negative adult face stimuli in a comparison task in CME mothers given heightened evaluation of potential threat. We examined Neuroimaging studies of mothers with childhood maltreatment exposure (CME) (18–37 years old), who performed infant (N = 45) and/or adult (N = 46) face processing tasks. CME mothers exhibited blunted bilateral amygdala reactivity to infant faces. There was no between-group difference in amygdala reactivity to adult faces. In infant and adult face processing tasks regardless of CME, superior temporal gyrus activation was increased for negative-valence stimuli. Our preliminary findings suggest that childhood maltreatment alters maternal processing of infant social cues, a critical skill impacting infant socioemotional development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aviva K Olsavsky
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.,Pediatric Mental Health Institute, Children's Hospital Colorado
| | - Joel Stoddard
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.,Pediatric Mental Health Institute, Children's Hospital Colorado
| | | | | | - Pilyoung Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.,Department of Psychology, University of Denver
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40
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Shabalova AA, Liang M, Zhong J, Huang Z, Tsuji C, Shnayder NA, Lopatina O, Salmina AB, Okamoto H, Yamamoto Y, Zhong ZG, Yokoyama S, Higashida H. Oxytocin and CD38 in the paraventricular nucleus play a critical role in paternal aggression in mice. Horm Behav 2020; 120:104695. [PMID: 31987898 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In mammals, the development of healthy offspring requires maternal care. Behavior by lactating mothers toward other individuals is an important component of maternal aggression. However, it is unclear whether fathers display aggression primed by pups (an external factor), and the protection mechanism is poorly understood. To address this question, we examined paternal aggression in the ICR mouse strain. We found that sires exposed to cues from pups and lactating dams showed stronger aggression toward intruders than did sires that were deprived of family cues or exposed to nonlactating mates. c-Fos immunohistochemistry showed that cells in both the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei (PVN and SON, respectively) in the hypothalamus of sires exposed to any cues were highly activated. However, c-Fos activation in oxytocinergic neurons was increased only in sires exposed to pup cues and solely in the PVN. In Cd38-knockout sires, the presence of pups induced no or reduced parental aggression; however, this phenotype was recovered, that is, aggression increased to the wild-type level, after intraperitoneal administration of oxytocin (OT). Specific c-Fos activation patterns induced by pup cues were not found in the PVN of knockout sires. These results demonstrate that the PVN is one of the primary hypothalamic areas involved in paternal aggression and suggest that a CD38-dependent OT mechanism in oxytocinergic neurons is critical for part of the behavior associated with the protection of offspring by nurturing male mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna A Shabalova
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; Department of Socioneurosciences, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Kanazawa Campus, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Mingkun Liang
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; Ruikang Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi 530011, China
| | - Jing Zhong
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; Department of Physiology, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianhu Campus, Nanning, Guangxi 530200, China
| | - Zhiqi Huang
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianhu Campus, Nanning, Guangxi 530200, China
| | - Chiharu Tsuji
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Natalia A Shnayder
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Olga Lopatina
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; Laboratory for Social Brain Studies, Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V. F. Voino-Yasentsky, Krasnoyarsk 660022, Russia
| | - Alla B Salmina
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; Laboratory for Social Brain Studies, Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V. F. Voino-Yasentsky, Krasnoyarsk 660022, Russia
| | - Hiroshi Okamoto
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Vascular Biology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Yasuhiko Yamamoto
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Vascular Biology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Zeng-Guo Zhong
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; Center of Research & Development of New Drugs, Guangxi Traditional Chinese Medical University, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning 530001, China
| | - Shigeru Yokoyama
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Haruhiro Higashida
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; Laboratory for Social Brain Studies, Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V. F. Voino-Yasentsky, Krasnoyarsk 660022, Russia.
