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BioEssays : News and Reviews in... Jan 2017Social interactions are essential for animals to reproduce, defend their territory, and raise their young. The conserved nature of social behaviors across animal species... (Review)
Review
Social interactions are essential for animals to reproduce, defend their territory, and raise their young. The conserved nature of social behaviors across animal species suggests that the neural pathways underlying the motivation for, and the execution of, specific social responses are also maintained. Modern tools of neuroscience have offered new opportunities for dissecting the molecular and neural mechanisms controlling specific social responses. We will review here recent insights into the neural circuits underlying a particularly fascinating and important form of social interaction, that of parental care. We will discuss how these findings open new avenues to deconstruct infant-directed behavioral control in males and females, and to help understand the neural basis of parenting in a variety of animal species, including humans. Please also see the video abstract here.
Topics: Animals; Brain; Female; Humans; Male; Mammals; Maternal Behavior; Motivation; Neural Pathways; Parenting; Paternal Behavior
PubMed: 27921311
DOI: 10.1002/bies.201600159 -
Cell Aug 2020Parental behavior is pervasive throughout the animal kingdom and essential for species survival. However, the relative contribution of the father to offspring care...
Parental behavior is pervasive throughout the animal kingdom and essential for species survival. However, the relative contribution of the father to offspring care differs markedly across animals, even between related species. The mechanisms that organize and control paternal behavior remain poorly understood. Using Sprague-Dawley rats and C57BL/6 mice, two species at opposite ends of the paternal spectrum, we identified that distinct electrical oscillation patterns in neuroendocrine dopamine neurons link to a chain of low dopamine release, high circulating prolactin, prolactin receptor-dependent activation of medial preoptic area galanin neurons, and paternal care behavior in male mice. In rats, the same parameters exhibit inverse profiles. Optogenetic manipulation of these rhythms in mice dramatically shifted serum prolactin and paternal behavior, whereas injecting prolactin into non-paternal rat sires triggered expression of parental care. These findings identify a frequency-tuned brain-endocrine-brain circuit that can act as a gain control system determining a species' parental strategy.
Topics: Animals; Brain; Dopamine; Hypothalamus; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Neurons; Optogenetics; Patch-Clamp Techniques; Paternal Behavior; Prolactin; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptors, Prolactin
PubMed: 32763155
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.07.007 -
American Journal of Men's Health Jul 2017More than 10% of fathers experience depression and anxiety during the perinatal period, but paternal perinatal depression (PPND) and anxiety have received less attention... (Review)
Review
More than 10% of fathers experience depression and anxiety during the perinatal period, but paternal perinatal depression (PPND) and anxiety have received less attention than maternal perinatal mental health problems. Few mainstream treatment options are available for men with PPND and anxiety. The aim of this literature review was to summarize the current understanding of PPND and the treatment programs specifically designed for fathers with perinatal depression. Eight electronic databases were searched using a predefined strategy, and reference lists were also hand searched. PPND and anxiety were identified to have a negative impact on family relationships, as well as the health of mothers and children. Evidence suggests a lack of support and tailored treatment options for men having trouble adjusting to the transition to fatherhood. Of the limited options available, cognitive behavioral therapy, group work, and blended delivery programs, including e-support approaches appear to be most effective in helping fathers with perinatal depression and anxiety. The review findings have important implications for the understanding of PPND and anxiety. Future research is needed to address the adoption of father-inclusive and father-specific models of care to encourage fathers' help-seeking behavior. Inclusion of male-specific requirements into support and treatment options can improve the ability of services to engage new fathers. Psychotherapeutic intervention could assist to address the cognitive differences and dissonance for men adjusting to the role of father, including male identity and role expectations.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Anxiety; Depression; Fathers; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Male; Parenting; Parturition; Paternal Behavior; Social Support
PubMed: 27694550
DOI: 10.1177/1557988316669047 -
JAMA Network Open Jan 2022This cohort study evaluates the associations of preconception paternal smoking with neonatal outcomes.
This cohort study evaluates the associations of preconception paternal smoking with neonatal outcomes.
Topics: Adult; Congenital Abnormalities; Female; Humans; Male; Paternal Behavior; Preconception Care; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Risk Factors; Smoking; Tobacco Smoking
PubMed: 35061043
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.44527 -
Hormones and Behavior Feb 2018Male parental care is an important social behavior for several mammalian species. Psychosocial stress is usually found to inhibit maternal behavior, but effects on...
