1
|
Shimon-Raz O, Yeshurun Y, Ulmer-Yaniv A, Levinkron A, Salomon R, Feldman R. Attachment Reminders Trigger Widespread Synchrony across Multiple Brains. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7213-7225. [PMID: 37813569 PMCID: PMC10601370 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0026-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Infant stimuli elicit widespread neural and behavioral response in human adults, and such massive allocation of resources attests to the evolutionary significance of the primary attachment. Here, we examined whether attachment reminders also trigger cross-brain concordance and generate greater neural uniformity, as indicated by intersubject correlation. Human mothers were imaged twice in oxytocin/placebo administration design, and stimuli included four ecological videos of a standard unfamiliar mother and infant: two infant/mother alone (Alone) and two mother-infant dyadic contexts (Social). Theory-driven analysis measured cross-brain synchrony in preregistered nodes of the parental caregiving network (PCN), which integrates subcortical structures underpinning mammalian mothering with cortical areas implicated in simulation, mentalization, and emotion regulation, and data-driven analysis assessed brain-wide concordance using whole-brain parcellation. Results demonstrated widespread cross-brain synchrony in both the PCN and across the neuroaxis, from primary sensory/somatosensory areas, through insular-cingulate regions, to temporal and prefrontal cortices. The Social context yielded significantly more cross-brain concordance, with PCNs striatum, parahippocampal gyrus, superior temporal sulcus, ACC, and PFC displaying cross-brain synchrony only to mother-infant social cues. Moment-by-moment fluctuations in mother-infant social synchrony, ranging from episodes of low synchrony to tightly coordinated positive bouts, were tracked online by cross-brain concordance in the preregistered ACC. Findings indicate that social attachment stimuli, representing evolutionary-salient universal cues that require no verbal narrative, trigger substantial interbrain concordance and suggest that the mother-infant bond, an icon standing at the heart of human civilization, may function to glue brains into a unified experience and bind humans into social groups.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Infant stimuli elicit widespread neural response in human adults, attesting to their evolutionary significance, but do they also trigger cross-brain concordance and induce neural uniformity among perceivers? We measured cross-brain synchrony to ecological mother-infant videos. We used theory-driven analysis, measuring cross-brain concordance in the parenting network, and data-driven analysis, assessing brain-wide concordance using whole-brain parcellation. Attachment cues triggered widespread cross-brain concordance in both the parenting network and across the neuroaxis. Moment-by-moment fluctuations in behavioral synchrony were tracked online by cross-brain variability in ACC. Attachment reminders bind humans' brains into a unitary experience and stimuli characterized by social synchrony enhance neural similarity among participants, describing one mechanism by which attachment bonds provide the neural template for the consolidation of social groups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Yaara Yeshurun
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | | | - Ayelet Levinkron
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Roy Salomon
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Witte AM, Riem MME, van der Knaap N, de Moor MHM, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. The effects of oxytocin and vasopressin administration on fathers' neural responses to infant crying: A randomized controlled within-subject study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 140:105731. [PMID: 35334388 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In a randomized double-blind within-subject control study we investigated the effects of oxytocin and vasopressin administration on neural reactivity to infant cry sounds in 70 first-time fathers in the first year of fatherhood. Additionally, we examined whether effects of oxytocin and vasopressin administration on neural reactivity were moderated by fathers' early childhood experiences. Neural reactivity to infant cry sounds (versus control sounds) was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Furthermore, participants reported on their childhood experiences of parental harsh discipline and parental love withdrawal. Whole brain analyses revealed no significant effect of vasopressin or oxytocin administration on neural activation in response to infant cry sounds. Region of interest analyses showed decreased amygdala activation in both the oxytocin condition and the vasopressin condition as compared to placebo. We found no moderating effects of fathers' early childhood experiences. Our findings suggest that oxytocin administration may decrease feelings of anxiety or aversion to a crying infant. Whether decreased amygdala activation after vasopressin administration might be explained by contextual factors (e.g., absence of high levels of threat, unfamiliarity of the infant) or represents an affiliative response to infant distress warrants further investigation. Findings of the present study showed that oxytocin and vasopressin are important hormones implicated in neural models of infant cry perception in fatherhood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annemieke M Witte
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Madelon M E Riem
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, the Netherlands
| | - N van der Knaap
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marleen H M de Moor
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, 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
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Giannotti M, Gemignani M, Rigo P, Venuti P, De Falco S. The Role of Paternal Involvement on Behavioral Sensitive Responses and Neurobiological Activations in Fathers: A Systematic Review. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:820884. [PMID: 35355925 PMCID: PMC8959913 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.820884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
As fathering research has flourished, a growing body of studies has focused on behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms, respectively associated with caregiving sensitivity and responsiveness to infant stimuli. However, the association between these aspects and the key concept of paternal involvement in childcare (i.e., contribution in infant care in terms of time, availability, and responsibility) has been poorly investigated. The current work aims to systematically review the role of involvement in childcare on both neural activations and sensitive behaviors in fathers by examining (a) how paternal involvement has been measured and (b) whether paternal involvement has been associated with neurobiological activation and behavioral sensitive responses. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed quantitative studies, concerning fathers responding to infant stimuli at neurobiological or behavioral level, and including a quantitative measurement of paternal involvement in childcare. A quality rating for each study has been performed based on the measurements adopted to assess paternal involvement. Of 2,529 articles, 27 studies were included. According to our quality rating, 10 out of 27 studies included fairly good-standard measures for measuring paternal involvement, whereas 17 studies used good-standard measures. In addition, 11 studies provided details of paternal involvement in the context of neurobiological responses to infant stimuli, whereas 16 addressed paternal sensitive behaviors. Overall, only 8 studies reported relevant findings about the relationship between paternal involvement and neurobiological responses or sensitive behaviors in fathers. The present study is the first systematically evaluating the scope of paternal involvement in the field of Paternal Brain and fathers' sensitive responsiveness research. When high-standard measures are used, paternal involvement seems to play a significant role in modulating both the hormonal and the neural pathways associated with paternal behaviors. Remarkably, the role of paternal engagement may underpin an adaptive nurturance that is not dependent on pregnancy and childbirth but on caregiving experience. A promising positive link between paternal involvement and behavioral sensitivity may be expected in further studies, which will need to corroborate our conclusion by adopting detailed and appropriate measures assessing paternal involvement. As a future line of research, the inclusion of gay fathers may be beneficial for the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michele Giannotti
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Micol Gemignani
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Paola Rigo
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Paola Venuti
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Simona De Falco
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Giannotti M, Gemignani M, Rigo P, Simonelli A, Venuti P, De Falco S. Disentangling the Effect of Sex and Caregiving Role: The Investigation of Male Same-Sex Parents as an Opportunity to Learn More About the Neural Parental Caregiving Network. Front Psychol 2022; 13:842361. [PMID: 35237218 PMCID: PMC8884537 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.842361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michele Giannotti
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- *Correspondence: Michele Giannotti
| | - Micol Gemignani
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Paola Rigo
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Alessandra Simonelli
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Paola Venuti
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Simona De Falco
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Abraham E, Feldman R. The Neural Basis of Human Fatherhood: A Unique Biocultural Perspective on Plasticity of Brain and Behavior. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 2022; 25:93-109. [PMID: 35122559 DOI: 10.1007/s10567-022-00381-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
With the growing involvement of fathers in childrearing and the application of neuroscientific tools to research on parenting, there is a need to understand how a father's brain and neurohormonal systems accommodate the transition to parenthood and how such neurobiological changes impact children's mental health, sociality, and family functioning. In this paper, we present a theoretical model on the human father's brain and the neural adaptations that take place when fathers assume an involved role. The neurobiology of fatherhood shows great variability across individuals, societies, and cultures and is shaped to a great extent by bottom-up caregiving experiences and the amount of childrearing responsibilities. Mechanisms of mother-father coparental brain coordination and hormonal correlates of paternal behavior are detailed. Adaptations in the father's brain during pregnancy and across the postpartum year carry long-term implications for children's emotion regulation, stress management, and symptom formation. We propose a new conceptual model of HEALthy Father Brain that describes how a father's brain serves as a source of resilience in the context of family adversity and its capacity to "heal", protect, and foster social brain maturation and functionality in family members via paternal sensitivity, attunement, and support, which, in turn, promote child development and healthy family functioning. Father's brain provides a unique model on neural plasticity as sustained by committed acts of caregiving, thereby affording a novel perspective on the brain basis of human affiliation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eyal Abraham
- Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, 46150, Herzliya, Israel. .,Department of Psychiatry-Child and Adolescent, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA.
