Psychobiology of Maternal Behavior in Nonhuman Mammals

Abstract

Mammalian mothers of different species may differ in the extent to which physiological and psychological factors contribute to the postpartum expression of their nurturant behavior. This chapter provides a summary of the interaction between psychological and physiological influences in the expression of maternal behavior in nonhuman mammalian mothers. It summarizes neural bases, neurochemical mechanisms, and genetics of maternal behavior, focusing on research on the roles of dopamine and serotonin in the limbic and hypothalamic regions and in their related genes. The chapter also discusses the effects of the maternal hormones on maternal behavior and on other behaviors that undergo change when a female gives birth. It also describes what is known about the neurochemistry and neuroanatomy of maternal behavior and of other behaviors that co-occur with maternal behavior in the postpartum animal. Work on the genetic and epigenetic bases of maternal behavior is also discussed.

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