title: Motivational systems and the neural circuitry of maternal behavior in the rat.
abstract: Jay Rosenblatt's approach-avoidance model of maternal behavior proposes that maternal behavior occurs when the tendency to approach infant stimuli is greater than the tendency to avoid such stimuli. Our research program has uncovered neural circuits which conform to such a model. We present evidence that the medial preoptic area (MPOA: located in the rostral hypothalamus) may regulate maternal responsiveness by depressing antagonistic neural systems which promote withdrawal responses while also activating appetitive neural systems which increase the attractiveness of infant-related stimuli. These MPOA circuits are activated by the hormonal events of late pregnancy. Preoptic efferents may suppress a central aversion system which includes an amygdala to anterior hypothalamic circuit. Preoptic efferents are also shown to interact with components of the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system to regulate proactive voluntary maternal responses. We make a distinction between specific (MPOA neurons) and nonspecific motivational systems (mesolimbic DA system) in the regulation of maternal responsiveness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, McGuinn Hall, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA. numan@bc.edu
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Numan
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D023421:Models, Animal; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000502:physiology; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011954:Receptors, Dopamine