| | - Ruth Feldman
- Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, 46150, Herzliya, Israel. .,Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ratliff EL, Kerr KL, Cosgrove KT, Simmons WK, Morris AS. The Role of Neurobiological Bases of Dyadic Emotion Regulation in the Development of Psychopathology: Cross-Brain Associations Between Parents and Children. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 2022; 25:5-18. [PMID: 35113318 DOI: 10.1007/s10567-022-00380-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Daily interactions between parents and children play a large role in children's emotional development and mental health. Thus, it is important to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying this association within the context of these dyadic social interactions. We suggest that examining cross-brain associations, coordinated brain responses, among parents and children increases our understanding of patterns of social and emotion-related processes that occur during parent-child interactions, which may influence the development of child emotion regulation and psychopathology. Therefore, we extend the Parent-Child Emotion Regulation Dynamics Model (Morris et al., in: Cole and Hollenstein (eds) Dynamics of emotion regulation: A matter of time, Taylor & Francis, 2018) to include cross-brain associations involved in dyadic emotion regulation during parent-child social emotional interactions and discuss how this model can inform future research and its broader applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Ratliff
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, Oklahoma State University - Tulsa, 700 N. Greenwood Ave, Tulsa, OK, 74106-0700, USA
| | - Kara L Kerr
- Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University - Stillwater, 118 Psychology Building, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA
| | - Kelly T Cosgrove
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S. Yale Ave., Tulsa, OK, 74136, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Tulsa, 800 S. Tucker Dr., Tulsa, OK, 74104, USA
| | - W Kyle Simmons
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Center for Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, 1111 W. 17th St., Tulsa, OK, 74107, USA
| | - Amanda Sheffield Morris
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, Oklahoma State University - Tulsa, 700 N. Greenwood Ave, Tulsa, OK, 74106-0700, USA. .,Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University - Stillwater, 118 Psychology Building, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Banyeh M, Amidu N, Quaye L. The relationship between offspring's 2D:4D ratio and postpartum maternal circulating testosterone, estradiol, and their indices in a Ghanaian population. Am J Hum Biol 2021; 34:e23684. [PMID: 34558765 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The 2D:4D ratio is influenced by prenatal testosterone (PT) and estrogen (PE) exposure in utero. This study sought to determine whether evidence of Manning's hypothesis can still be observed even in the postpartum period. We hypothesize that the offspring 2D:4D ratios will be inversely correlated with maternal postpartum circulating testosterone but positively correlated with estradiol. METHODS This study was conducted between December 2020 and April 2021 and was cross-sectional in nature. There were 272 mother-offspring pairs; the mothers were aged between 18 and 36 years while the median (IQR) age of their offspring was 111 (44-210) days. Offspring right (2D:4DR) and left (2D:4DL) digit ratios were measured using computer-assisted analysis. Sampling was done at 111 (44-210) days postpartum and blood was analyzed for total testosterone (TT), estradiol (E2) and sex hormone-binding globulins using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. RESULTS The 2D:4DR of sons was significantly lower compared to daughters (p = .031). Mothers with sons had significantly increased levels of serum TT (p = .001) while mothers with daughters had significantly increased levels of E2 (p = .000). As hypothesized, the maternal serum free testosterone (FT%) was inversely correlated with their daughters' (r = -0.320, p = .003), and also with their sons' (r = -0.213, p = .047), 2D:4DL. Unexpectedly, daughters' 2D:4DL was inversely correlated with maternal circulating free E2 (r = -0.255, p = .015). CONCLUSIONS In humans, evidence of the relationship between maternal testosterone levels and their offspring's 2D:4D ratio may persist even into the postpartum period.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Moses Banyeh
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
| | - Nafiu Amidu
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
| | - Lawrence Quaye
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Bos PA, Lesemann FHP, Spencer H, Stein DJ, van Honk J, Montoya ER. Preliminary data on increased reactivity towards children in distress after testosterone administration in women: A matter of protection? Biol Psychol 2021; 165:108176. [PMID: 34474128 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Emotional reactivity to others' distress is a vital prerequisite for a caring response. Testosterone, in contrast, is mostly associated with protection of personal dominance and decreased responsiveness to others' needs. However, experimental work also indicates that rising testosterone levels in response to infant distress can potentially facilitate protection. We assessed the impact of testosterone administration on participants' emotional reactivity to infants in distress, measuring their facial responses on the corrugator supercilii forehead muscle ('frowning') and the zygomaticus major ('smiling') as an index of emotional responses towards children. Moreover, we probed whether the effect of testosterone is moderated by participants' self-reported nurturance and protective tendencies. Our preliminary results showed that testosterone not only increased emotional reactivity to empathy eliciting images of children, but that this increase was strongest in participants with strong protective tendencies. Our administration study is the first to link testosterone to infant protection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Bos
- Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Franca H Parianen Lesemann
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Hannah Spencer
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 15780, 1001 NG, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dan J Stein
- SA MRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, J-Block Groote Schuur Hospital Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jack van Honk
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands; SA MRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, J-Block Groote Schuur Hospital Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Estrella R Montoya
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Provenzi L, Lindstedt J, De Coen K, Gasparini L, Peruzzo D, Grumi S, Arrigoni F, Ahlqvist-Björkroth S. The Paternal Brain in Action: A Review of Human Fathers' fMRI Brain Responses to Child-Related Stimuli. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11060816. [PMID: 34202946 PMCID: PMC8233834 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11060816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
As fathers are increasingly involved in childcare, understanding the neurological underpinnings of fathering has become a key research issue in developmental psychobiology research. This systematic review specifically focused on (1) highlighting methodological issues of paternal brain research using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and (2) summarizing findings related to paternal brain responses to auditory and visual infant stimuli. Sixteen papers were included from 157 retrieved records. Sample characteristics (e.g., fathers’ and infant’s age, number of kids, and time spent caregiving), neuroimaging information (e.g., technique, task, stimuli, and processing), and main findings were synthesized by two independent authors. Most of the reviewed works used different stimuli and tasks to test fathers’ responses to child visual and/or auditory stimuli. Pre-processing and first-level analyses were performed with standard pipelines. Greater heterogeneity emerged in second-level analyses. Three main cortical networks (mentalization, embodied simulation, and emotion regulation) and a subcortical network emerged linked with fathers’ responses to infants’ stimuli, but additional areas (e.g., frontal gyrus, posterior cingulate cortex) were also responsive to infants’ visual or auditory stimuli. This review suggests that a distributed and complex brain network may be involved in facilitating fathers’ sensitivity and responses to infant-related stimuli. Nonetheless, specific methodological caveats, the exploratory nature of large parts of the literature to date, and the presence of heterogeneous tasks and measures also demonstrate that systematic improvements in study designs are needed to further advance the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Livio Provenzi
- Child Psychiatry and Neurology Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0382-380287
| | - Johanna Lindstedt
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, 20500 Turku, Finland; (J.L.); (S.A.-B.)
| | - Kris De Coen
- Neonatal Intensive Care Department, University Hospital of Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
| | - Linda Gasparini
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Università di Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
| | - Denis Peruzzo
- Neuroimaging Lab, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy; (D.P.); (F.A.)
| | - Serena Grumi
- Child Psychiatry and Neurology Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
| | - Filippo Arrigoni
- Neuroimaging Lab, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy; (D.P.); (F.A.)
| | - Sari Ahlqvist-Björkroth
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, 20500 Turku, Finland; (J.L.); (S.A.-B.)
