Firing patterns of maternal rat prelimbic neurons during spontaneous contact with pups
Submitted by Marcelo Febo on
PDF version| Title | Firing patterns of maternal rat prelimbic neurons during spontaneous contact with pups |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Authors | Febo, M |
| Journal | Brain Res BullBrain Res Bull |
| Volume | 88 |
| Pagination | 534-42 |
| Date Published | Aug 1 |
| ISBN Number | 1873-2747 (Electronic)<br/>0361-9230 (Linking) |
| Accession Number | 22643133 |
| Abstract | Extracellular single unit activity was recorded from medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of postpartum dams over the course of 3 days while they engaged in spontaneous pup-directed behaviors and non-specific exploratory behavior. Out of 109 units identified over the course of the experiment, 15 units were observed to be pup-responsive and 15 increased their discharge rates non-specifically while not attending to pups. An association between neuronal activity and typical maternal behaviors (e.g., retrieval, pup-grooming, nursing) was not observed. Instead, brief bouts of snout contact with pups were accompanied by phasic increases and decreases in spike rates. The observed pup contact responsive cells might play a role in processing of sensory feedback from pups or the transmission of modulatory output to other subcortical maternal brain areas. |
