The interplay of oxytocin and sex hormones

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 163, P. 105765 - 105765

Published: June 15, 2024

The neuropeptide oxytocin has historically been associated with reproduction and maternal behavior. However, more recent research uncovered that a much wider range of roles in physiology Despite the excitement surrounding potential therapeutical applications intranasally administered oxytocin, results these intervention studies have inconsistent. Various reasons for mixed proposed, which tend to focus on methodological issues, such as study design. While issues are certainly important, emerging evidence suggests interaction between sex hormones may also account varied findings. To better understand purpose function hormones, estrogens, progesterone, testosterone, we conducted comprehensive thematic review via four perspectives: evolutionary, developmental, mechanistic, survival. Altogether, this synergistic approach highlights critical hormone activity accomplishing diverse modulation release receptor activity, is likely contribute heterogeneity outcomes after administration.

Language: Английский

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Cortical volume reductions in men transitioning to first-time fatherhood reflect both parenting engagement and mental health risk

Cerebral Cortex, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 34(4)

Published: April 1, 2024

Abstract Perinatal reductions in gray matter volume have been observed human mothers transitioning to parenthood, with preliminary evidence for similar changes fathers. These theorized support adaptation parenting, but greater investigation is needed. We scanned 38 first-time fathers during their partner’s pregnancy and again after 6 months postpartum, collected self-report data prenatally 3, 6, 12 postpartum. Significant were across the entire cortex not subcortex. Fathers who reported stronger prenatal bonding unborn infant, planned take more time off from work birth, subsequently showed larger cortical decreases. Larger also emerged among postpartum lower parenting stress, spent infant. predicted sleep problems higher levels of depression, anxiety, psychological distress, controlling mental health. Volume smaller whose infants older at scan, indicating potential rebound. results suggest that perinatal might reflect only engagement increased health risk new

Language: Английский

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Protective role of parenthood on age-related brain function in mid- to late-life

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: May 4, 2024

Abstract The experience of parenthood can profoundly alter one’s body, mind, and environment, yet we know little about the long-term associations between brain function aging in adulthood. Here, investigate link number children parented (parity) age on 19,964 females 17,607 males from UK Biobank. In both males, increased parity was positively associated with functional connectivity, particularly within somato/motor network. Critically, spatial topography parity-linked effects inversely correlated impact connectivity across for suggesting that a higher is patterns opposite direction to age-related alterations. These results indicate changes accompanying may confer benefits health lifespan, highlighting importance future work understand mechanisms.

Language: Английский

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Protective role of parenthood on age-related brain function in mid- to late-life

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 122(9)

Published: Feb. 25, 2025

The experience of human parenthood is near ubiquitous and can profoundly alter one’s body, mind, environment. However, we know very little about the long-term neural effects for parents themselves, or implications pregnancy caregiving on aging adult brain. Here, investigate link between number children parented age brain function in 19,964 females 17,607 males from UK Biobank. In both males, was positively correlated with functional connectivity, such that higher associated particularly within somato/motor network. Critically, spatial topography parenthood-linked inversely impact connectivity across connections were negatively age. This result suggests a patterns opposite direction to age-related alterations. Overall, these results indicate changes accompanying may confer benefits health lifespan, altering trajectories, consistent animal models preliminary findings “younger-looking” structure parents. Observing this effect implicates environment, rather than alone, highlights importance future work disentangle underlying mechanisms related direct caregiving, indirect covarying sociodemographic factors.