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Engelberg JWM, Schwartz JW, Gouzoules H. The emotional canvas of human screams: patterns and acoustic cues in the perceptual categorization of a basic call type. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10990. [PMID: 33854835 PMCID: PMC7953872 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Screams occur across taxonomically widespread species, typically in antipredator situations, and are strikingly similar acoustically, but in nonhuman primates, they have taken on acoustically varied forms in association with more contextually complex functions related to agonistic recruitment. Humans scream in an even broader range of contexts, but the extent to which acoustic variation allows listeners to perceive different emotional meanings remains unknown. We investigated how listeners responded to 30 contextually diverse human screams on six different emotion prompts as well as how selected acoustic cues predicted these responses. We found that acoustic variation in screams was associated with the perception of different emotions from these calls. Emotion ratings generally fell along two dimensions: one contrasting perceived anger, frustration, and pain with surprise and happiness, roughly associated with call duration and roughness, and one related to perceived fear, associated with call fundamental frequency. Listeners were more likely to rate screams highly in emotion prompts matching the source context, suggesting that some screams conveyed information about emotional context, but it is noteworthy that the analysis of screams from happiness contexts (n = 11 screams) revealed that they more often yielded higher ratings of fear. We discuss the implications of these findings for the role and evolution of nonlinguistic vocalizations in human communication, including consideration of how the expanded diversity in calls such as human screams might represent a derived function of language.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jay W. Schwartz
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Psychological Sciences Department, Western Oregon University, Monmouth, OR, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Rilling JK, Richey L, Andari E, Hamann S. The neural correlates of paternal consoling behavior and frustration in response to infant crying. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:1370-1383. [PMID: 33452675 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Human fathers often form strong attachments to their infants that contribute to positive developmental outcomes. However, fathers are also the most common perpetrators of infant abuse, and infant crying is a known trigger. Research on parental brain responses to infant crying have typically employed passive listening paradigms. However, parents usually engage with crying infants. Therefore, we examined the neural responses of 20 new fathers to infant cries both while passively listening, and while actively attempting to console the infant by selecting soothing strategies in a video game format. Compared with passive listening, active responding robustly activated brain regions involved in movement, empathy and approach motivation, and deactivated regions involved in stress and anxiety. Fathers reporting more frustration had less activation in basal forebrain areas and in brain areas involved with emotion regulation (e.g., prefrontal cortex and the supplementary motor area). Successful consolation of infant crying activated regions involved in both action-outcome learning and parental caregiving (anterior and posterior cingulate cortex). Overall, results suggest that active responding to infant cries amplifies activation in many brain areas typically activated during passive listening. Additionally, paternal frustration during active responding may involve a combination of low approach motivation and low engagement of emotion regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James K Rilling
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Lynnet Richey
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elissar Andari
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Stephan Hamann
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Lotz AM, Verhees MWFT, Horstman LI, Riem MME, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Buisman RSM. Exploring the hormonal and neural correlates of paternal protective behavior to their infants. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:1358-1369. [PMID: 33146413 PMCID: PMC8451880 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Infant protection is an important but largely neglected aspect of parental care. Available theory and research suggest that endocrine levels and neural responses might be biological correlates of protective behavior. However, no research to date examined associations between these neurobiological and behavioral aspects. This study, preregistered on https://osf.io/2acxd, explored the psychobiology of paternal protection in 77 new fathers by combining neural responses to infant-threatening situations, self-reported protective behavior, behavioral observations in a newly developed experimental set-up (Auditory Startling Task), and measurements of testosterone and vasopressin. fMRI analyses validated the role of several brain networks in the processing of infant-threatening situations and indicated replicable findings with the infant-threat paradigm. We found little overlap between observed and reported protective behavior. Robust associations between endocrine levels, neural responses, and paternal protective behavior were absent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Lotz
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Martine W F T Verhees
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lisa I Horstman
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Madelon M E Riem
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Renate S M Buisman
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Paternina-Die M, Martínez-García M, Pretus C, Hoekzema E, Barba-Müller E, Martín de Blas D, Pozzobon C, Ballesteros A, Vilarroya Ó, Desco M, Carmona S. The Paternal Transition Entails Neuroanatomic Adaptations that are Associated with the Father's Brain Response to his Infant Cues. Cereb Cortex Commun 2020; 1:tgaa082. [PMID: 34296140 PMCID: PMC8152902 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgaa082] [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: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The transition into fatherhood is a life-changing event that requires substantial psychological adaptations. In families that include a father figure, sensitive paternal behavior has been shown to positively impact the infant’s development. Yet, studies exploring the neuroanatomic adaptations of men in their transition into fatherhood are scarce. The present study used surface-based methods to reanalyze a previously published prospective magnetic resonance imaging dataset comprised of 20 first-time fathers (preconception-to-postpartum) and 17 childless men. We tested if the transition into fatherhood entailed changes in cortical volume, thickness, and area and whether these changes were related to 2 indicators of paternal experience. Specifically, we tested if such changes were associated with (1) the baby’s age and/or (2) the fathers’ brain activity in response to pictures of their babies compared with an unknown baby. Results indicated that first-time fathers exhibited a significant reduction in cortical volume and thickness of the precuneus. Moreover, higher volume reduction and cortical thinning were associated with stronger brain responses to pictures of their own baby in parental brain regions. This is the first study showing preconception-to-postpartum neuroanatomical adaptations in first-time fathers associated with the father’s brain response to cues of his infant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Magdalena Martínez-García
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, 28007 Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Clara Pretus
- Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.,Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallés, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elseline Hoekzema
- Brain and Development Research Center, Leiden University, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, 2300 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Erika Barba-Müller
- Institute of Mental Health Vidal i Barraquer, Ramon Llull University, 08022 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Óscar Vilarroya
- Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.,Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallés, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuel Desco
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, 28007 Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28903 Madrid, Spain.,Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Susanna Carmona
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, 28007 Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Diaz-Rojas F, Matsunaga M, Tanaka Y, Kikusui T, Mogi K, Nagasawa M, Asano K, Abe N, Myowa M. Development of the paternal brain in expectant fathers during early pregnancy. Neuroimage 2020; 225:117527. [PMID: 33147508 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The human parenting brain network mediates caregiving behaviors. When exposed to the stimuli of their infants, compared with non-parents, both fathers and mothers exhibit distinct patterns of neural activation. As human males, relative to females, do not undergo robust physiological changes during pregnancy, when and how the paternal brain networks begin to form remains unclear. Thus, using functional MRI, we examined brain activation in response to infant-interaction videos in two groups, childless males and first-time expectant fathers during their partners' early pregnancy before remarkable changes in their partners' appearances commenced. Multivoxel pattern analysis revealed that expectant fathers' left anterior insula and inferior frontal gyrus showed incipient changes in response to parenthood during early pregnancy. Furthermore, these changes were associated with several paternal traits, such as a negative image toward parenting. Such external factors might influence the paternal brain's development during early pregnancy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yukari Tanaka
- Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takefumi Kikusui
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Mogi
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Miho Nagasawa
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kohei Asano
- Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Osaka University of Comprehensive Children Education, Osaka, Japan
| | - Nobuhito Abe
- Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masako Myowa
- Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Cataldo I, Neoh MJY, Chew WF, Foo JN, Lepri B, Esposito G. Oxytocin receptor gene and parental bonding modulate prefrontal responses to cries: a NIRS Study. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8588. [PMID: 32444796 PMCID: PMC7244477 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65582-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to interpret and regulate emotions relies on experiences of emotional socialization, obtained firstly through the interaction with the parents, and on genetic features that affect how individuals take on social situations. Evidence from the genetic field states that specific allelic variations of the oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms regulate physiological modulation of human behavior, especially concerning responses to social cues and affiliative behaviors. Starting from this gene-by-environment interaction frame, we assessed 102 young adults for OXTr rs53576 and rs2254298, recalled parental bonding (using the Parental Bonding Instrument), and recorded participants' neural responses to social stressors using Near InfraRed Spectroscopy (NIRS). The results highlight that higher genetic susceptibility (G/G homozygous) to familiar context and positive early life interactions modulate more optimal neural responses to general social cues, in terms of promptness to action. With regards to the dimensions of parental bonding, we found lateralized effects, with greater activation in the right prefrontal cortex for Care subscales, and on the left side of the prefrontal cortex for Overprotection. Results provide evidence to understand the neurological mechanisms behind the negative impact of poor parenting practices on the child.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Cataldo
- Affiliative Behavior and Physiology Lab, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy.,Mobile and Social Computing Lab, Bruno Kessler Foundation, Trento, Italy
| | - Michelle Jin-Yee Neoh
- Social and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wei Fang Chew
- Social and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jia Nee Foo
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Human Genetics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bruno Lepri
- Mobile and Social Computing Lab, Bruno Kessler Foundation, Trento, Italy
| | - Gianluca Esposito
