Neuronal mechanisms involved in maternal behavior learning

Various conditions, such as postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis
, can lead to changes in maternal behavior and disrupt the intimacy between mother and child.
A research team led by Daniela Pollak from the Center for Physiology and Pharmacology at the Medical University of Vienna conducted a study in which they were able to identify neuronal circuits
in the brain that are activated when learning about motherhood.
The findings, published in the journal EMBO, can serve as a basis
for developing therapeutic interventions.

During their preclinical study, scientists led by Daniela Pollak from the Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology of the Center for Physiology and Pharmacology at the Medical University of Vienna analyzed the maternal behavior
of female mice to newborn young mice.
While the neural processes involved in the development of maternal nursing behavior in female mice after birth have been described, the current study addresses the question of which circuits in the brain are activated
during nursing behavior learning in unfertile female mice.

The researchers found the answer in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), an area in the prefrontal lobe of the brain involved in
the recognition and evaluation of social processes and the development of emotional awareness.
Mouse models showed that in female mice who were not pregnant or fertile, ACC was activated
when they acquired maternal behavior when they first touched young mice.
Project leader Daniela Pollak explains: "Our observations show that through repeated contact with her pups, virgin she-wolves are able to learn maternal behaviors
that are exactly similar to those after giving birth.
" Studies have shown that during this learning process, the activity of ACCs is controlled by an excitatory feedback loop that involves a specific set of neurons
in the central region of the brain (the thalamus).

Learn from repeated experiences

Among other things, the mother's behavior is defined as sensitivity and responsiveness to the baby's demand signals
.
Almost all mammals instinctively manifest themselves
in almost all mammals, as well as when they first contact a newborn after childbirth.
In some species, such as rodents, even animals that have never given birth exhibit maternal care behaviors
towards newborns.
In this case, caring behaviors, such as sending displaced pups from outside the nest back to the nest area, where they are warm and safe from predators, are acquired
through repeated experiences with the pups.

For example, through observations of adoptive parents, we know that humans can also learn from their parents' behavior
.
Various pathological conditions, such as postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis, can lead to changes in maternal behavior that disrupt the process
of connection between mother and child.
"By demonstrating what can be obtained by maternal behavior and identifying the underlying neural circuits in the brain that control this gain, we are creating a potential basis for developing treatment options for these clinical situations," said Daniela Pollak, outlining the translational relevance of the findings, obtained in collaboration with Tibor Harkany of the Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Brain Research Center at the Medical University of Vienna
.

Journal Reference:

1. Micaela Glat, Anna Gundacker, Laura Cuenca Rico, Barbara Czuczu, Yoav Ben‐Simon, Tibor Harkany, Daniela D Pollak.
   An accessory prefrontal cortex– thalamus circuit sculpts maternal behavior in virgin female mice.
   The EMBO Journal, 2022; DOI: 10.
   15252/embj.
   2022111648