Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
MODULE 5 - Coggle Diagram
MODULE 5
PARENTAL BEHAVIOR
Paternal Behavior
Fathers may use brain circuits similar to those used by mothers
Experience with the baby can strengthen paternal behavior
In some animals species the fathers help feed, protect, carry or warm their babies
Oxytocin and other hormones may also support caregiving
Avoidance-Rejection Circuit in Those Cooperatively
A weaker avoidance system may make it easier for mothers to accept help
Father and other caregivers may develop a strong interest in the infant
Some primates mothers depend on fathers and family members for help
Shared care can improve a baby's chance of survival
Brain Regions Associated With Maternal Behavior and Maternal Love in Humans
Reward areas may become active when a mother sees her baby face
Brain areas for empathy help parents understand a babys needs and feelings
Human brain imaging studies show activity when parents see or hear their babies
Oxytocin may support bonding, trust, and affectionate behavior
Maternal Aggression and Fear Reduction in Postpartum Females
Some mothers become more protective after giving birth
Reduced fear may help a mother face dangr to protect her babies
Brain areas connected to stress, fear, and hormones control these behaviors
Protective behavior helps mothers keep their babies safe
Core Neural Circuits Regulating Maternal Motivation and Behavior in Nonhuman Mammals
MPOA Stimulates Maternal Motivation
The MPOA communicates with the brain's reward system
Dopamine can make caring for the baby feel important and rewarding
Blocking this pathway may cause a mother animals to lose interest in her young
How the MPOA May Activate Dopamine
It may use GABA to remove signals that keep dopamine cells turned off
Scientist are still studying exactly how these messages work
The MPOA may use glutamate to turn dopamine cells on directly
MPOA Inhibits Avoidance
This makes the mother less likeyl to fear or reject her baby
The braian chemical GABA may slow down avoidance signals
The MPOA send messages that may quiet the avoidance-rejection circuit
Avoidance-Rejection Circuit
The amygdala helps brain notice fear, danger, and unfamiliar smells
Preganancy hormones help quiet this system so caregiving can begin
Without pregnancy related changes, some animals may avoid unfamilair babies
Brain Oxytocin and Maternal Behavior
It may increase grooming in rats and affectionate touch in humans
Oxytocin works with brain areas ad chemicals involved in reward
Oxytocin helps mothers notice and respond to their babies
Medial Preoptic Area
The medial preoptic are, or MPOA, is located in the hypothalamus
It helps create a mother's interest in and attraction toward her babies
Damage to this area can reduce retrieving, nursing, grooming and nest building
Maintenance of Maternal Behavior
Repeated caregiving strengthens brain connections related to the baby
Experience helps the parent-infant bond continue as the baby grows
Hormones help begin maternal behavior but are not always needed to continue it
Another system makes babies seem important, rewarding, and worth caring for
Brain circuits are groups of brain areas that communicte with each other
Researchers have studied these brain circuits mostly in rats and other mammals
One system reduces the desire to avoid or reject babies
How Experience Influences Maternal Behavior
The care a young animal receives may influence how it parents later
Well cared for animals develop stronger brain systems for caregiving
Early neglect, abuse, or stress may interfere with these systems
Both biology and experience help shape future parenting behavior
Hormonal and Oxytocin Regulation of the Onset of Maternal Behavior
Hormones can reduce avoidance and increse acceptance of the baby
After caregiving begins, experience helps the behavior continue
Oxytocin helps with birth, milk release,bonding, and interest in the baby
Fathers and other caregivers can provide care without experiencing pregnancy hormones
Hormones near the end of pregnancy help prepare the brain for caregiving
Parental Circuits and Other Social Bonds
Brain areas used in parenting may also support bonds between partners
Oxytocin and dopamine can make another individual feel special and rewarding
The parent-infant bond is one of the strongest bonds found in a mammals
These brain systems may also support love, cooperation, and helping others
NEURAL BASES OF GENDER
Gender Differences in Health
Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis are more common in females
Gender may influence how well medicine can work and the side effects it causes
Parkinson's disease is more common in females96
These are group averages and do not describe every person
Some health conditions are diagnosed more often in males, and others are diagnosed more oftrn in females
Gender Difference and Mental Health
Gender and Depression
Boys and girls may experience or show different symptom of depression
Hormones, stress, and life experiences may help explain these differences
During teenage years, depression beomes more common in girls
Postpartum depression can affect mothers after giving birth
During childhood, depression rates are fairly similary for boys and girls
Some mental health disorders affect males and females at different rates
Depression and anxiety are diagnosed more often in females
Scientists are still studying why these difference happen
Austim, ADHD, Tourette syndrome, and schizophrenia are diagnosed more often in males
Gender Differences in the Brain
Some studies find average differences in brain size, thickness, and connections
Results may change depending on age and how the study is completed
Scientists study how hormones and genes may influence brain development
Male and female brains are mostly alike and share may features
The chapter describes the brain as a mosaic, or mixture of different features instead of being completely male or female