- Affiliative Behavior and Physiology Lab, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy. .,Social and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore. .,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Kerr KL, Cosgrove KT, Ratliff EL, Burrows K, Misaki M, Moore AJ, DeVille DC, Silk JS, Tapert SF, Bodurka J, Simmons WK, Morris AS. TEAMwork: Testing Emotional Attunement and Mutuality During Parent-Adolescent fMRI. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:24. [PMID: 32116608 PMCID: PMC7018765 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The parent-child relationship and family context influence the development of emotion regulation (ER) brain circuitry and related skills in children and adolescents. Although both parents' and children's ER neurocircuitry simultaneously affect how they interact with one another, neuroimaging studies of parent-child relationships typically include only one member of the dyad in brain imaging procedures. The current study examined brain activation related to parenting and ER in parent-adolescent dyads during concurrent fMRI scanning with a novel task - the Testing Emotional Attunement and Mutuality (TEAM) task. The TEAM task includes feedback trials indicating the other dyad member made an error, resulting in a monetary loss for both participants. Results indicate that positive parenting practices as reported by the adolescent were positively correlated with parents' hemodynamic activation of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, a region related to empathy, during these error trials. Additionally, during feedback conditions both parents and adolescents exhibited fMRI activation in ER-related regions, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior insula, fusiform gyrus, thalamus, caudate, precuneus, and superior parietal lobule. Adolescents had higher left amygdala activation than parents during the feedback condition. These findings demonstrate the utility of dyadic fMRI scanning for investigating relational processes, particularly in the parent-child relationship.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kara L. Kerr
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, Oklahoma State University–Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, United States
| | - Kelly T. Cosgrove
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, United States
- Department of Psychology, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, United States
| | - Erin L. Ratliff
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, Oklahoma State University–Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, United States
| | - Kaiping Burrows
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, United States
| | - Masaya Misaki
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, United States
| | - Andrew J. Moore
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, United States
| | - Danielle C. DeVille
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, United States
- Department of Psychology, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, United States
| | - Jennifer S. Silk
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Susan F. Tapert
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Jerzy Bodurka
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, United States
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
| | - W. Kyle Simmons
- Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Johnson & Johnson, Inc., La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Amanda Sheffield Morris
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, Oklahoma State University–Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, United States
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, United States
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Rogers FD, Bales KL. Mothers, Fathers, and Others: Neural Substrates of Parental Care. Trends Neurosci 2019; 42:552-562. [PMID: 31255381 PMCID: PMC6660995 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2019.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Parental care is essential for the survival of offspring in altricial mammalian species. However, in most mammals, virgin females tend to avoid or attack infants. Moreover, most males demonstrate avoidance and aggression toward infants, and have little to no involvement in parental care. What mechanisms suppress avoidance, and support approach towards pups, to promote maternal care? In biparental and cooperatively breeding species, what mechanisms allow nonmothers (i.e., fathers and alloparents) to demonstrate parental care? In this review we consider the mechanisms that subserve parental care in mothers, fathers, and others (i.e., alloparents). We emphasize recent discoveries and research trends with particular emphasis on neuroendocrinology, neuroplasticity, transcriptomics, and epigenetics. Finally, we consider outstanding questions and outline opportunities for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Forrest Dylan Rogers
- Graduate Program in Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Karen Lisa Bales
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Glasper ER, Kenkel WM, Bick J, Rilling JK. More than just mothers: The neurobiological and neuroendocrine underpinnings of allomaternal caregiving. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 53:100741. [PMID: 30822428 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
In a minority of mammalian species, mothers depend on others to help raise their offspring. New research is investigating the neuroendocrine mechanisms supporting this allomaternal behavior. Several hormones have been implicated in allomaternal caregiving; however, the role of specific hormones is variable across species, perhaps because allomothering independently evolved multiple times. Brain regions involved in maternal behavior in non-human animals, such as the medial preoptic area, are also critically involved in allomaternal behavior. Allomaternal experience modulates hormonal systems, neural plasticity, and behavioral reactivity. In humans, fatherhood-induced decreases in testosterone and increases in oxytocin may support sensitive caregiving. Fathers and mothers activate similar neural systems when exposed to child stimuli, and this can be considered a global "parental caregiving" network. Finally, early work on caregiving by non-kin (e.g., foster parents) suggests reliance on similar mechanisms as biologically-related parents. This article is part of the 'Parental Brain and Behavior' Special Issue.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E R Glasper
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, 4094 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| | - W M Kenkel
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, 150 S. Woodlawn Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - J Bick
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, 4849 Calhoun Road, Houston, TX 77204, USA; Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics, University of Houston, 4849 Calhoun Rd, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - J K Rilling
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, 207 Anthropology Building, 1557 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, 101 Woodruff Circle, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Emory University, PO Box 3966, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA; Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, 201 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Witteman J, Van IJzendoorn MH, Rilling JK, Bos PA, Schiller NO, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Towards a neural model of infant cry perception. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 99:23-32. [PMID: 30710581 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Previous work suggests that infant cry perception is supported by an evolutionary old neural network consisting of the auditory system, the thalamocingulate circuit, the frontoinsular system, the reward pathway and the medial prefrontal cortex. Furthermore, gender and parenthood have been proposed to modulate processing of infant cries. The present meta-analysis (N = 350) confirmed involvement of the auditory system, the thalamocingulate circuit, the dorsal anterior insula, the pre-supplementary motor area and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and the inferior frontal gyrus in infant cry perception, but not of the reward pathway. Structures related to motoric processing, possibly supporting the preparation of a parenting response, were also involved. Finally, females (more than males) and parents (more than non-parents) recruited a cortico-limbic sensorimotor integration network, offering a neural explanation for previously observed enhanced processing of infant cries in these sub-groups. Based on the results, an updated neural model of infant cry perception is presented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Witteman
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition / Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Leiden University, Van Wijkplaats 2, r2.02b, 2311 BV Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - M H Van IJzendoorn
- Capital Normal University, Beijing, China, No. 83 Xi San Huan Bei Lu, Haidian, Beijing Beijing Municipality, 100089, China; Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Mandeville Building, Room T15-10, P.O. Box 1738
- 3000 DR Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J K Rilling
- Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Anthropology, 1462 Clifton Rd, GA 30329, Atlanta, United States of America
| | - P A Bos
- Utrecht University, Faculty of Social Science, Martinus J. Langeveldgebouw, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - N O Schiller
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition / Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Leiden University, Van Wijkplaats 2, r2.02b, 2311 BV Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - M J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition / Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Leiden University, Van Wijkplaats 2, r2.02b, 2311 BV Leiden, the Netherlands; Clinical Child & Family Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Hastings WJ, Chang AM, Ebstein RP, Shalev I. Neuroendocrine stress response is moderated by sex and sex hormone receptor polymorphisms. Horm Behav 2018; 106:74-80. [PMID: 30300610 PMCID: PMC6324727 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Sex hormones are significant regulators of stress reactivity, however, little is known about how genetic variation in hormone receptors contributes to this process. Here we report interactions between biological sex and repeat polymorphisms in genes encoding sex hormone receptors, and their effects on salivary cortisol reactivity in a sample of 100 participants (47 men & 53 women; 24.7 ± 3.23 years). Three genes were investigated: estrogen receptors alpha (ESR1) and beta (ESR2), and the androgen receptor (AR). Participants were classified as carrying 'Short' or 'Long' alleles based on median splits of the repeat distribution for each gene. Measures of physiological reactivity were collected before and after exposure to a canonical laboratory stressor and converted to traditional summary measures for analyses. Overall, men exhibited greater cortisol (p = 0.001) and mean arterial pressure reactivity (p = 0.002), while women displayed elevated heart rate throughout the session (p = 0.02). The effect of polymorphisms on salivary cortisol was sex sensitive. ESR1 was associated with differential reactivity in men (p = 0.04), but not women (p = 0.24). ESR2 genotype interacted with sex such that each additional 'Long' allele was associated with a 6.4% decrease in salivary cortisol in men, but a 9.5% increase in the levels of women (p = 0.02 for interaction). For the X-linked AR, the 'Long' allele was associated with decreased cortisol levels in men (p = 0.047), but in women had no effect (p = 0.75). Together, these results provide evidence for the saliency of genetic variation in sex hormone receptors on stress reactivity in humans and highlight their important role as mediators of hormonal activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- W J Hastings
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA
| | - A M Chang
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA
| | - R P Ebstein
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - I Shalev
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Prepartum and Postpartum Mothers' and Fathers' Unwanted, Intrusive Thoughts in Response to Infant Crying. Behav Cogn Psychother 2018; 47:129-147. [PMID: 30153878 DOI: 10.1017/s1352465818000474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Unwanted intrusive thoughts of intentionally harming one's infant (intrusive harm thoughts) are common distressing experiences among postpartum mothers and fathers. AIM To understand infant crying as a stimulus for intrusive harm thoughts and associated emotional responses in prepartum and postpartum mothers and fathers in response to infant cry. METHOD Following completion of self-report measures of negative mood and anger, prepartum (n = 48) and postpartum (n = 44) samples of mother and father pairs completed 10 minutes of listening to audio-recorded infant crying. Post-test questionnaires assessed harm thoughts, negative emotions, urges to comfort and flee, and thoughts of shaking as a soothing or coping strategy. RESULTS One quarter of prepartum and 44% of postpartum parents reported intrusive infant-related harm thoughts following crying. Mothers and fathers did not differ in the likelihood of reporting harm thoughts, nor in the number of thoughts reported. Women reported more internalizing emotions compared with men. Hostile emotions were stronger among postpartum parents, and parents reporting harm thoughts. All parents reported strong urges to comfort the infant. Urges to flee were stronger among parents who reported harm thoughts. The likelihood of using infant shaking as a soothing or coping strategy was minimally endorsed, albeit more strongly by fathers and parents who also reported harm thoughts. CONCLUSIONS In response to crying, harm thoughts are common and are associated with hostile emotions, urges to flee, and increased thoughts of using infant shaking. Reassuringly, the number of participants considering infant shaking as a strategy for soothing or for coping with a crying infant was low.
