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Fatherhood to Alter the Brain Researchers found that marmoset fathers present physical and hormonal differences as compared to non-father marmosets	By Alexandra Lupu, Health News Editor 25th of August 2006, 09:30 GMT Adjust text size:


A recent research carried out by scientists at the Princeton University found that fatherhood changed and altered the brain of tiny monkeys called marmosets. Researchers do not know yet for sure if this could also be applied to humans, but they have chosen the particular species of monkeys because "marmoset fathers, unlike many other male mammals, are very involved in offspring care. In addition, the complexity of their brains makes them a good model forexamining the processes that might occur in humans," pointed out study lead author Yevgenia Kozorovitskiy, graduate student in Neuroscience at Princeton. In the study, researchers also noted that the structure of father marmosets' brain is different from the structure of the non-fathers mammals. It appears that the brain of monkey fathers is more receptive to a specific hormone linked to learning. The results of the Princeton researchers, published in the Nature Neuroscience journal, showed that marmoset fathers' prefrontal cortexes presented a higher density of "spines" that formed on dendrites as compared with the non-father marmosets. Dendrites are the microscopic branched extensions of neurons that receive signals from other nerve cells. A nerve cell usually presents more dendrites. Dendrites are basically the connective tissue which connects one neuron to another. Prefrontal cortex is the anterior part of the brain's frontal lobes. This brain area is concerned with emotions, thinking and learning about the consequences of actions. The prefrontal cortex is involved in planning cognitive behaviors and personality expression. Researcher also found that the brain of marmoset fathers presented more receptors for a neuropeptide called vasopressin. Vasopressine is actually a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland, which is closely connected with the being a parent behavior and is also vital for the learning and memory abilities. In conclusion, "the experience of being a father dramatically alters brain regions important for cognition," Kozorovitskiy said. "Do these changes mediate some aspect of paternal behavior, or are they secondary to physical or hormonal changes that may occur as a consequence of the behavior? Cause and effect still need to be explored," Jon E. Levine, a professor of Neurobiology and Physiology at Northwestern University commented on the study.

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