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41
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Rincón-Cortés M, Grace AA. Adaptations in reward-related behaviors and mesolimbic dopamine function during motherhood and the postpartum period. Front Neuroendocrinol 2020; 57:100839. [PMID: 32305528 PMCID: PMC7531575 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2020.100839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Initiation and maintenance of maternal behavior is driven by a complex interaction between the physiology of parturition and offspring stimulation, causing functional changes in maternal brain and behavior. Maternal behaviors are among the most robust and rewarding motivated behaviors. Mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system alterations during pregnancy and the postpartum enable enhanced reward-related responses to offspring stimuli. Here, we review behavioral evidence demonstrating postpartum rodents exhibit a bias towards pups and pup-related stimuli in reward-related tasks. Next, we provide an overview of normative adaptations in the mesolimbic DA system induced by parturition and the postpartum, which likely mediate shifts in offspring valence. We also discuss a causal link between dopaminergic dysfunction and disrupted maternal behaviors, which are recapitulated in postpartum depression (PPD) and relevant rodent models. In sum, mesolimbic DA system activation drives infant-seeking behavior and strengthens the mother-infant bond, potentially representing a therapeutic target for reward-related deficits in PPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Millie Rincón-Cortés
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15217, United States.
| | - Anthony A Grace
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15217, United States
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42
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Hiraoka D, Nomura M. The influence of cognitive load on maternal postural sway and heart rate in response to infant vocalizations. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 62:829-840. [PMID: 32092158 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Infants communicate their emotions to their caregivers through cries and laughter. Recent work suggests that adaptive parenting requires cognitive regulation of intuitive behaviors toward infants' signals. In this study, we examined the effects of cognitive regulation on mothers' unconscious behavioral and cardiac responses to infant cries and laughs. In all, 55 mothers took part in this study. To manipulate cognitive load, mothers were asked to memorize alphabet characters (two letters in the low cognitive load condition and eight in the high cognitive load condition). Then, they heard infant vocalizations (cries or laughs) for 6 s. During this time, we measured mothers' behavioral (center of pressure, an index of approach-avoidance behavior) and physiological (heart rate) responses. Regardless of vocalization type (infant cries or laughs), high cognitive load increased mothers' forward movement toward the infant sounds as well as mothers' heart rate. These findings advance our understanding of the link between executive function and maternal response to infant signals by utilizing postural and physiological measures of maternal response during memory tasks that require cognitive resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiki Hiraoka
- Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michio Nomura
- Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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43
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Hoekzema E, Tamnes CK, Berns P, Barba-Müller E, Pozzobon C, Picado M, Lucco F, Martínez-García M, Desco M, Ballesteros A, Crone EA, Vilarroya O, Carmona S. Becoming a mother entails anatomical changes in the ventral striatum of the human brain that facilitate its responsiveness to offspring cues. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 112:104507. [PMID: 31757430 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In mothers, offspring cues are associated with a powerful reinforcing value that motivates maternal care. Animal studies show that this is mediated by dopamine release into the nucleus accumbens, a core component of the brain's reward system located in the ventral striatum (VStr). The VStr is also known to respond to infant signals in human mothers. However, it is unknown whether pregnancy modifies the anatomy or functionality of this structure, and whether such modifications underlie its strong reactivity to offspring cues. Therefore, we analyzed structural and functional neuroimaging data from a unique pre-conception prospective cohort study involving first-time mothers investigated before and after their pregnancy as well as nulliparous control women scanned at similar time intervals. First, we delineated the anatomy of the VStr in each subject's neuroanatomical space and examined whether there are volumetric changes in this structure across sessions. Then, we tested if these changes could predict the mothers' brain responses to visual stimuli of their infants. We found decreases in the right VStr and a trend for left VStr reductions in the women who were pregnant between sessions compared to the women who were not. Furthermore, VStr volume reductions across pregnancy were associated with infant-related VStr responses in the postpartum period, with stronger volume decreases predicting stronger functional activation to offspring cues. These findings provide the first indications that the transition to motherhood renders anatomical adaptations in the VStr that promote the strong responsiveness of a mother's reward circuit to cues of her infant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elseline Hoekzema
- Brain and Development Research Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Christian K Tamnes
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatry, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Puck Berns
- Brain and Development Research Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Erika Barba-Müller
- Unitat de Recerca en Neurociència Cognitiva, Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Marisol Picado
- Unitat de Recerca en Neurociència Cognitiva, Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Magdalena Martínez-García
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Desco
- Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC), Spain
| | | | - Eveline A Crone
- Brain and Development Research Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Oscar Vilarroya
- Unitat de Recerca en Neurociència Cognitiva, Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Fundació IMIM, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susanna Carmona