Collapse
|
22
|
Holz NE, Zohsel K, Laucht M, Banaschewski T, Hohmann S, Brandeis D. Gene x environment interactions in conduct disorder: Implications for future treatments. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 91:239-258. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
|
23
|
Thijssen S, Van 't Veer AE, Witteman J, Meijer WM, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Effects of vasopressin on neural processing of infant crying in expectant fathers. Horm Behav 2018; 103:19-27. [PMID: 29792885 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
In a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject magnetic resonance imaging study, we examined the effect of 20 IU intranasal vasopressin on the neural processing of infant crying in 25 fathers-to-be. We explored whether familial background modulates vasopressin effects, and whether vasopressin differentially affects cry processing coupled with neutral or emotional contextual information. Participants listened to cries accompanied by neutral ('this is an infant') or emotional ('this infant is sick/bored') contextual information, and neutral control sounds ('this is a saw'). Additionally, participants reported on their childhood experiences of parental love-withdrawal and abuse. Infant crying (vs control sounds) was associated with increased activation in the bilateral auditory cortex and posterior medial cortex. No effects of vasopressin were found in this 'cry network'. Exploratory whole-brain analyses suggested that effects of vasopressin in the anterior cingulate cortex, paracingulate gyrus and supplemental motor area were stronger in fathers who experienced lower (vs higher) levels of love-withdrawal. No interaction was observed for abuse. Vasopressin increased activation in response to cries accompanied by emotional vs neutral contextual information in several brain regions, e.g. the cerebellum, brainstem (midbrain), posterior medial cortex, hippocampus, putamen, and insula. Our results suggest that the experience of love-withdrawal may modulate the vasopressin system, influencing effects of vasopressin administration on cry processing. Results further suggest a role for vasopressin in the processing of cry sounds with emotional contextual information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Thijssen
- Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anna E Van 't Veer
- Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jurriaan Witteman
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Willemijn M Meijer
- Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Mascaro JS, Rentscher KE, Hackett PD, Lori A, Darcher A, Rilling JK, Mehl MR. Preliminary evidence that androgen signaling is correlated with men's everyday language. Am J Hum Biol 2018; 30:e23136. [PMID: 29752749 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Testosterone (T) has an integral, albeit complex, relationship with social behavior, especially in the domains of aggression and competition. However, examining this relationship in humans is challenging given the often covert and subtle nature of human aggression and status-seeking. The present study aimed to investigate whether T levels and genetic polymorphisms in the AR gene are associated with social behavior assessed via natural language use. METHODS We used unobtrusive, behavioral, real-world ambulatory assessments of men in partnered heterosexual relationships to examine the relationship between plasma T levels, variation in the androgen receptor (AR) gene, and spontaneous, everyday language in three interpersonal contexts: with romantic partners, with co-workers, and with their children. RESULTS Men's T levels were positively correlated with their use of achievement words with their children, and the number of AR CAG trinucleotide repeats was inversely correlated with their use of anger and reward words with their children. T levels were positively correlated with sexual language and with use of swear words in the presence of their partner, but not in the presence of co-workers or children. CONCLUSIONS Together, these results suggest that T may influence social behavior by increasing the frequency of words related to aggression, sexuality, and status, and that it may alter the quality of interactions with an intimate partner by amplifying emotions via swearing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer S Mascaro
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Kelly E Rentscher
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721.,Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Patrick D Hackett
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Adriana Lori
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Alana Darcher
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
| | - James K Rilling
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Matthias R Mehl
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Li T, Horta M, Mascaro JS, Bijanki K, Arnal LH, Adams M, Barr RG, Rilling JK. Explaining individual variation in paternal brain responses to infant cries. Physiol Behav 2018; 193:43-54. [PMID: 29730041 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.12.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Crying is the principal means by which newborn infants shape parental behavior to meet their needs. While this mechanism can be highly effective, infant crying can also be an aversive stimulus that leads to parental frustration and even abuse. Fathers have recently become more involved in direct caregiving activities in modern, developed nations, and fathers are more likely than mothers to physically abuse infants. In this study, we attempt to explain variation in the neural response to infant crying among human fathers, with the hope of identifying factors that are associated with a more or less sensitive response. We imaged brain function in 39 first-time fathers of newborn infants as they listened to both their own and a standardized unknown infant cry stimulus, as well as auditory control stimuli, and evaluated whether these neural responses were correlated with measured characteristics of fathers and infants that were hypothesized to modulate these responses. Fathers also provided subjective ratings of each cry stimulus on multiple dimensions. Fathers showed widespread activation to both own and unknown infant cries in neural systems involved in empathy and approach motivation. There was no significant difference in the neural response to the own vs. unknown infant cry, and many fathers were unable to distinguish between the two cries. Comparison of these results with previous studies in mothers revealed a high degree of similarity between first-time fathers and first-time mothers in the pattern of neural activation to newborn infant cries. Further comparisons suggested that younger infant age was associated with stronger paternal neural responses, perhaps due to hormonal or novelty effects. In our sample, older fathers found infant cries less aversive and had an attenuated response to infant crying in both the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and the anterior insula, suggesting that compared with younger fathers, older fathers may be better able to avoid the distress associated with empathic over-arousal in response to infant cries. A principal components analysis revealed that fathers with more negative emotional reactions to the unknown infant cry showed decreased activation in the thalamus and caudate nucleus, regions expected to promote positive parental behaviors, as well as increased activation in the hypothalamus and dorsal ACC, again suggesting that empathic over-arousal might result in negative emotional reactions to infant crying. In sum, our findings suggest that infant age, paternal age and paternal emotional reactions to infant crying all modulate the neural response of fathers to infant crying. By identifying neural correlates of variation in paternal subjective reactions to infant crying, these findings help lay the groundwork for evaluating the effectiveness of interventions designed to increase paternal sensitivity and compassion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ting Li
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, United States
| | - Marilyn Horta
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, United States
| | - Jennifer S Mascaro
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, United States; Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, United States
| | - Kelly Bijanki
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University School of Medicine, United States
| | - Luc H Arnal
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Geneva, Campus Biotech, Switzerland
| | - Melissa Adams
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, United States
| | - Ronald G Barr
- British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Canada
| | - James K Rilling
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, United States; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Emory University, United States; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, United States; Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Mascaro JS, Rentscher KE, Hackett PD, Mehl MR, Rilling JK. Child gender influences paternal behavior, language, and brain function. Behav Neurosci 2018; 131:262-273. [PMID: 28541079 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Multiple lines of research indicate that fathers often treat boys and girls differently in ways that impact child outcomes. The complex picture that has emerged, however, is obscured by methodological challenges inherent to the study of parental caregiving, and no studies to date have examined the possibility that gender differences in observed real-world paternal behavior are related to differential paternal brain responses to male and female children. Here we compare fathers of daughters and fathers of sons in terms of naturalistically observed everyday caregiving behavior and neural responses to child picture stimuli. Compared with fathers of sons, fathers of daughters were more attentively engaged with their daughters, sang more to their daughters, used more analytical language and language related to sadness and the body with their daughters, and had a stronger neural response to their daughter's happy facial expressions in areas of the brain important for reward and emotion regulation (medial and lateral orbitofrontal cortex [OFC]). In contrast, fathers of sons engaged in more rough and tumble play (RTP), used more achievement language with their sons, and had a stronger neural response to their son's neutral facial expressions in the medial OFC (mOFC). Whereas the mOFC response to happy faces was negatively related to RTP, the mOFC response to neutral faces was positively related to RTP, specifically for fathers of boys. These results indicate that real-world paternal behavior and brain function differ as a function of child gender. (PsycINFO Database Record
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer S Mascaro
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine
| | | | | | | | - James K Rilling
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Sundström Poromaa I, Comasco E, Georgakis MK, Skalkidou A. Sex differences in depression during pregnancy and the postpartum period. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:719-730. [PMID: 27870443 PMCID: PMC5129485 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Revised: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Women have a lifetime risk of major depression double that of men but only during their reproductive years. This sex difference has been attributed partially to activational effects of female sex steroids and also to the burdens of pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. Men, in contrast, have a reproductive period difficult to delineate, and research on the mental health of men has rarely considered the effects of fatherhood. However, the couple goes through a number of potentially stressing events during the reproductive period, and both mothers and fathers are at risk of developing peripartum depression. This Review discusses the literature on maternal and paternal depression and the endocrine changes that may predispose a person to depression at this stage of life, with specific focus on the hypothalamus–pituitary axis, oxytocin, and testosterone levels in men. Important findings on sex differences in the neural correlates of maternal and paternal behavior have emerged, highlighting the relevance of the emotional brain in mothers and the sociocognitive brain in fathers and pointing toward the presence of a common parents' brain. Additionally, sex differences in neurogenesis and brain plasticity are described in relation to peripartum depression. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Neuroscience Research Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Erika Comasco
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marios K Georgakis
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Alkistis Skalkidou
