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Using a Comparative Species Approach to Investigate the Neurobiology of Paternal Responses
Published on: September 19, 2011
Fatherhood alters behavioural and neural responsiveness in a spatial task
C L Franssen1, M Bardi, E A Shea
1Department of Psychology, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA 23005, USA.
Journal of Neuroendocrinology
|September 22, 2011
Summary
Paternal California mice (Peromyscus californicus) exposed to pups showed enhanced spatial learning and memory. Fathers exhibited greater hippocampal activity and neuroplasticity compared to virgin mice, indicating parental experience influences the male brain.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Biology
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Pregnancy and lactation remodel the female rat hippocampus, potentially improving maternal behaviors.
- Previous research suggests pup exposure influences maternal behavior, independent of pregnancy/lactation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of pup exposure on the hippocampus of male California mice (Peromyscus californicus).
- To examine behavioral and neurobiological changes associated with paternal experience in mice.
Main Methods:
- Males were categorized as Fathers, pup-exposed virgins (PEV), or Virgins.
- Spatial learning and foraging abilities were assessed using a dry-land maze (DLM).
- Hippocampal fos-immunoreactivity and nestin-immunoreactivity were measured.
Main Results:
- Fathers demonstrated superior memory during the acquisition day of the DLM task compared to PEVs and Virgins.
- Fathers showed significantly higher fos-immunoreactivity in hippocampal regions (CA1, CA3, dentate gyrus) during a probe trial.
- PEVs showed a trend for altered DLM performance and the highest levels of nestin-immunoreactivity, indicating neuroplasticity.
Conclusions:
- Paternal experience, including pup exposure, influences the male California mouse brain.
- Behavioral and neurobiological changes, such as enhanced spatial memory and hippocampal activity, are associated with paternal care.
- These findings suggest the paternal brain is as responsive to parental experience as the maternal brain.
