Abstract
Abstract Chapter 8 reviews the human parental brain. Most functional magnetic resonance imaging research has examined the maternal brain, with some research on the paternal brain. Although woman show allomaternal behavior, defensive neural circuits may depress maternal responsiveness under certain conditions. The subcortical circuits associated with human maternal behavior match those in nonhuman mammals and include medial preoptic area, mesolimbic dopamine, amygdala, and oxytocin neural systems. Interacting with these subcortical circuits are cortical regions, including dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and anterior insula, that are involved in maternal cognitions, empathy, emotions, and emotion regulation. The medial prefrontal cortex connects some of these cortical regions with the subcortical circuitry so that maternal cognitions and emotions can be translated into appropriate maternal behavior. The poor maternal behavior associated with postpartum depression may result from dysfunctions within these circuits, and alterations in corticotropin-releasing factor and OT may be involved.
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