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Szymanska M, Schneider M, Chateau-Smith C, Nezelof S, Vulliez-Coady L. Psychophysiological effects of oxytocin on parent-child interactions: A literature review on oxytocin and parent-child interactions. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2017; 71:690-705. [PMID: 28573830 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Revised: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT), often called the 'hormone of love' or 'hormone of attachment,' plays a fundamental role in the establishment and quality of parent-infant bonding. However, emerging evidence indicates that OT can also produce antisocial behavior. To clarify these effects, we review studies examining the role of endogenous and exogenous OT on several determinants of attachment: parental sensitivity, and bonding or synchrony in parent-child dyads. Contextual and individual factors moderating the effect of intranasal OT and its peripheral levels are also reviewed. Finally, potential therapeutic applications for OT and current limitations in human OT research are examined. This systematic literature review was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, with two electronic databases and other bibliographic sources. We identified a total of 47 relevant studies for inclusion in our review. Most of the findings are in accordance with recent ideas that OT administration may increase parent-child prosocial interaction, showing that OT exerts beneficial effects on processes thought to promote bonding, sensitivity, and synchrony. However, we found that OT can induce antisocial behavior (e.g., anxiety) or adverse effects (modulation of maternal care recollections) that are moderated by different contextual (e.g., maltreatment level, presence of unfamiliar people) and individual (attachment style) factors. This review reinforces the importance of context- and individual-dependent factors, which must be taken into account when analyzing the psychophysiological effects of OT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monika Szymanska
- Science and Technology Department, Laboratory of Integrative and Clinical Neuroscience, EA 481, University of Burgundy Franche-Comté, COMUE Burgundy, CHRU Besançon, France
| | - Marie Schneider
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Regional Hospital, Besançon, France
| | - Carmela Chateau-Smith
- Science and Technology Department, Training and Research Unit: Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Burgundy Franche-Comté, COMUE Burgundy, Dijon, France
| | - Sylvie Nezelof
- Science and Technology Department, Laboratory of Integrative and Clinical Neuroscience, EA 481, University of Burgundy Franche-Comté, COMUE Burgundy, CHRU Besançon, France.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Regional Hospital, Besançon, France
| | - Lauriane Vulliez-Coady
- Science and Technology Department, Laboratory of Integrative and Clinical Neuroscience, EA 481, University of Burgundy Franche-Comté, COMUE Burgundy, CHRU Besançon, France.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Regional Hospital, Besançon, France
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Ziegler TE, Sosa ME, Colman RJ. Fathering style influences health outcome in common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) offspring. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0185695. [PMID: 28957433 PMCID: PMC5619809 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In the cooperative breeding common marmoset monkey, Callithrix jacchus, fathers share the care responsibility and energetic load with their mate from the time their infants are born. However, not all fathers show the same level of participation in direct infant care. Here we present the first results demonstrating that fathering style can improve both survival and growth trajectory of a male's offspring during the first 30 weeks of life and that these infant outcomes are consistent within a father throughout successive births. Twenty-four marmoset fathers were tested for their responsiveness to an infant distress call when their infants were approximately two weeks old. These fathers were categorized as either responsive (RS) or nonresponsive (NRS) based on their response to the calls. Survival past 1 month was then determined and bi-monthly weights of current infants through 30 weeks of age were taken. Infant survival to the first month was significantly higher with RS fathers than with NRS fathers during this critical time period. Infants from RS fathers also had a higher growth trajectory with significant differences in body weight in the 28th and 30th week after birth. Only the RS fathers showed a significant increase in serum testosterone in response to infant cries suggesting a physiological role of testosterone in the motivation to search for the infant. Furthermore, all offspring born to RS fathers from subsequent births also showed a significantly higher survival rate and higher growth trajectory than for offspring of NRS fathers. These results suggest that fathering style is a consistent trait and responsive fathers improve infant survival rate and growth during the first 30 weeks. Such fathering style traits may be passed on to the male offspring due to environmental or genetic factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Toni E. Ziegler
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Megan E. Sosa
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Ricki J. Colman
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Ito A, Niwano K, Tanabe M, Sato Y, Fujii T. Activity changes in the left superior temporal sulcus reflect the effects of childcare training on young female students' perceptions of infants' negative facial expressions. Neurosci Res 2017; 131:36-44. [PMID: 28916469 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2017.09.003] [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: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In many developed countries, the number of infants who experience non-parent childcare is increasing, and the role of preschool teachers is becoming more important. However, little attention has been paid to the effects of childcare training on students who are studying to become preschool teachers. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate whether and how childcare training affects brain responses to infants' facial expressions among young females studying to become preschool teachers. Twenty-seven subjects who attended a childcare training session (i.e., the experimental group) and 28 subjects who did not attend the training (i.e., the control group) participated in this study. The participants went through fMRI scanning twice: before and after the childcare training session. They were presented with happy, neutral, and sad infant faces one by one during fMRI scanning. The present neuroimaging results revealed that the activity patterns of the left superior temporal sulcus (STS) for sad faces were modulated by the interaction between the time point of the data collection and group differences. The present results are the first to highlight the effects of childcare training on the human brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ayahito Ito
- Kansei Fukushi Research Institute, Tohoku Fukushi University, 6-149-1, Kunimigaoka, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 989-3201, Japan.
| | - Katsuko Niwano
- Faculty of Education, Tohoku Fukushi University, 1-8-1, Kunimi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 981-8522, Japan
| | - Motoko Tanabe
- Faculty of Health Science, Tohoku Fukushi University, 6-149-1, Kunimigaoka, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 989-3201, Japan
| | - Yosuke Sato
- Faculty of Health Science, Tohoku Fukushi University, 6-149-1, Kunimigaoka, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 989-3201, Japan
| | - Toshikatsu Fujii
- Kansei Fukushi Research Institute, Tohoku Fukushi University, 6-149-1, Kunimigaoka, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 989-3201, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Li T, Chen X, Mascaro J, Haroon E, Rilling JK. Intranasal oxytocin, but not vasopressin, augments neural responses to toddlers in human fathers. Horm Behav 2017; 93:193-202. [PMID: 28161387 PMCID: PMC5565399 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Revised: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
This study investigates paternal brain function with the hope of better understanding the neural basis for variation in caregiving involvement among men. The neuropeptides oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) are implicated in paternal caregiving in humans and other species. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject pharmaco-functional MRI experiment, we randomized 30 fathers of 1-2year old children to receive either 24IU intranasal OT before one scan and placebo before the other scan (n=15) or 20IU intranasal AVP before one scan and placebo before the other scan (n=15). Brain function was measured with fMRI as the fathers viewed pictures of their children, unknown children and unknown adults, and as they listened to unknown infant cry stimuli. Intranasal OT, but not AVP, significantly increased the BOLD fMRI response to viewing pictures of own children within the caudate nucleus, a target of midbrain dopamine projections, as well as the dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) and visual cortex, suggesting that intranasal oxytocin augments activation in brain regions involved in reward, empathy and attention in human fathers. OT effects also varied as a function of order of administration such that when OT was given before placebo, it increased activation within several reward-related structures (substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, putamen) more than when it was given after placebo. Neither OT nor AVP had significant main effects on the neural response to cries. Our findings suggest that the hormonal changes associated with the transition to fatherhood are likely to facilitate increased approach motivation and empathy for children, and call for future research that evaluates the potential of OT to normalize deficits in paternal motivation, as might be found among men suffering from post-partum depression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ting Li
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, 1557 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Xu Chen
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, 1557 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, 201 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Jennifer Mascaro
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 1841 Clifton Rd NE, Rm 507, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Ebrahim Haroon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, 201 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - James K Rilling
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, 1557 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, 201 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Gong P, Fang P, Yang X, Ru W, Wang B, Gao X, Liu J. The CAG polymorphism in androgen receptor (AR) gene impacts the moral permissibility of harmful behavior in females. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 80:74-79. [PMID: 28324702 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Revised: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The moral permissibility of harm is strikingly varied among individuals. In light of the connection between testosterone levels and utilitarian moral judgment, this study examined to what extent a CAG polymorphism in the androgen receptor gene, a genetic polymorphism with the ability to regulate testosterone function, contributes to individual differences in moral judgment. Four hundred and thirty-nine Chinese Han participants completed permissibility ratings of harm in moral dilemmas and moral transgression scenarios. Results showed a significant association between the CAG polymorphism and moral permissibility of harm in females. Females with more copies of the S allele, which is associated with higher availability of testosterone, were more likely to judge harmful utilitarian acts and unintentionally harmful acts as permissible, while these effects were absent in males. The findings provide the first evidence for a link between the androgen receptor gene and moral judgment and highlight the role of androgens in moral foundations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pingyuan Gong
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China; Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Pengpeng Fang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Xing Yang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Wenzhao Ru
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Bei Wang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Xiaocai Gao
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China; Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Jinting Liu
- China Center for Special Economic Zone Research, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Research Center for Brain Function and Psychological Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Young KS, Parsons CE, Stein A, Vuust P, Craske MG, Kringelbach ML. The neural basis of responsive caregiving behaviour: Investigating temporal dynamics within the parental brain. Behav Brain Res 2017; 325:105-116. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2016] [Revised: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
|
34
|
Wright DB, Laurent HK, Ablow JC. Mothers Who Were Neglected in Childhood Show Differences in Neural Response to Their Infant's Cry. CHILD MALTREATMENT 2017; 22:158-166. [PMID: 28413918 DOI: 10.1177/1077559516683503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate how a mother's experience of neglect in her own childhood is associated with her neural response to her infant's distress cues. During scanning, 22 high-risk primiparous mothers were exposed to both their own 18-month-old infant's cry sound and a control sound. Mothers' continuous Neglect subscale scores from the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire were examined as a predictor of their neural response to own infant cry > control sound. Mothers who reported high levels of neglect from childhood showed regions of hyperactivation to their infant's cry (relative to control sound) in the anterior and posterior cingulate cortices and insula as well as specific prefrontal (precentral gyrus) and parietal (posterior supramarginal gyrus) areas. These results may suggest how important early life experiences are for future parenting responses and behaviors.