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain
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44
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Grattan DR, Ladyman SR. Neurophysiological and cognitive changes in pregnancy. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 171:25-55. [PMID: 32736755 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64239-4.00002-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The hormonal fluctuations in pregnancy drive a wide range of adaptive changes in the maternal brain. These range from specific neurophysiological changes in the patterns of activity of individual neuronal populations, through to complete modification of circuit characteristics leading to fundamental changes in behavior. From a neurologic perspective, the key hormone changes are those of the sex steroids, estradiol and progesterone, secreted first from the ovary and then from the placenta, the adrenal glucocorticoid cortisol, as well as the anterior pituitary peptide hormone prolactin and its pregnancy-specific homolog placental lactogen. All of these hormones are markedly elevated during pregnancy and cross the blood-brain barrier to exert actions on neuronal populations through receptors expressed in specific regions. Many of the hormone-induced changes are in autonomic or homeostatic systems. For example, patterns of oxytocin and prolactin secretion are dramatically altered to support novel physiological functions. Appetite is increased and feedback responses to metabolic hormones such as leptin and insulin are suppressed to promote a positive energy balance. Fundamental physiological systems such as glucose homeostasis and thermoregulation are modified to optimize conditions for fetal development. In addition to these largely autonomic changes, there are also changes in mood, behavior, and higher processes such as cognition. This chapter summarizes the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy and reviews how these changes impact on brain function, drawing on examples from animal research, as well as available information about human pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Grattan
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
| | - Sharon R Ladyman
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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45
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Maguire J, McCormack C, Mitchell A, Monk C. Neurobiology of maternal mental illness. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 171:97-116. [PMID: 32736761 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64239-4.00005-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
This chapter provides an overview of current research discoveries beginning to uncover the neurobiology of maternal mental illness. Results are described according to standard diagnostic categories (specifically, perinatal depression, perinatal anxiety and OCD, postpartum psychosis and bipolar disorder, and trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder), yet we aim to put this approach in context with the introduction of a classification model for psychiatric research, the research domain criteria, gaining traction in basic and clinical translational fields. We first review a new area of study, the neuroplasticity of the pregnant and postpartum brain, as work here has relevance for understanding the pathophysiology of mental disorders and may provide clues to changes in brain functioning that are related to compromised parenting in the context of postpartum depression. We next provide background information on neuroendocrine and immune changes during pregnancy and, to a lesser extent, the postpartum period, as alterations in these systems are significantly implicated in underlying neurobiology of mental illness for peripartum women. Our discussion of the major mental illnesses for pregnant and postpartum women includes neuroendocrine changes, neuroinflammation, and neurotransmitter alterations, as well as circuit dysfunction. Overall, remarkable progress has been made in identifying variations in neurobiology (and related systems) involved in maternal mental illness; yet, it is clear that, as classified with standard diagnostic systems, these are heterogeneous disorders and there is individual variability in the alterations in neurobiology for the same illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Maguire
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Clare McCormack
- Center for Science and Society, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Anika Mitchell
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Catherine Monk
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States; New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States.
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46
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Fathers today: design of a randomized controlled trial examining the role of oxytocin and vasopressin in behavioral and neural responses to infant signals. BMC Psychol 2019; 7:81. [PMID: 31843012 PMCID: PMC6915978 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-019-0356-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Previous research has mostly focused on the hormonal, behavioral and neural correlates of maternal caregiving. We present a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled within-subject design to examine the effects of intranasal administration of oxytocin and vasopressin on parenting behavior and the neural and behavioral responses to infant cry sounds and infant threat. In addition, we will test whether effects of oxytocin and vasopressin administration are moderated by fathers’ early childhood experiences. Methods Fifty-five first-time fathers of a child between two and seven months old will participate in three experimental sessions with intervening periods of one to two weeks. Participants self-administer oxytocin, vasopressin or a placebo. Infant-father interactions and protective parenting responses are observed during play. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is used to examine the neural processing of infant cry sounds and infant threat. A handgrip dynamometer is used to measure use of handgrip force when listening to infant cry sounds. Participants report on their childhood experiences of parental love-withdrawal and abuse and neglect. Discussion The results of this study will provide important insights into the hormonal, behavioral and neural correlates of fathers’ parenting behavior during the early phase of fatherhood. Trial registration Dutch Trial Register: NTR (ID: NL8124); Date registered: October 30, 2019.
