Search Results

This chapter illustrates how the brain’s architecture exhibits extensive avenues for information interaction and integration, and how its underlying structure provides the substrate for the coordinated flow of information that characterizes complex behaviors. It focuses on architectural features of several brain regions that have been linked to emotion, including two subcortical regions, the hypothalamus and the amygdala. The chapter also discusses features of the basal forebrain, a system historically linked with arousal processes, but suggested to be an important region for cognitive-emotional communication. Finally, it reviews anatomical properties of prefrontal cortex and closely related areas, including medial and lateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and the anterior insula.

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.

Paternal care is highly variable across mammalian species, across human cultures, and across men within a given culture. Phylogenetic, socioecological, cultural, and biological factors help to explain this variability. In modern Western societies, paternal involvement is associated with improved social, psychological, and educational outcomes, yet many fathers choose not to be involved. Life history theory predicts that men make this choice when they can better enhance their reproductive success by instead allocating energy toward pursuing additional mating opportunities. Biological correlates of male life history strategies are beginning to emerge. Here, we present neurobiological correlates of paternal involvement in human males and relate these data to previous neuroimaging studies of parental care, and existing models of the neurobiology of parental care in nonhuman animals.