Collapse
|
35
|
Rilling JK, Mascaro JS. The neurobiology of fatherhood. Curr Opin Psychol 2017; 15:26-32. [PMID: 28813264 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Only about 5% of mammalian species exhibit paternal caregiving in nature, and paternal behavior has evolved multiple times independently among mammals. The most parsimonious way to evolve paternal behavior may be to utilize pre-existing neural systems that are in place for maternal behavior. Despite evidence for similarity in the neurobiology of maternal and paternal behavior in rodents, paternal behavior also has its own dedicated neural circuitry in some species. Human fathers engage conserved subcortical systems that motivate caregiving in rodent parents and human mothers, as well as cortical systems involved with empathy that they share with human mothers. Finally, paternal behavior is modulated by similar hormones and neuropeptides in rodents, non-human primates, and humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James K Rilling
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, 207 Anthropology Building, 1557 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, 1639 Pierce Drive, Suite 4000, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Emory University, PO Box 3966, Atlanta, Georgia 30302, USA; Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, USA.
| | - Jennifer S Mascaro
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, USA; Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 1841 Clifton Road NE, Rm 507, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Gettler LT, Ryan CP, Eisenberg DTA, Rzhetskaya M, Hayes MG, Feranil AB, Bechayda SA, Kuzawa CW. The role of testosterone in coordinating male life history strategies: The moderating effects of the androgen receptor CAG repeat polymorphism. Horm Behav 2017; 87:164-175. [PMID: 27794482 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Partnered fathers often have lower testosterone than single non-parents, which is theorized to relate to elevated testosterone (T) facilitating competitive behaviors and lower T contributing to nurturing. Cultural- and individual-factors moderate the expression of such psychobiological profiles. Less is known about genetic variation's role in individual psychobiological responses to partnering and fathering, particularly as related to T. We examined the exon 1 CAG (polyglutamine) repeat (CAGn) within the androgen receptor (AR) gene. AR CAGn shapes T's effects after it binds to AR by affecting AR transcriptional activity. Thus, this polymorphism is a strong candidate to influence individual-level profiles of "androgenicity." While males with a highly androgenic profile are expected to engage in a more competitive-oriented life history strategy, low androgenic men are at increased risk of depression, which could lead to similar outcomes for certain familial dynamics, such as marriage stability and parenting. Here, in a large longitudinal study of Filipino men (n=683), we found that men who had high androgenicity (elevated T and shorter CAGn) or low androgenicity (lower T and longer CAGn) showed elevated likelihood of relationship instability over the 4.5-year study period and were also more likely be relatively uninvolved with childcare as fathers. We did not find that CAGn moderated men's T responses to the fatherhood transition. In total, our results provide evidence for invested fathering and relationship stability at intermediate levels of androgenicity and help inform our understanding of variation in male reproductive strategies and the individual hormonal and genetic differences that underlie it.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States; The Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, United States.
| | - Calen P Ryan
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, United States
| | - Dan T A Eisenberg
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States; Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Margarita Rzhetskaya
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
| | - M Geoffrey Hayes
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, United States; Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, United States; Center for Genetic Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
| | - Alan B Feranil
- USC Office of Population Studies Foundation and Department of Anthropology, Sociology, and History, College of Arts and Sciences, University of San Carlos, Talamban Cebu City, Philippines
| | - Sonny Agustin Bechayda
- USC Office of Population Studies Foundation and Department of Anthropology, Sociology, and History, College of Arts and Sciences, University of San Carlos, Talamban Cebu City, Philippines
| | - Christopher W Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, United States; Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, United States
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Abstract
AbstractVariation in the quality of parental care has a tremendous impact on a child's social–emotional development. Research investigating the predictors of this variability in human caregiving behavior has mostly focused on learning mechanisms. Evidence is currently accumulating for the complementary underlying role of steroid hormones and neuropeptides. An overview is provided of the hormones and neuropeptides relevant for human caregiving behavior. Then the developmental factors are described that stimulate variability in sensitivity to these hormones and neuropeptides, which may result in variability in the behavioral repertoire of caregiving. The role of genetic variation in neuropeptide and steroid receptors, the role of testosterone and oxytocin during fetal development and parturition, and the impact of experienced caregiving in childhood on functioning of the neuroendocrine stress and oxytocin system are discussed. Besides providing a heuristic framework for further research on the ontogenetic development of human caregiving, a neuroendocrine model is also presented for the intergenerational transmission of caregiving practices. Insight into the underlying biological mechanisms that bring about maladaptive caregiving behavior, such as neglect and insensitive parenting, will hopefully result in more efficient approaches to reduce the high prevalence of such behavior and to minimize the impact on those affected.
Collapse
|
38
|
Gettler LT. Becoming DADS: Considering the Role of Cultural Context and Developmental Plasticity for Paternal Socioendocrinology. CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1086/686149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
|
39
|
Ziegler TE, Sosa ME. Hormonal stimulation and paternal experience influence responsiveness to infant distress vocalizations by adult male common marmosets, Callithrix jacchus. Horm Behav 2016; 78:13-9. [PMID: 26497409 PMCID: PMC4718886 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Revised: 10/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Parental experience and hormones play a large role in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) father's care of their offspring. We tested the effect of exogenous estradiol or testosterone on the responsiveness of common marmosets to respond to infant distress vocalizations and whether males who haven't become fathers yet (paired males) would have increased responsiveness to infant distress calls with either steroid or whether parental experience is the most important component for the onset of paternal care. Sixteen male marmosets (8 fathers, 8 paired males) received a vehicle, low dose or high dose of estradiol and additional 16 males were tested with testosterone at three doses for their response either to a vocal control or a recording of an infant distress call for 10min. Without steroid stimulation fathers were significantly more likely to respond to the infant distress stimulus than paired males. Low dose estradiol stimulation resulted in a significant increase in fathers' behavioral response towards the infant distress stimulus but not in paired males. Fathers also showed a significant increase in infant responsiveness from the vehicle dose to the estradiol low dose treatment, but not to the estradiol high dose treatment. Testosterone treatment did not show significant differences between infant responsiveness at either dose and between fathers and paired males. We suggest that neither steroid is involved in the onset of paternal care behaviors in the marmoset but that estradiol may be involved in facilitating paternal motivation in experienced fathers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Toni E Ziegler
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, 1220 Capitol Court, Madison, WI 53715, USA.
| | - Megan E Sosa
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, 1220 Capitol Court, Madison, WI 53715, USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Storey AE, Ziegler TE. Primate paternal care: Interactions between biology and social experience. Horm Behav 2016; 77:260-71. [PMID: 26253726 PMCID: PMC4968077 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Revised: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Parental Care".We review recent research on the roles of hormones and social experiences on the development of paternal care in humans and non-human primates. Generally, lower concentrations of testosterone and higher concentrations of oxytocin are associated with greater paternal responsiveness. Hormonal changes prior to the birth appear to be important in preparation for fatherhood and changes after the birth are related to how much time fathers spend with offspring and whether they provide effective care. Prolactin may facilitate approach and the initiation of infant care, and in some biparental non-human primates, it affects body mass regulation. Glucocorticoids may be involved in coordinating reproductive and parental behavior between mates. New research involving intranasal oxytocin and neuropeptide receptor polymorphisms may help us understand individual variation in paternal responsiveness. This area of research, integrating both biological factors and the role of early and adult experience, has the potential to suggest individually designed interventions that can strengthen relationships between fathers and their partners and offspring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne E Storey
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3X9, Canada; Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3X9, Canada.
| | - Toni E Ziegler
- National Primate Research Center University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, USA
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Kim P, Ho SS, Evans GW, Liberzon I, Swain JE. Childhood social inequalities influences neural processes in young adult caregiving. Dev Psychobiol 2015; 57:948-60. [PMID: 25981334 PMCID: PMC4821405 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 04/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Childhood poverty is associated with harsh parenting with a risk of transmission to the next generation. This prospective study examined the relations between childhood poverty and non-parent adults' neural responses to infant cry sounds. While no main effects of poverty were revealed in contrasts of infant cry versus acoustically matched white noise, a gender by childhood poverty interaction emerged. In females, childhood poverty was associated with increased neural activations in the posterior insula, striatum, calcarine sulcus, hippocampus, and fusiform gyrus, while, in males, childhood poverty was associated with reduced levels of neural responses to infant cry in the same regions. Irrespective of gender, neural activation in these regions was associated with higher levels of annoyance with the cry sound and reduced desire to approach the crying infant. The findings suggest gender differences in neural and emotional responses to infant cry sounds among young adults growing up in poverty.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pilyoung Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO.
