Influence of maternal care on the developing brain: Mechanisms, temporal dynamics and sensitive periods.
Variation in maternal care can lead to divergent developmental trajectories in offspring with implications for neuroendocrine function and behavioral phenotypes. Study of the long-term outcomes associated with mother-infant interactions suggests complex mechanisms linking the experience of variation in maternal care and these neurobiological consequences. Through integration of genetic, molecular, cellular, neuroanatomical, and neuroendocrine approaches, significant advances in our understanding of these complex pathways have been achieved. In this review, we will consider the impact of maternal care on male and female offspring development with a particular focus on the issues of timing and mechanism. Identifying the period of sensitivity to maternal care and the temporal dynamics of the molecular and neuroendocrine changes that are a consequence of maternal care represents a critical step in the study of mechanism.
['Curley|James P|JP|', 'Champagne|Frances A|FA|']
D000818:Animals D001921:Brain D019175:DNA Methylation D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic D006801:Humans D008425:Maternal Behavior D009034:Mother-Child Relations D009490:Neurosecretory Systems
Maternal Development Sensitive period Offspring Timing Epigenetic