A potential role for thalamocingulate circuitry in human maternal behavior.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about the regional brain basis of human maternal behavior. To understand this better, we have been examining brain activity in mothers listening to infant cries.


METHODS
We measured functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging brain activity in healthy, breastfeeding first-time mothers with young infants while they listened to infant cries, white noise control sounds, and a rest condition. Based on the thalamocingulate theory of maternal behavior and pilot work, we hypothesized that the cingulate, medial thalamus, medial prefrontal cortex, and right orbitofrontal cortex would display more activity with infant cries than with white noise (comparison 1) and would uniquely activate with the cries, meaning that these regions would display activity with cry minus rest but not with white noise minus rest (comparison 2).


RESULTS
In hypothesized regions, the group displayed more activity in the medial thalamus, medial prefrontal and right orbitofrontal cortices with both comparisons. The anterior and posterior cingulate cortex displayed more activity only with comparison 1. In non-hypothesized brain regions, several other structures thought important in rodent maternal behavior displayed activity with both comparisons including the midbrain, hypothalamus, dorsal and ventral striatum, and vicinity of the lateral septal region.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results partially support our hypotheses and are generally consistent with neuroanatomical studies of rodent maternal behavior.
Lorberbaum
Jeffrey P
JP
Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, USA.
Newman
John D
JD
Horwitz
Amy R
AR
Dubno
Judy R
JR
Lydiard
R Bruce
RB
Hamner
Mark B
MB
Bohning
Daryl E
DE
George
Mark S
MS
D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000502:physiology; D013787:Thalamic Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*