The Maternal Brain

Kashmala Qasim
NROC61
Kinsley, C.H & Lambert, K.G. (2006). The maternal brain. Scientific American (January), 72-79.

Outline
1. Introduction 2. Structural changes & Significance a) Cortex b) mPOA c) Hippocampus 3. Hormonal changes: Oxytocin 4. Cellular changes: Glial cells 5. Changes beyond lactation period 6. Summary

Mothers are made, not born

Hormonal fluctuations that occur during pregnancy may modify the female brain Increase in size of neurons Structural changes

Structural Changes: Cortex

Def. receives and processes sensory information & controls voluntary movements

1) Cortex
Cortices of pregnant rats from impoverished environments were complex = rats from enriched settings

Significance:

- Faster at catching prey

- Food-deprivation studies: virgin rats took longer to find the cricket and eat it (270 sec vs. 50 sec).

Structural Changes: mPOA

Def.

2) mPOA
- cell bodies of the neurons increase in volume - length and number of dendrites increases as pregnancy progresses - neuronal alterations accompany a rise in protein synthesis

Significance: - mPOA neurons direct the mothers attention & motivation to offspring - Maternal behavioural traits: care, protection and nurture

Structural Changes: Hippocampus

Def. regulates memory, learning & emotions

3) Hippocampus
- Ebb-and-flow variations in the CA1 region of the hippocampus - Increase in dendritic spines as the females levels of estrogen rise
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- Reduction in neuronal activity in the CA3 region & basolateral amygdala --regulate stress and emotion

Hippocampus Significance
1) Spatial ability - Pregnant rats better than age-matched virgin rats at remembering the location of food in maze tasks

2) Amygdala: Lessened fear & anxiety - easier to leave the nest & forage faster - forced swimming, investigate the space less likely to freeze up

3) Dendritic Spines: input to associated neurons, leads to enhanced ability of the mothers to navigate mazes & capture prey

8-arm radial maze

Hormonal Changes
Oxytocin
- triggers birth contractions and milk release - effects on hippocampus: improves memory & learning - production of long-lasting connections between neurons in the hippocampus - Study: Injections of oxytocin into the brains of virgin female mice improved their long-term memory

3) Cellular Changes
Glial cells - astrocytes, star-shaped glial cells that provide nutrients and structural support for neurons - significantly more complex and numerous in mPOA neurons & hippocampus, than those in virgin rats

Changes Beyond Lactation Period

Mother rats up to two years oldequivalent to human females older than 60learn spatial tasks significantly faster than age-matched virgin rats and exhibit less steep memory declines

At every age tested (six, 12, 18 and 24 months), mothers were better at remembering the locations of food rewards in mazes
Fewer deposits of amyloid precursor proteinswhich seem to play a role in the degeneration of the aging nervous systemin two parts of the hippocampus, the CA1 region and the dentate gyrus Mother rats spent more time in the fear-evoking open arms of the maze

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Summary
- Structural changes are observed in the cortex, mPOA neurons and hippocampus - Changes contribute to increased spatial ability, foraging ability, maternal behaviour and able to catch prey faster - An increase in oxytocin = milk release, contractions - Glial cells (astrocytes) increase - These effects remain long after the lactation period has ended & mitigate effects of aging
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