Neuroanatomical and neurochemical basis of parenting: Dynamic coordination of motivational, affective and cognitive processes

Bisphenol S (BPS) alters maternal behavior and brain in mice exposed during pregnancy/lactation and their daughters

“…A growing body of evidence indicates that exposure to environmental chemicals can alter maternal behavior [refer to Catanese et al (55) and Cummings et al (93)], and disruptions to maternal care can profoundly influence the development of subsequent generations, which are also sensitive to developmental and environmental impacts (97,(103)(104)(105)(106). A combination of neural, endocrine, behavioral, and cognitive processes drives proper maternal care, allowing mothers to adjust to the needs of the young over the course of their early development (71,(107)(108)(109). Our results suggest that these processes become impaired after BPS exposures with differing effects based on dose, postpartum period, and generational timing of exposure.…”

“…As pups grow and develop and the postpartum period progresses, dams spend less time on the nest (70). Thus, these results suggest that BPS exposure in the F0 dams induces an extension of a behavior that is generally diminished by this stage of the postpartum period; this may indicate a lack of adjustment in the dam to the changing needs of her pups (71). In contrast, dams of the F1 generation developmentally exposed to either 2 or 200 mg BPS/kg/d spent significantly more time away from the nest on LD2 and LD7 compared with controls.…”

“…In contrast, dams of the F1 generation developmentally exposed to either 2 or 200 mg BPS/kg/d spent significantly more time away from the nest on LD2 and LD7 compared with controls. During these early postpartum periods (LD2 and LD7), the pups require protection and constant care for their growth and survival, including attention to thermoregulation and feeding (71,72); thus, the F1 BPSexposed dams display quantitatively diminished care.…”

The neural basis of responsive caregiving behaviour: Investigating temporal dynamics within the parental brain

“…In the following sections, we describe the neural circuitry implicated in responding to infant cues. It should be noted that this review is not a comprehensive description of studies in this rapidly expanding field, instead aiming to broadly summarize key findings and emerging trends, focusing on temporally-sensitive neuroimaging techniques [for additional recent reviews, focusing of different imaging modalities, see [49,50]]. [60] Lorberbaum et al [61] Riem et al [62] Montoya et al [63] 2.…”

The birth of new neurons in the maternal brain: Hormonal regulation and functional implications

“…Across mammalian species, major hormonal shifts during pregnancy, parturition and the postpartum period coupled with experiential factors modify the brain and, as a result, the behavior of the female producing a high level of maternal responsiveness along with changes in maternal mood, cognition and stress regulation (Fleming et al, 1999; Numan and Insel, 2003; Lonstein, 2007; Slattery and Neumann, 2008; Macbeth and Luine, 2010; Numan and Woodside, 2010; Workman et al, 2012; Dulac et al, 2014; Galea et al, 2014; Hillerer et al, 2014; Perani and Slattery, 2014; Rilling and Young, 2014; Pereira and Ferreira, 2015). Together, these changes represent adaptive responses that are necessary to ensure the survival and well-being of the offspring.…”