Plasticity of the paternal brain: Effects of fatherhood on neural structure and function

Horrell, Nathan D.; Acosta, Melina C.; Saltzman, Wendy

doi:10.1002/dev.22097

Cited by 20 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 160 publications

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“…In addition to the many potential evolutionary, genetic, and endocrine-related causes of sex differences in brain organization, males and females are (at the group-level) often exposed to systematically different environments across the lifespan. For example, the experience of pregnancy has been linked to changes in brain organization [ 67 , 68 ], and XY males do not experience pregnancy (although fatherhood also impacts the brain: [ 69 ]). There is also extensive evidence that individuals who are outwardly perceived as male or female experience pervasive differences in diverse domains of life [ 70 ], spanning the educational [ 71 ], professional [ 72 , 73 ], fiscal [ 74 ], and medical [ 75 ] arenas, in addition to risk of exposure to different dangerous situations [ 76 ].…”

Section: Main Textmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex differences in the human brain: a roadmap for more careful analysis and interpretation of a biological reality

et al. 2022

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The presence, magnitude, and significance of sex differences in the human brain are hotly debated topics in the scientific community and popular media. This debate is largely fueled by studies containing strong, opposing conclusions: either little to no evidence exists for sex differences in human neuroanatomy, or there are small-to-moderate differences in the size of certain brain regions that are highly reproducible across cohorts (even after controlling for sex differences in average brain size). Our Commentary uses the specific comparison between two recent large-scale studies that adopt these opposing views—namely the review by Eliot and colleagues (2021) and the direct analysis of ~ 40k brains by Williams and colleagues (2021)—in an effort to clarify this controversy and provide a framework for conducting this research. First, we review observations that motivate research on sex differences in human neuroanatomy, including potential causes (evolutionary, genetic, and environmental) and effects (epidemiological and clinical evidence for sex-biased brain disorders). We also summarize methodological and empirical support for using structural MRI to investigate such patterns. Next, we outline how researchers focused on sex differences can better specify their study design (e.g., how sex was defined, if and how brain size was adjusted for) and results (by e.g., distinguishing sexual dimorphisms from sex differences). We then compare the different approaches available for studying sex differences across a large number of individuals: direct analysis, meta-analysis, and review. We stress that reviews do not account for methodological differences across studies, and that this variation explains many of the apparent inconsistencies reported throughout recent reviews (including the work by Eliot and colleagues). For instance, we show that amygdala volume is consistently reported as male-biased in studies with sufficient sample sizes and appropriate methods for brain size correction. In fact, comparing the results from multiple large direct analyses highlights small, highly reproducible sex differences in the volume of many brain regions (controlling for brain size). Finally, we describe best practices for the presentation and interpretation of these findings. Care in interpretation is important for all domains of science, but especially so for research on sex differences in the human brain, given the existence of broad societal gender-biases and a history of biological data being used justify sexist ideas. As such, we urge researchers to discuss their results from simultaneously scientific and anti-sexist viewpoints.

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Section: Main Textmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex differences in the human brain: a roadmap for more careful analysis and interpretation of a biological reality

et al. 2022

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“…The most consistent findings are that circulating testosterone levels drop and circulating prolactin levels rise during the transition to fatherhood; however, the functional significance of these changes is not clear 29,30 . Fatherhood also modulates neuropeptide signalling within the brain, especially with respect to concentrations and distributions of neurones expressing oxytocin, arginine vasopressin, and their receptors 9,29 . Both oxytocin and arginine vasopressin have been implicated in the activation of paternal care in rodents 30 …”

Section: Neural Substrates and Endocrine Correlates Of Parental Carementioning

confidence: 99%

The parental umwelt: Effects of parenthood on sensory processing in rodents

Wilson

Arquilla

Saltzman

2023

J Neuroendocrinology

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An animal's umwelt, comprising its perception of the sensory environment, which is inherently subjective, can change across the lifespan in accordance with major life events. In mammals, the onset of motherhood, in particular, is associated with a neural and sensory plasticity that alters a mother's detection and use of sensory information such as infant‐related sensory stimuli. Although the literature surrounding mammalian mothers is well established, very few studies have addressed the effects of parenthood on sensory plasticity in mammalian fathers. In this review, we summarize the major findings on the effects of parenthood on behavioural and neural responses to sensory stimuli from pups in rodent mothers, with a focus on the olfactory, auditory, and somatosensory systems, as well as multisensory integration. We also review the available literature on sensory plasticity in rodent fathers. Finally, we discuss the importance of sensory plasticity for effective parental care, hormonal modulation of plasticity, and an exploration of temporal, ecological, and life‐history considerations of sensory plasticity associated with parenthood. The changes in processing and/or perception of sensory stimuli associated with the onset of parental care may have both transient and long‐lasting effects on parental behaviour and cognition in both mothers and fathers; as such, several promising areas of study, such as on the molecular/genetic, neurochemical, and experiential underpinnings of parenthood‐related sensory plasticity, as well as determinants of interspecific variation, remain potential avenues for further exploration.

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“…Maternal care, or the care of young by their mother, is essential for offspring survival in all mammalian species. The onset of maternal care is associated with neural plasticity in the mother's brain, mediated by hormonal changes that mothers experience during pregnancy, parturition and lactation (Horrell et al, 2021). Neural plasticity refers to the reorganization of neural pathways in the brain and can include changes in the production, survival, morphology, and activity of neurons and synapses.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%