Maternal instinct last findings

There is much talk about the famous maternal instinct. A large amount mothers (perhaps all) come out in defense that the relationship between father and son is not as powerful and intense as that of mother and son. They claim that the maternal instinct is real and that you have to feel it to know. Maybe the key is to feel it, why? Because the same is pointing out that The brain of males and females work differently in some aspects.

But to what extent is it true? Is it a different brain functioning? Is it a social conditioning? What hides behind the maternal instinct? You can already show some more light to this topic because a study by the University of Louisian. And apparently, the key is in the brain.

Content

• Maternal instinct
• What is oxytocin?
• Postpartum depression
  • Bibliography

Maternal instinct

From the State University of Louisiana, the team of Sharma and Leblanc (2019) have discovered that certain hormones such as oxytocin or prolactin, involved in the development of maternal instinct, They are not found in the same area of ​​the brain of males and females. So far research has been carried out with rodents, however, it is an important finding since it could be extrapolated to humans. In this way, the brain situation of these hormones would be a fundamental factor for the development of maternal instinct.

Ryoichi Teruyama, one of the researchers affirms that it is the first study that obtains firms on the difference between the male and females oxytocin system. A very meticulous work was carried out marking the location of thousands of oxytocin receptor cells in mice of both sexes. According to the study results "The expression of oxytocin receptor cells only manifests when estrogen - female hormone - is present". These results, represent one more indication of the relationship between oxytocin and maternal instinct.

A curious fact that has been observed is The role that oxytocin plays in maternal instinct in relation to the recognition of children's crying. Until now, this has only been observed in mice, but still is still surprising and, perhaps, extrapolable to future investigations.

Apparently, Mothers are able to recognize the ultrasound emitting their young. It has been discovered that this fact is due to the fact that the memory of these cries is stored in the auditory cortex and it has oxytocin receptors and precursors of the same. The surprising thing about research is that When oxytocin receptors have been blocked in mothers, they become insensitive to the crying of their young.

What is oxytocin?

As Florez-Acevedo and Cárdenas (2016) describe, "oxytocin is a nenopeptide hormone formed by nine amino acids: cysteine, tyrosine, isoleucine, glutamine, asparagine, cysteine, proline, leucine and glycine, with a sulfur bridge between the two cysteines ". The authors stand out that Oxytocin would be involved in behaviors such as maternal, reproductive and the establishment of social ties.

Sharma and Leblanc's team (2019) postulates that "oxytocin Participate in the regulation of social behaviors, including parents' behaviors in different species ". These social behaviors would be triggered by binding oxytocin to oxytocin receptors in various parts of the brain. The authors indicate the preaptic area (Hypothalamus Region) as a place where there are sexual dimorphic nuclei sensitive to hormones.

Florez-Acevedo and Cárdenas highlight that the role of oxytocin in males is related to erectile functioning, in copulatory activity and ejaculation. In females, oxytocin highlights its role in sexual maturation and the manifestation of attraction behaviors. In both sexes, it would be a orgasm marker and facilitate the transport of sperm to the ovule through the contraction of the corresponding muscles.

Postpartum depression

After delivery, a large number of women suffers from depression. The Sharman and Leblanc team are also hopeful in which These findings can be generalized and can contribute to elaborate new treatments for postpartum depression. In this type of depression the main neurotransmitter is oxytocin, therefore, this type of research can be a great advance in the improvement of this type of disorder.

It is an important type of depression because it can also affect the child in the long term. Among the problems that the son of a depressed mother can develop are: emotional, cognitive, behavioral and medical problems. Teruyama, says in this aspect that "I think our discovery could be universal for all mammals that exhibit maternal behavior, including humans".

In this way, this research could not only explain maternal instinct, but can shed light to try to prevent postpartum depression and problems in the descendants associated with.

Bibliography

• Florez-Acevedo, s. And Cardenas, F. (2016). Oxytocin modulator role in interaction
  Social and stress. PSYCHOLOGICAL UNIVERSITAS, 15 (5).
• Sharma, k., Leblanc, r., Hague, m., Nishimori, k., Reid, m. and Teruyama, R. (2019). Sexually Dimorphic Oxytocin Receptor-Expressing Neurons in The Preoptic Area of ​​the Mouse Brain. PLOS One, 14 (7).