Question

What are the keys areas of the brain and circuits that regulate parental care in mammals

Answer 1

Parenting is a major aspect of an animal’s life. It is a behavioral and evolutionary approach adopted by many animals to give the offsprings high chance of survival and reproduction. It is a complex behavior especially in mammals in which a variety of control mechanisms are involved. The mechanisms of control varies for different animals although patterns of parental care may be similar among species occupying the same ecological niches. Among mammals, olfactory cues and endocrine system play major role in parental care.

Studies in rodents have shown that medial preoptic area (MPOA) of hypothalamus, bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST), and lateral septum (LS) influence maternal instincts as well as paternal behaviors. In humans too, hypothalamus, midbrain, striatum, and septal regions are responsible for regulating paternal care especially in response to infant cry. Moreover, it has been identified that anterior cingulate and right medial prefrontal cortex was highly activated in parents compared to non-parents.

In humans, parenting behavior along with key brain circuits shape an individual’s current and future behavior. Hypothalamic-midbrain-limbic-paralimbic-cortical circuits have been identified to support parental brain responses to offsprings. It also includes limbic emotion response and regulation. The circuit is highly specialized for infant stimuli and helps in the development of parental care.