Male parental care is an important social behavior for several mammalian species. Psychosocial stress is usually found to inhibit maternal behavior, but effects on paternal behavior have been less consistent. We tested the effects of social defeat stress on pair bond formation and paternal behavior in the monogamous California mouse (Peromyscus californicus). Social defeat reduced time spent in a chamber with a stranger female during a partner preference test conducted 24h after pairing, but increased latency to the first litter. In 10min partner preference tests conducted after the birth of pups, both control and stressed males exhibited selective aggression towards stranger females. Unlike prairie voles, side by side contact was not observed in either partner preference test. Stressed male California mice engaged in more paternal behavior than controls and had reduced anxiety-like responses in the open-field test. Defeat stress enhanced prodynorphin and KOR expression in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) but not PVN. Increased KOR signaling has been linked to increased selective aggression in prairie voles. Together the results show that defeat stress enhances behaviors related to parental care and pair bonding in male California mice.
Topics: Aggression; Animals; Behavior, Animal; Dominance-Subordination; Female; Male; Maternal Behavior; Nesting Behavior; Pair Bond; Paternal Behavior; Peromyscus; Pregnancy; Social Behavior; Stress, Psychological
PubMed: 29289657
DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.12.010 -
International Journal of Pediatric... Jun 2011To determine if adolescent obesity is associated with parenting characterized by lower sensitivity and lower monitoring of adolescent activities.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if adolescent obesity is associated with parenting characterized by lower sensitivity and lower monitoring of adolescent activities.
METHODS
We used data from 744 adolescents in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Height and weight were measured at age 15½ years and obesity defined as body mass index ≥ 95th percentile for age and sex. Maternal and paternal sensitivity were assessed by direct observation of a parent-adolescent interaction task. Maternal and paternal monitoring were assessed by parent report. Lower sensitivity and lower monitoring were each defined as the lowest quartiles. Two separate multivariate logistic regression models were created to evaluate, individually for mothers and fathers, associations of sensitivity and monitoring with adolescent obesity, controlling for adolescent sex and race, family income-to-needs ratio, and parental obesity.
RESULTS
Fourteen percent of the adolescents were obese. Lower sensitivity was associated with adolescent obesity in the maternal parenting model (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.44-3.86, n = 709), but not paternal parenting model (AOR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.38-1.63, n = 460). Neither maternal nor paternal monitoring was associated with adolescent obesity (AOR = 1.03, 95% CI 0.63-1.68; AOR = 1.07, 95% CI 0.52-2.22, respectively).
CONCLUSION
Lower maternal sensitivity, measured by direct observation of parent-adolescent interactions, was associated with adolescent obesity. Efforts to prevent and treat childhood obesity, both at the practitioner level and the community level, may be enhanced by educating parents that their reactions to their children's behaviors may have consequences related to obesity.
Topics: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Age Factors; Body Mass Index; Father-Child Relations; Female; Health Surveys; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Maternal Behavior; Mother-Child Relations; Obesity; Parenting; Paternal Behavior; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; United States; Video Recording
PubMed: 21265607
DOI: 10.3109/17477166.2010.549490 -
Journal of Neuroendocrinology Sep 2019Parents lay the foundation for their children's socio-emotional experiences by sensitively responding to their needs. The hormonal and neurobiological changes that occur... (Review)
Review
Parents lay the foundation for their children's socio-emotional experiences by sensitively responding to their needs. The hormonal and neurobiological changes that occur during the transition to parenthood importantly contribute to the parents' caregiving behaviour toward their children. Much research has emphasised the relationship between the mother, who is most often the primary caregiver, and her infant, with less focus on the role of fathers in child development. However, recent accounts have suggested that fathers also play an important role in promoting the health, development and psychosocial wellbeing of their children. Evidence from the behavioural literature has indicated that there are significant differences between typical mother-infant versus father-infant interactions. The current review aims to outline differences between maternal and paternal caregiving by discussing the differences in their biological mechanisms. First, we focus on the different hormones that are correlated with sensitive parenting behaviours in mothers and fathers. Next, we discuss the differences between neural bases of motherhood and fatherhood. Lastly, we discuss ways in which parental hormones, parental brain and parental exposure to infant cues interact to shape parental caregiving behaviour. In summary, this review highlights the distinct but complementary nature of maternal and paternal caregiving.