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47
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Winokur SB, Lopes KL, Moparthi Y, Pereira M. Depression-related disturbances in rat maternal behaviour are associated with altered monoamine levels within mesocorticolimbic structures. J Neuroendocrinol 2019; 31:e12766. [PMID: 31265182 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The ability of mothers to sensitively attune their maternal responses to the needs of their developing young is fundamental to a healthy mother-young relationship. The biological mechanisms that govern how mothers adjust caregiving to the dynamic changes in the demands of the young remain an open question. In the present study, we examined whether changes in monoamine levels, within discrete mesocorticolimbic structures involved in cognitive and motivational processes key to parenting, modulate this flexibility in caregiving across the postpartum period. The present study used a Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) animal model of depression and control Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, which differ dramatically in their cognitive, motivational, and parenting performance. Levels of the monoamine neurotransmitters, dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin, as well as their major metabolites, were measured within the medial prefrontal cortex, striatum, nucleus accumbens and medial preoptic area of SD and WKY mothers at early (postpartum day [PPD]7-8), late (PPD15-16) and weaning (PPD25) postpartum stages using high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Consistent with our prior work, we find that caregiving of SD mothers declined as the postpartum period progressed. Relative to nulliparous females, early postpartum mothers had lower intracellular concentrations of monoamines, as well as lower noradrenaline turnover, and an elevated serotonin turnover within most structures. Postpartum behavioural trajectories subsequently corresponded to a progressive increase in all three monoamine levels within multiple structures. Compared to SD mothers, WKY mothers were inconsistent and disorganised in caring for their offspring and exhibit profound deficits in maternal behaviour. Additionally, WKY mothers had generally lower levels of all three monoamines, as well as different patterns of change across the postpartum period, compared to SD mothers, suggesting dysfunctional central monoamine pathways in WKY mothers as they transition and experience motherhood. Taken together, the results of the present study suggest a role for monoamines at multiple mesocorticolimbic structures with repect to modulating caregiving behaviours attuned to the changing needs of the young.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah B Winokur
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Keianna L Lopes
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Yashaswani Moparthi
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Mariana Pereira
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
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Lumineau S, Pawluski JL, Charlier TD, Beylard A, Aigueperse N, Bertin A, Lévy F. High social motivation induces deficits in maternal behaviour but not plasticity of the subventricular zone in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). J Neuroendocrinol 2019; 31:e12716. [PMID: 30927275 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Maternal behaviour develops differently depending on the characteristics of an individual, such as age or emotional reactivity. Social motivation, defined as the propensity to establish social contact, has received little attention in relation to maternal behaviour in birds. In addition, the transition to motherhood is a time of plasticity in the brain of the new mother in mammals. However, it remains to be determined how maternal brain plasticity is affected in avian species. The present study investigated how a the social motivation of a mother alters maternal behaviour and brain plasticity of the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). Adult females from lines selected for high and low social motivation were exposed to chicks for 11 days. After maternal care testing, and at matched time points in controls, the brains of females were perfused for assessment of doublecortin-immunoreactive staining, a marker of neurogenesis, in the subventricular zone (SVZ), a neurogenic niche. The results obtained showed that high socially motivated female quail spent significantly less time performing maternal behaviour when exposed to chicks compared to low socially motivated females. Moreover, the warming of chicks by high socially motivated females involved less covering postures and mothers were more rejecting of chicks. Interestingly, the plasticity indicators in the SVZ did not differ between low and high socially motivated females and were not associated with differences in maternal caregiving when using doublecortin-immunoreactive staining. Thus, high social motivation in this avian species does not favour maternal behaviour and this level of motivation to the mother is not related to changes in neuroplasticity in the SVZ of the female quail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Lumineau
- CNRS, Ethos (Ethologie animale et humaine), UMR 6552, Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, Rennes, France
| | - Jodi L Pawluski
- Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Thierry D Charlier
- Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Amandine Beylard
- CNRS, Ethos (Ethologie animale et humaine), UMR 6552, Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, Rennes, France
| | - Nadège Aigueperse
- CNRS, Ethos (Ethologie animale et humaine), UMR 6552, Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, Rennes, France
| | - Aline Bertin
- Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
- INRA, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, CNRS, UMR 7247, IFCE, Université F. Rabelais, Nouzilly, France
| | - Frédéric Lévy
- Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
- INRA, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, CNRS, UMR 7247, IFCE, Université F. Rabelais, Nouzilly, France
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49
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Dudin A, Wonch KE, Davis AD, Steiner M, Fleming AS, Hall GB. Amygdala and affective responses to infant pictures: Comparing depressed and non-depressed mothers and non-mothers. J Neuroendocrinol 2019; 31:e12790. [PMID: 31489723 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 08/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In many mammalian species, new mothers show heightened positive responsiveness to infants and their cues when they give birth. As is evident from non-human and human studies, the amygdala is a brain region implicated in both the maternal and affective neural circuitry, and is involved in processing socioemotionally salient stimuli. In humans, infants are socially salient stimuli to women, and mothers in particular. Neuroimaging studies investigating the maternal response to infant cues have identified infant-related amygdala function as an important factor in maternal anxiety/depression, in the quality of mothering and in individual differences in the motivation to mother. The present study investigated the effects of maternal status and depression on the subjective affective response and amygdala responsiveness to unfamiliar infants using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Smiling infant pictures were used in a 2 × 2 design comparing four groups of women: mothers and non-mothers, with and without depression (total of 101 women: postpartum depression [PPD] = 32, non-PPD = 25, major depression [MDD] = 15, non-MDD = 29). We undertook an anatomically defined region of interest analysis of the amygdala response for a priori defined group comparisons. We found that mothers rated infants more positively than non-mothers and non-mothers rated non-infant stimuli (scenery) more positively than mothers. In the amygdala, we found that depression elevated response to smiling unfamiliar infants in mothers but had no effect in non-mothers. Within the depressed groups, mothers (PPD) showed an elevated amygdala response to unfamiliar smiling infants compared to depressed non-mothers. Hence, our results indicate that women with PPD show an enhanced amygdala response to affectively positive infant pictures but not to affectively positive (but non-salient) pictures of scenery. Women with depression outside of the postpartum period show no change in amygdala responsiveness to either stimulus categories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aya Dudin
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Kathleen E Wonch
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Andrew D Davis
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour (PNB), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Meir Steiner
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Alison S Fleming
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Geoffrey B Hall
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour (PNB), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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50
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Dufford AJ, Erhart A, Kim P. Maternal brain resting-state connectivity in the postpartum period. J Neuroendocrinol 2019; 31:e12737. [PMID: 31106452 PMCID: PMC6874214 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In the postpartum period, the maternal brain experiences both structural and functional plasticity. Although we have a growing understanding of the responses of the human maternal brain to infant stimuli, little is known about the intrinsic connectivity among those regions during the postpartum months. Resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) provides a measure of the functional architecture of the brain based upon intrinsic functional connectivity (ie, the temporal correlation in blood oxygenation level dependent signal when the brain is not engaged in a specific task). In the present study, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine how later postpartum months are associated with rsFC and maternal behaviours. We recruited a sample of 47 socioeconomically diverse first-time mothers with singleton pregnancies. Because the amygdala has been shown to play a critical role in maternal behaviours in the postpartum period, this was chosen as the seed for a seed-based correlation analysis. For the left amygdala, later postpartum months were associated with greater connectivity with the anterior cingulate gyrus, left nucleus accumbens, right caudate and left cerebellum (P < 0.05, false discovery rate corrected). Furthermore, in an exploratory analysis, we observed indications that rsFC between the left amygdala and left nucleus accumbens was positively associated with maternal structuring during a mother child-interaction. In addition, later postpartum months were associated with greater connectivity between the right amygdala and the bilateral caudate and right putamen. Overall, we provide evidence of relationships between postpartum months and rsFC in the regions involved in salience detection and regions involved in maternal motivation. Greater connectivity between the amygdala and nucleus accumbens may play a role in positive maternal behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew Erhart
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA 80208
| | - Pilyoung Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA 80208
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