| | - Shaun S Ho
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Rachel Upjohn Building, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109
| | - Gary W Evans
- Departments of Design and Environmental Analysis and of Human Development, Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, Cornell University, E104 Martha Van Rensselaer Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853
| | - Israel Liberzon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Rachel Upjohn Building, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109
| | - James E Swain
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Rachel Upjohn Building, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109
- Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Feldman R. The adaptive human parental brain: implications for children's social development. Trends Neurosci 2015; 38:387-99. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2015.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Revised: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 04/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
|
43
|
Kim P, Rigo P, Leckman JF, Mayes LC, Cole PM, Feldman R, Swain JE. A Prospective Longitudinal Study of Perceived Infant Outcomes at 18-24 Months: Neural and Psychological Correlates of Parental Thoughts and Actions Assessed during the First Month Postpartum. Front Psychol 2015; 6:1772. [PMID: 26635679 PMCID: PMC4654106 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The first postpartum months constitute a critical period for parents to establish an emotional bond with their infants. Neural responses to infant-related stimuli have been associated with parental sensitivity. However, the associations among these neural responses, parenting, and later infant outcomes for mothers and fathers are unknown. In the current longitudinal study, we investigated the relationships between parental thoughts/actions and neural activation in mothers and fathers in the neonatal period with infant outcomes at the toddler stage. At the first month postpartum, mothers (n = 21) and fathers (n = 19) underwent a neuroimaging session during which they listened to their own and unfamiliar baby's cry. Parenting-related thoughts/behaviors were assessed by interview twice at the first month and 3-4 months postpartum and infants' socioemotional outcomes were reported by mothers and fathers at 18-24 months postpartum. In mothers, higher levels of anxious thoughts/actions about parenting at the first month postpartum, but not at 3-4 months postpartum, were associated with infant's low socioemotional competencies at 18-24 months. Anxious thoughts/actions were also associated with heightened responses in the motor cortex and reduced responses in the substantia nigra to own infant cry sounds. On the other hand, in fathers, higher levels of positive perception of being a parent at the first month postpartum, but not at 3-4 months postpartum, were associated with higher infant socioemotional competencies at 18-24 months. Positive thoughts were associated with heightened responses in the auditory cortex and caudate to own infant cry sounds. The current study provides evidence that parental thoughts are related to concurrent neural responses to their infants at the first month postpartum as well as their infant's future socioemotional outcome at 18-24 months. Parent differences suggest that anxious thoughts in mothers and positive thoughts in fathers may be the targets for parenting-focused interventions very early postpartum.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pilyoung Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of DenverDenver, CO, USA
- *Correspondence: Pilyoung Kim,
| | - Paola Rigo
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of TrentoTrento, Italy
| | - James F. Leckman
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of MedicineNew Haven, CT, USA
| | - Linda C. Mayes
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of MedicineNew Haven, CT, USA
| | - Pamela M. Cole
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, PA, USA
| | - Ruth Feldman
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat Gan, Israel
| | - James E. Swain
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of MedicineNew Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychology, Center for Human Growth and Development, Women and Infants Mental Health Program, University of MichiganAnn Arbor, MI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Gettler LT, McDade TW, Agustin SS, Feranil AB, Kuzawa CW. Longitudinal Perspectives on Fathers’ Residence Status, Time Allocation, and Testosterone in the Philippines. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-014-0018-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
|
45
|
Swain JE, Kim P, Spicer J, Ho SS, Dayton CJ, Elmadih A, Abel KM. Approaching the biology of human parental attachment: brain imaging, oxytocin and coordinated assessments of mothers and fathers. Brain Res 2014; 1580:78-101. [PMID: 24637261 PMCID: PMC4157077 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2013] [Revised: 02/11/2014] [Accepted: 03/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Brain networks that govern parental response to infant signals have been studied with imaging techniques over the last 15 years. The complex interaction of thoughts and behaviors required for sensitive parenting enables the formation of each individual's first social bonds and critically shapes development. This review concentrates on magnetic resonance imaging experiments which directly examine the brain systems involved in parental responses to infant cues. First, we introduce themes in the literature on parental brain circuits studied to date. Next, we present a thorough chronological review of state-of-the-art fMRI studies that probe the parental brain with a range of baby audio and visual stimuli. We also highlight the putative role of oxytocin and effects of psychopathology, as well as the most recent work on the paternal brain. Taken together, a new model emerges in which we propose that cortico-limbic networks interact to support parental brain responses to infants. These include circuitry for arousal/salience/motivation/reward, reflexive/instrumental caring, emotion response/regulation and integrative/complex cognitive processing. Maternal sensitivity and the quality of caregiving behavior are likely determined by the responsiveness of these circuits during early parent-infant experiences. The function of these circuits is modifiable by current and early-life experiences, hormonal and other factors. Severe deviation from the range of normal function in these systems is particularly associated with (maternal) mental illnesses - commonly, depression and anxiety, but also schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Finally, we discuss the limits and extent to which brain imaging may broaden our understanding of the parental brain given our current model. Developments in the understanding of the parental brain may have profound implications for long-term outcomes in families across risk, resilience and possible interventions. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin and Social Behav.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J E Swain
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, USA; Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, USA.
| | - P Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, USA
| | - J Spicer
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, USA
| | - S S Ho
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, USA
| | - C J Dayton
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, USA; School of Social Work, Wayne State University, USA
| | - A Elmadih
- Centre for Women׳s Mental Health, Institute of Brain Behaviour and Mental Health, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, UK
| | - K M Abel
- Centre for Women׳s Mental Health, Institute of Brain Behaviour and Mental Health, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, UK
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Swain J, Dayton C, Kim P, Tolman R, Volling B. PROGRESS ON THE PATERNAL BRAIN: THEORY, ANIMAL MODELS, HUMAN BRAIN RESEARCH, AND MENTAL HEALTH IMPLICATIONS. Infant Ment Health J 2014; 35:394-408. [PMID: 25798491 DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
With a secure foundation in basic research across mammalian species in which fathers participate in the raising of young, novel brain-imaging approaches are outlining a set of consistent brain circuits that regulate paternal thoughts and behaviors in humans. The newest experimental paradigms include increasingly realistic baby-stimuli to provoke paternal cognitions and behaviors with coordinated hormone measures to outline brain networks that regulate motivation, reflexive caring, emotion regulation, and social brain networks with differences and similarities to those found in mothers. In this article, on the father brain, we review all brain-imaging studies on PubMed to date on the human father brain and introduce the topic with a selection of theoretical models and foundational neurohormonal research on animal models in support of the human work. We discuss potentially translatable models for the identification and treatment of paternal mood and father-child relational problems, which could improve infant mental health and developmental trajectories with potentially broad public health importance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J.E. Swain
- University of Michigan and Yale University
| | - C.J. Dayton
- Wayne State University and University of Michigan
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Abstract
Parents know the transformative nature of having and caring for a child. Among many mammals, giving birth leads from an aversion to infant stimuli to irresistible attraction. Here, we review the biological mechanisms governing this shift in parental motivation in mammals. Estrogen and progesterone prepare the uterus for embryo implantation and placental development. Prolactin stimulates milk production, whereas oxytocin initiates labor and triggers milk ejection during nursing. These same molecules, interacting with dopamine, also activate specific neural pathways to motivate parents to nurture, bond with, and protect their offspring. Parenting in turn shapes the neural development of the infant social brain. Recent work suggests that many of the principles governing parental behavior and its effect on infant development are conserved from rodent to humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James K Rilling
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA. Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Larry J Young
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Gettler LT. Applying socioendocrinology to evolutionary models: Fatherhood and physiology. Evol Anthropol 2014; 23:146-60. [DOI: 10.1002/evan.21412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
|
49
|
Abraham E, Hendler T, Shapira-Lichter I, Kanat-Maymon Y, Zagoory-Sharon O, Feldman R. Father's brain is sensitive to childcare experiences. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:9792-7. [PMID: 24912146 PMCID: PMC4103311 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1402569111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Although contemporary socio-cultural changes dramatically increased fathers' involvement in childrearing, little is known about the brain basis of human fatherhood, its comparability with the maternal brain, and its sensitivity to caregiving experiences. We measured parental brain response to infant stimuli using functional MRI, oxytocin, and parenting behavior in three groups of parents (n = 89) raising their firstborn infant: heterosexual primary-caregiving mothers (PC-Mothers), heterosexual secondary-caregiving fathers (SC-Fathers), and primary-caregiving homosexual fathers (PC-Fathers) rearing infants without maternal involvement. Results revealed that parenting implemented a global "parental caregiving" neural network, mainly consistent across parents, which integrated functioning of two systems: the emotional processing network including subcortical and paralimbic structures associated with vigilance, salience, reward, and motivation, and mentalizing network involving frontopolar-medial-prefrontal and temporo-parietal circuits implicated in social understanding and cognitive empathy. These networks work in concert to imbue infant care with emotional salience, attune with the infant state, and plan adequate parenting. PC-Mothers showed greater activation in emotion processing structures, correlated with oxytocin and parent-infant synchrony, whereas SC-Fathers displayed greater activation in cortical circuits, associated with oxytocin and parenting. PC-Fathers exhibited high amygdala activation similar to PC-Mothers, alongside high activation of superior temporal sulcus (STS) comparable to SC-Fathers, and functional connectivity between amygdala and STS. Among all fathers, time spent in direct childcare was linked with the degree of amygdala-STS connectivity. Findings underscore the common neural basis of maternal and paternal care, chart brain-hormone-behavior pathways that support parenthood, and specify mechanisms of brain malleability with caregiving experiences in human fathers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eyal Abraham
- Department of Psychology and the Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel
| | - Talma Hendler
- Functional Brain Center, Wohl Institute of Advanced Imaging, andSchool of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; and
| | - Irit Shapira-Lichter
- Functional Brain Center, Wohl Institute of Advanced Imaging, andFunctional Neurosurgery Unit, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Center, Tel Aviv 64239, Israel
| | | | - Orna Zagoory-Sharon
- Department of Psychology and the Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel
| | - Ruth Feldman
- Department of Psychology and the Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel;
| |
Collapse
|