Development of the paternal brain in expectant fathers during early pregnancy

Diaz-Rojas, Françoise; Matsunaga, Michiko; Tanaka, Yukari; Kikusui, Takefumi; Mogi, Kazutaka; Nagasawa, Miho; Asano, Kohei; Abe, Nobuhito; Myowa, Masako

doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117527

Cited by 13 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…(2021) 21 reported the cross-sectional results of the early-pregnancy period (session 1, GA < 30 weeks); therefore, we excluded them from the current study. For session 2 (late-pregnancy), we examined the overall response to the infant stimuli versus the control stimuli (i.e.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For rst-time fathers and childless males, the neural response to the stimuli in other areas of the parental brain remains relatively constant across the three sessions. One possible reason is that expectant fathers and childless males display a well-de ned activation pattern in the parental brain when exposed to infant stimuli 21 (Fig. 2A).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus far, very few studies have focused on the development of the human paternal brain from early pregnancy to postpartum 13 . Recently, Diaz-Rojas et al (2021) 21 found changes in the parental brain from early to mid-pregnancy (gestational age [GA] < 30 weeks). Using multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA), they identi ed subtle differences in areas of the parental brain between non-fathers and rst-time fathers in response to infant-interaction stimuli.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Development of the Paternal Brain in Humans throughout Pregnancy

Diaz-Rojas¹,

Matsunaga²,

Tanaka³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Previous studies have demonstrated that paternal caregiving behaviours are reliant on neural pathways similar to those supporting maternal care. Interestingly, a greater variability exists in parental phenotypes in males than in females among individuals and mammalian species. However, less is known about when or how such variability emerges in human males. We investigated the longitudinal changes in the neural, hormonal and psychological bases of expression of paternal caregiving in humans throughout pregnancy and the first four months postpartum. We measured oxytocin and testosterone, paternity-related psychological traits and neural response to infant-interaction videos using fMRI in first-time fathers and childless men at three time points (early–mid-pregnancy, late-pregnancy and postpartum). We found that paternal-specific brain activity in prefrontal areas distinctly develops during middle-to-late pregnancy and is enhanced postpartum. Additionally, among fathers, the timing of the development of prefrontal brain activity was associated with specific parenting phenotypes.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Development of the Paternal Brain in Humans throughout Pregnancy

Diaz-Rojas¹,

Matsunaga²,

Tanaka³

et al. 2021

Preprint

Self Cite

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“…Functional imaging studies have further documented activity in these areas in expecting and actual fathers when responding to infant cues (Diaz-Rojas et al, 2021;Li et al, 2018;Mascaro et al, 2017).…”

Section: The Brain Structural/functional Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Healthy paternal behavior is triggered by the newborn's orienting response, for example, crying and behavioral cues (Brazelton & Cramer, 2018) and is paralleled by elevated activity in parental orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) (Parsons et al, 2013). Paternal emotional availability, resulting from positive or negative perceptions of fatherhood, mediates levels of fathers' behavioral involvement in caregiving and showed distinct associated neural connectivity (Diaz-Rojas et al, 2021). The importance of paternal behavioral availability for the offspring has been documented, for example, the importance of synchronized interactions between toddlers with their father which predicts higher proficiency of toddlers with a stranger, beyond maternal contribution (Ferber, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The roots of paternal depression: Experienced and nonexperienced trauma or Folie a Deux?

Ferber

Braun

Weller

2021

Developmental Psychobiology

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The transition to fatherhood may be challenged with anxiety and trepidation. A high prevalence has been found for paternal depression and it is reactive to maternal depression. This review aims to address potential sources of paternal depression, which may have adverse consequences on child development. We describe through three hypotheses how fathers may be at risk of depression during the transition to fatherhood: (1) psychological (interacting with ecological systems); (2) brain func-tional∖structural changes; and (3) (epi)genomic. We propose that paternal stressful experiences during the transition to fatherhood may be the source for paternal depression through direct stressful paternal experiences or via (potential, currently debated) nonexperienced (by the father) epigenomic transgenerational transmission.On the other hand, we suggest that resilient fathers may undergo a transient dysphoric period affected by identifying with the newborn's vulnerability as well as with the mother's postpartum vulnerability resulting in "paternity blues." In accordance with recent views on paternal "heightened sensitivity" toward the infant, we propose that the identification of both parents with the vulnerability of the newborn creates a sensitive period of Folie a Deux (shared madness) which may be a healthy transient, albeit a quasi-pathological period, recruited by the orienting response of the newborn for survival.

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The effects of prenatal stress on neural responses to infant cries in expectant mothers and fathers

Peoples

Lowell

Bunderson

et al. 2022

Developmental Psychobiology

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The perinatal period is characterized by distinct neurobiological and psychological changes initiated prenatally, which may both facilitate postpartum caregiving and increase vulnerability to stress. Parents need to adapt to the high demands of caregiving, which include responding to salient infant cues, such as infant cries. Therefore, assessing the impact of prenatal stress exposure on parents’ neural processing of infant cries may elucidate mechanisms conferring early risk for detrimental perinatal outcomes. Using event‐related potentials, we examined whether prenatal perceived stress affected neural markers of perceptual (N1, P2) and attentional (LPP) processes elicited by high‐ and low‐distress infant cries in expectant mothers (n = 38) and fathers (n = 30). Results evidenced that prenatal perceived stress impacted parents’ sustained attentional processing (LPP) of infant cries, but not early perceptual responses (N1, P2). Specifically, higher levels of prenatal perceived stress were associated with a greater LPP response to low‐distress, but not high‐distress, infant cries. There were no parental sex differences in prenatal perceived stress or neural responses to infant cries. Increased attentional processing of low‐distress cries in highly stressed parents may reflect uncertainty regarding infant distress level, thereby requiring more attentional resources. Overall, our results suggest that prenatal stress impacts processing of infant cues, even before birth.

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Development of the paternal brain in expectant fathers during early pregnancy

Cited by 13 publications

References 48 publications

Development of the Paternal Brain in Humans throughout Pregnancy

Development of the Paternal Brain in Humans throughout Pregnancy

The roots of paternal depression: Experienced and nonexperienced trauma or Folie a Deux?

The effects of prenatal stress on neural responses to infant cries in expectant mothers and fathers

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