Cited by 197Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorInfant Health and DevelopmentOlfactory and Sensory Function Studies

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Shows Oxytocin Activates Brain Regions Associated with Mother–Pup Bonding during Suckling

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Febo, Marcelo, Numan, Michael, Ferris, Craig F.·2005·The Journal of Neuroscience

Abstract

Oxytocin is released in the maternal brain during breastfeeding and may help strengthen the mother–infant relationship. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to determine whether oxytocin modulates brain activity in postpartum day 4–8 dams receiving suckling stimulation. During imaging sessions, dams were exposed to pup suckling before and after administration of an oxytocin receptor antagonist. Another group of dams received oxytocin alone. Changes in brain activation in response to suckling closely matched that elicited by oxytocin administration. The overlapping brain areas included the olfactory system, nucleus accumbens, insular cortex, prefrontal cortex, ventral tegmental area, cortical amygdala, and several cortical and hypothalamic nuclei. Blockade of oxytocin receptors largely attenuated activation in these regions. The data suggest that oxytocin may strengthen mother–infant bond formation partly by acting through brain areas involved in regulating olfactory discrimination, emotions, and reward.

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Crossref · 10.1523/jneurosci.3604-05.2005

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  • Oxytocin can selectively gate cortical responses to infant stimuli to subsequently enable maternal care.

    “The neuropeptide oxytocin can selectively gate cortical responses to infant stimuli to subsequently enable maternal care”

    From Neuromodulation of maternal circuits by oxytocin (2019) · cites this paper as Febo et al., 2005

  • Brain imaging in rats when pup-suckling shows activations in the paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus, olfactory tubercle, anterior olfactory nucleus, piriform cortex, amygdala, medial preoptic area, ventral tegmentum area, insular cortex and prefrontal cortex.

    “Brain imaging in rats when pup-suckling shows activations in the paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus, olfactory tubercle, anterior olfactory nucleus, piriform cortex, amygdala, medial preoptic area, ventral tegmentum area, insular cortex and prefrontal cortex (27).”

    From Neuroendocrinology of Parental Response to Baby‐Cry (2011) · cites this paper as [27]

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Authors
Febo, M., Numan, M., & Ferris, C. F.
Affiliations
  • University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (US)
  • Boston College (US)
Corresponding author
Febo, Marcelo
Venue
The Journal of Neuroscience
Published
2005-12-14
Volume
25
Issue
50
Pages
11637-11644
ISSN
  • 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
  • 1529-2401
OpenAlex
W2168959320
Cited by
197
References
51
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 14
FWCI
7.15
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network (American Medical Association) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation (0312380)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01 DA13517, R01DA013517)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Infant Health and Development
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
Keywords
oxytocin, suckling, mother-infant relationship, oxytocin receptor antagonist, olfactory system, nucleus accumbens, insula, prefrontal cortex, ventral tegmental area, cortical amygdala, hypothalamus, odor discrimination, reward, maternal behavior
MeSH terms
Animals, Animals, Suckling, Brain Mapping, Emotions, Female, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Maternal Behavior, Object Attachment, Oxytocin, Reward, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Receptors, Oxytocin, Rats

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