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At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Lesions of the medial preoptic area prevent the facilitation of maternal behavior produced by amygdala lesions.

In the present study we tested the hypothesis that the facilitation of maternal behavior produced by amygdala lesions is mediated through the medial preoptic area. Different groups of animals sustained lesions of the corticomedial amygdala (Group AM), the medial preoptic area (Group MPOA), both regions (Group AM-MPOA), the corticomedial amygdala and non MPOA control sites (Group AM-CX), and control sites (Groups LC or SC). Animals were tested for their maternal responses to foster pups presented daily for an 11 day period. It was found that groups sustaining lesions of the amygdala (Group AM and AM-CX) became maternal more rapidly than did Control Groups (LC and SC), Group MPOA, and Group AM-POA. However, animals in Group AM-POA were similar to Groups AM and AM-CX in that they did not avoid pups, whereas groups not sustaining lesions of the amygdala did. These results, taken together, suggest that amygdala-induced facilitation of maternal behavior in the nulliparous females is mediated through the MPOA. They suggest, moreover, the primary effect of removing the amygdala is to reduce avoidance of pups, with only secondary effects on maternal responsiveness.

Amygdala↗
PubMed1985

The effects of paraventricular hypothalamic lesions on maternal behavior in rats.

The present study was undertaken to determine whether the disruptive effects of knife cuts which sever the lateral connections of the medial preoptic area (MPOA) on maternal behavior are mediated by interfering with the output of the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN). Postpartum rats received one of the following: Knife cuts severing the lateral connections of the MPOA; knife cuts severing the lateral connections of the PVN; radiofrequency lesions of the PVN; sham lesions or knife cuts. Only females that received knife cuts severing the lateral connections of the MPOA showed severe deficits in maternal behavior. These results indicate that the influence of the MPOA on maternal behavior is not mediated by the output of the PVN. Since the PVN is the major source of oxytocin input to other brain regions, these results also suggest that oxytocinergic neural pathways are not critical for postpartum maternal behavior. Another important finding was that females with MPOA knife cuts that did not retrieve their young were capable of hoarding candy, suggesting that the retrieval deficit was not the result of a general oral motor deficit.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Nutritional status and behavior during lactation.

Effects of chronic maternal food restriction and time of day on maternal and pup behaviors were examined in ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 26). Dams were fed ad lib (AL) or were restricted to 85% (85 AL) or 70% (70 AL) of ad lib intake. Dams and their 5-pup litters were observed for 45 min at night on days 9, 14, and 19 of lactation and during the day on day 14. A novel behavioral instrument was used to observe maternal and pup behaviors. At night, food-restricted animals engaged in more nursing behaviors than AL animals. Differential pup stimuli may account for this difference. AL animals engaged in more nursing behaviors during the day than night, whereas 70 AL animals demonstrated the opposite diurnal pattern. Time of feeding may explain this difference. On the other hand, 85 AL animals behaved similarly during the day and at night. Therefore, alterations in circadian behavior patterns are less pronounced in rats mildly restricted (85 AL) than in rats more food restricted (70 AL).

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Hormonal and behavioral aspects of maternal care in the hamster: a review.

This review covers a description of the maternal behavior cycle in the hamster and relationships between the endocrine system and prepartum changes in activity, aggression, sexual receptivity, and maternal care. Postpartum maternal behavior consists of the mother's "normal" cannibalism of some portion of her litter, the formation of a bond between mother and her young, the development of behavioral synchrony between the mother and her pups, and maternal aggression toward conspecifics. The maternal responses of virgin female, male, and juvenile animals are described and methodological considerations in the testing of both virgin and parturient animals are presented. Finally, a theoretical framework for considering the regulation of maternal care in the hamster is presented. Two main phases of regulation are proposed; an onset phase that that originates prepartum and depends on the physiological conditions of pregnancy and a maintenance phase which provides for the continuation of maternal care during lactation and is based on both endogenous maternal factors and external litter-related stimuli. A transition period beginning at parturition facilitates the shift between the onset and maintenance phases.

Aggression↗