The brain oxytocin and corticotropin-releasing factor systems in grieving mothers: What we know and what we need to learn

Demarchi, Luisa; Pawluski, Jodi L.; Bosch, Oliver J.

doi:10.1016/j.peptides.2021.170593

Cited by 15 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 189 publications

(261 reference statements)

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“…A novel rodent model useful for studying behavioral and dopaminergic changes relevant to PPD consists of permanently removing pups from the rat dam’s home cage within 24 h of giving birth. This model is consistent with human literature showing that the emotional impact of losing a child often results in prolonged grief disorder, which in many cases is comorbid with depression (Demarchi et al, 2021 ). Indeed, disruption or loss of mother-infant attachment bonds is a strong predictor of increased negative affect and elevated depression symptoms in human mothers (Vance et al, 1995 ; Crouch, 2002 ; Badenhorst and Hughes, 2007 ).…”

Section: Da Deficits In Novel Rodent Models Useful For the Study Ppd ...supporting

confidence: 91%

Dopamine downregulation in novel rodent models useful for the study of postpartum depression

Rincón-Cortés

Grace

2022

Front. Behav. Neurosci.

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Postpartum depression (PPD) is the most common psychiatric disorder following childbirth and is characterized by maternal mood disturbances, impaired maternal responses, and disrupted caregiving- all of which negatively impact offspring development. Since PPD has detrimental consequences for both mother and child, clinical and preclinical research has focused on identifying brain changes associated with this disorder. In humans, PPD is linked to dysregulated mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system function and altered neural responses (i.e., decreased reward-related activity) to infant-related cues, which are considered hallmark features of PPD. In accordance, rodent models employing translational risk factors useful for the study of PPD have demonstrated alterations in mesolimbic DA system structure and function, and these changes are reviewed here. We also present two novel rodent models based on postpartum adversity exposure (i.e., pup removal, scarcity-adversity) which result in PPD-relevant behavioral changes (e.g., disrupted mother-infant interactions, deficits in maternal behavior, depressive-like phenotypes) and attenuated ventral tegmental area (VTA) DA neuron activity consistent with a hypodopaminergic state. Furthermore, we highlight open questions and future directions for these rodent models. In sum, human and rodent studies converge in showing blunted mesolimbic DA function (i.e., DA downregulation) in PPD. We propose that reduced activity of VTA DA neurons, resulting in downregulation of the mesolimbic DA system, interferes with reward-related processes necessary for maternal motivation and responsiveness. Thus, the mesolimbic DA system may constitute a therapeutic target for ameliorating reward-related deficits in PPD.

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Section: Da Deficits In Novel Rodent Models Useful For the Study Ppd ...supporting

confidence: 91%

Dopamine downregulation in novel rodent models useful for the study of postpartum depression

Rincón-Cortés

Grace

2022

Front. Behav. Neurosci.

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“…While this early work pointed to a role for the hippocampus in aspects of maternal caregiving behavior, it was not until the late 1990s that the possible relationship between the hippocampus and motherhood was revisited. More recent research on the hippocampus and motherhood has often focused on this brain area because of its importance in memory, stress regulation and mental health (Dickens and Pawluski, 2018;Lucassen et al, 2010;Pawluski et al, 2016).…”

Section: The Hippocampusmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, dams that had offspring removed within a day of giving birth have increased depressive-like behavior and impaired memory weeks later (Pawluski et al, 2009b;Pawluski et al, 2006a), suggesting a disconnect between postpartum cell survival and maternal affective behaviors. Dams with complete pup removal also show alterations in the HPA axis (Demarchi et al, 2021).…”

Section: Postpartummentioning

confidence: 99%

Less can be more: Fine tuning the maternal brain

Pawluski

Hoekzema

Leuner

et al. 2022

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

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“…Furthermore, infant loss in non-human primates can be devastating (Watson and Matsuzawa, 2018;Sharma et al, 2020), while infant loss in humans is associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (Jind et al, 2010), anxiety and depression (Kreicbergs et al, 2004;Hunter et al, 2017), and prolonged grief disorder (Lundorff et al, 2017). Therefore, utilizing rodent models of maternal separation to identify the possible neural underpinnings of loss and stress reactions during infant removal may prove to be beneficial for understanding parental grief reactions following infant death (for a recent review, see Demarchi et al, 2021).…”

Section: Modeling Grief Using Social Loss In Pair-bonded Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurobiology of Loneliness, Isolation, and Loss: Integrating Human and Animal Perspectives

Vitale

Smith

2022

Front. Behav. Neurosci.

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In social species such as humans, non-human primates, and even many rodent species, social interaction and the maintenance of social bonds are necessary for mental and physical health and wellbeing. In humans, perceived isolation, or loneliness, is not only characterized by physical isolation from peers or loved ones, but also involves negative perceptions about social interactions and connectedness that reinforce the feelings of isolation and anxiety. As a complex behavioral state, it is no surprise that loneliness and isolation are associated with dysfunction within the ventral striatum and the limbic system – brain regions that regulate motivation and stress responsiveness, respectively. Accompanying these neural changes are physiological symptoms such as increased plasma and urinary cortisol levels and an increase in stress responsivity. Although studies using animal models are not perfectly analogous to the uniquely human state of loneliness, studies on the effects of social isolation in animals have observed similar physiological symptoms such as increased corticosterone, the rodent analog to human cortisol, and also display altered motivation, increased stress responsiveness, and dysregulation of the mesocortical dopamine and limbic systems. This review will discuss behavioral and neuropsychological components of loneliness in humans, social isolation in rodent models, and the neurochemical regulators of these behavioral phenotypes with a neuroanatomical focus on the corticostriatal and limbic systems. We will also discuss social loss as a unique form of social isolation, and the consequences of bond disruption on stress-related behavior and neurophysiology.

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The brain oxytocin and corticotropin-releasing factor systems in grieving mothers: What we know and what we need to learn

Cited by 15 publications

References 189 publications

Dopamine downregulation in novel rodent models useful for the study of postpartum depression

Dopamine downregulation in novel rodent models useful for the study of postpartum depression

Less can be more: Fine tuning the maternal brain

Neurobiology of Loneliness, Isolation, and Loss: Integrating Human and Animal Perspectives

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