Sexual, parental, and aggressive behaviors are central to the reproductive success of
individuals and species survival and thus are supported by hardwired neural circuits. The …

Parental care plays a crucial role in the physical and mental well-being of mammalian
offspring. Although sexually naïve male mice, as well as certain strains of female mice …

Hunger, thirst, loneliness and ambition determine the reward value of food, water, social
interaction and performance outcome. Dopamine neurons respond to rewards meeting …

In recent decades, human fathers across the globe have shown a substantial increase in
their engagement in paternal caregiving behaviors. Despite the growing interest, the precise …

Social sensitivity to other individuals in distress is crucial for survival. The anterior cingulate
cortex (ACC) is a structure involved in making behavioral choices and is influenced by …

The lateral septum (LS) is involved in controlling anxiety, aggression, feeding, and other
motivated behaviors. Lesion studies have also implicated the LS in various forms of caring …

Background Both psychostimulant use and engagement with probabilistic schedules of
reward sensitize the mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) system. Such behaviors may act …

Loss of a loved one is a painful event that substantially elevates the risk for physical and
mental illness and impaired daily function. Socially monogamous prairie voles are …

Regression is a key feature of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum
disorder, Fragile X syndrome, and Rett syndrome (RTT). RTT is caused by mutations in the X …

This review consolidates current knowledge on mammalian parental care, focusing on its
neural mechanisms, evolutionary origins, and derivatives. Neurobiological studies have …