Topics: Animals; Arginine Vasopressin; Brain; Female; Hormones; Humans; Male; Maternal Behavior; Neurosecretory Systems; Oxytocin; Paternal Behavior; Prolactin; Sex Characteristics; Testosterone
PubMed: 31034670
DOI: 10.1111/jne.12721 -
Current Biology : CB Oct 2003
Topics: Animals; Male; Paternal Behavior; Reproduction; Smegmamorpha
PubMed: 14561416
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2003.09.045 -
Scientific Reports Aug 2020The two hypothalamic neuropeptides oxytocin and melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) share several physiological actions such as the control of maternal care, sexual...
The two hypothalamic neuropeptides oxytocin and melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) share several physiological actions such as the control of maternal care, sexual behavior, and emotions. In this study, we uncover the role for the oxytocin-MCH signaling pathway in mood regulation. We identify discrete effects of oxytocin-MCH signaling on depressive behavior and demonstrate that parenting and mating experiences shape these effects. We show that the selective deletion of OXT receptors from MCH neurons increases and decreases depressive behavior in sexually naïve and late postpartum female mice respectively, with no effect on sexually naïve male mice. We demonstrate that both parenting experience and mood-regulating effects of oxytocin-MCH are associated with synaptic plasticity in the reward and fear circuits revealed by the alterations of Arc expressions, which are associated with the depressive behavior. Finally, we uncover the sex-dependent effects of mating on depressive behavior; while the sexual activity reduces the basal levels of depressive behavior in male mice, it reduces in female mice evoked-depression only. We demonstrate that the oxytocin-MCH pathway mediates the effects of sexual activity on depressive behavior. Our data suggest that the oxytocin-MCH pathway can serve as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of major depression and postpartum mood disorders.
Topics: Affect; Animals; Depression; Depression, Postpartum; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Gene Deletion; Hypothalamic Hormones; Male; Maternal Behavior; Melanins; Mice; Oxytocin; Paternal Behavior; Pituitary Hormones; Postpartum Period; Receptors, Oxytocin; Sex Characteristics; Sexual Behavior, Animal; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 32788646
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70667-x -
Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in... Sep 2014Parental care is an immensely variable social behavior, and sexual conflict offers a powerful paradigm to understand this diversity. Conflict over care (usually... (Review)
Review
Parental care is an immensely variable social behavior, and sexual conflict offers a powerful paradigm to understand this diversity. Conflict over care (usually considered as a type of postzygotic sexual conflict) is common, because the evolutionary interests of male and female parents are rarely identical. I investigate how sexual conflict over care may facilitate the emergence and maintenance of diverse parenting strategies and argue that researchers should combine two fundamental concepts in social behavior to understand care patterns: cooperation and conflict. Behavioral evidence of conflict over care is well established, studies have estimated specific fitness implications of conflict for males or females, and experiments have investigated specific components of conflict. However, studies are long overdue to reveal the full implications of conflict for both males and females. Manipulating (or harming) the opposite sex seems less common in postzygotic conflicts than in prezygotic conflicts because by manipulating, coercing, or harming the opposite sex, the reproductive interest of the actor is also reduced. Parental care is a complex trait, although few studies have yet considered the implications of multidimensionality for parental conflict. Future research in parental conflict will benefit from understanding the behavioral interactions between male and female parents (e.g., negotiation, learning, and coercion), the genetic and neurogenomic bases of parental behavior, and the influence of social environment on parental strategies. Empirical studies are needed to put sexual conflict in a population context and reveal feedback between mate choice, pair bonds and parenting strategies, and their demographic consequences for the population such as mortalities and sex ratios. Taken together, sexual conflict offers a fascinating avenue for understanding the causes and consequences of parenting behavior, sex roles, and breeding system evolution.
Topics: Animals; Behavior, Animal; Biological Evolution; Conflict, Psychological; Female; Male; Maternal Behavior; Paternal Behavior; Reproduction; Sex Factors; Sexual Behavior, Animal
PubMed: 25256007
DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a017665