Language: Английский

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Prenatal prolactin predicts postnatal parenting attitudes and brain structure remodeling in first-time fathers

Psychoneuroendocrinology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 156, P. 106332 - 106332

Published: July 10, 2023

Language: Английский

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Parental status and markers of brain and cellular age: A 3D convolutional network and classification study

Psychoneuroendocrinology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 165, P. 107040 - 107040

Published: April 2, 2024

Recent research shows prominent effects of pregnancy and the parenthood transition on structural brain characteristics in humans. Here, we present a comprehensive study how parental status number children born/fathered links to markers cellular ageing 36,323 UK Biobank participants (age range 44.57 - 82.06 years; 52% female). To assess global parenting brain, trained 3D convolutional neural network T1-weighted magnetic resonance images, estimated age held-out test set. investigate regional specificity, extracted cortical subcortical volumes using FreeSurfer, ran hierarchical clustering group based covariance. Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) derived from DNA was used as marker ageing. We employed linear regression models relationships between children, age, volumes, LTL, included interaction terms probe sex differences associations. Lastly, measures LTL features binary classification models, determine if could predict status. The results showed associations greater younger both females males, with stronger observed females. Volume-based analyses maternal striatal limbic regions, which were not evident fathers. found no evidence for LTL. Classification an Area under ROC Curve (AUC) 0.57 model, while predictors AUCs 0.52. Our findings align previous population-based studies middle- older-aged parents, revealing subtle but significant experience neuroimaging-based surrogate health. further corroborate longitudinal cohort following parents across postpartum, potentially indicating that is associated long-term influences

Language: Английский

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The interplay of oxytocin and sex hormones

Published: Jan. 23, 2024

The neuropeptide oxytocin has historically been associated with reproduction and maternal behavior. However, more recent research uncovered that a much wider range of roles in physiology Despite the excitement surrounding potential therapeutical applications intranasally administered oxytocin, results these intervention studies have inconsistent. Various reasons for mixed proposed, which tend to focus on methodological issues, such as study design. While issues are certainly important, emerging evidence suggests interaction between sex hormones may also account varied findings. To better understand purpose function hormones, estrogens, progesterone, testosterone, we conducted comprehensive thematic review via four perspectives: evolutionary, developmental, mechanistic, survival. Altogether, this synergistic approach highlights critical hormone activity accomplishing diverse modulation release receptor activity, is likely contribute heterogeneity outcomes after administration.

Language: Английский

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Leveraging research into sex differences and steroid hormones to improve brain health

Nature Reviews Endocrinology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Nov. 25, 2024

Language: Английский

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The next generation of developmental psychopathology research: Including broader perspectives and becoming more precise

Development and Psychopathology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 1 - 10

Published: Feb. 14, 2024

Abstract The current Special Issue marks a major milestone in the history of developmental psychopathology; as final issue edited by Cicchetti, we have an opportunity to reflect on remarkable progress discipline across last four decades, well challenges and future directions for field. With contemporary issues mind, including rising rates psychopathology, health disparities, international conflict, rapid growth accessibility digital mobile technologies, psychopathology is poised advance multidisciplinary, developmentally- contextually- informed research, make substantial supporting healthy development individuals around world. We highlight key next generation research further investigation culture at multiple levels analysis, incorporation macro-level influences into methods advances address heterogeneity translational precision mental health, extension lifespan.

Language: Английский

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Depressive symptoms during the transition to adolescence: Left hippocampal volume as a marker of social context sensitivity

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 121(37)

Published: Sept. 3, 2024

The transition to adolescence is a critical period for mental health development. Socio-experiential environments play an important role in the emergence of depressive symptoms with some adolescents showing more sensitivity social contexts than others. Drawing on recent developmental neuroscience advances, we examined whether hippocampal volume amplifies context effects adolescence. We analyzed 2-y longitudinal data from Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD ® ) study diverse sample 11,832 youth (mean age: 9.914 y; range: 8.917 11.083 47.8% girls) 21 sites across United States. (i.e., family conflict, primary caregiver’s symptoms, parental warmth, peer victimization, and prosocial school environment), volume, wide range demographic characteristics were measured at baseline. Youth’s major disorder assessed both baseline 2 y later. Multilevel mixed-effects linear regression analyses showed that negative victimization) absence positive warmth environment) predicted greater increases youth’s over y. Importantly, left amplified such larger experienced less environments. Consistent brain–environment interaction models health, these findings underscore importance families, peers, schools development depression during show how neural structure sensitivity.

Language: Английский

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