Neural, Hormonal and Epigenetic Adaptations for Fatherhood

该项目研究人类男性在向父亲过渡期间可能经历的荷尔蒙和神经生物学变化，以及这些变化是否与依恋和依恋水平相关。这项研究涉及人类生活史和父母照顾的进化理论，以促进我们对人类男性在直接生育中的作用的理解。通过识别与父亲身份相关的生物学变化，该项目可以产生假设，并可能告知有关父母动机的公共卫生知识，以及这种动机如何在一系列情况下变化。该项目还促进了多个本科研究人员的实验室培训和专业发展，包括那些来自STEM研究中代表性不足的群体的研究人员。对双亲非人类物种的研究表明，雄性经历了许多生物学变化，为他们做父亲做准备。这个项目调查人类男性是否经历了类似的变化，使他们为一个新的角色做好准备。研究人员检查了激素水平是否以及何时随着向父亲的过渡而变化，以及这些变化是否与婴儿期父亲的参与和依恋有关。在婴儿满1岁之前的多个时间间隔内，测量准父亲（和非父亲对照组）的催产素、加压素和睾酮激素水平，父母报告父亲的参与和依恋。研究人员还研究了编码催产素、加压素和雄激素受体的基因的甲基化是否以及何时随着向父亲的过渡而发生变化，以及这些变化是否与父亲的参与和依恋有关。 此外，本发明还提供了一种方法，MRI和fMRI扫描是从参与者的术前和术后收集的。本奖项旨在研究区域大脑灰质体积和对婴儿图片刺激的神经反应是否随着向父亲的过渡而变化，以及这些变化是否与父亲的参与和依恋有关。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响进行评估，被认为值得支持审查标准。

This project examines hormonal and neurobiological changes that human males may experience during their transition to fatherhood, and whether these changes are correlated with levels of attachment and caregiving. The research engages with evolutionary theories about human life history and parental care to advance our understanding of the role of human males in direct caregiving. By identifying biological changes associated with fatherhood, this project can generate hypotheses and potentially inform public health knowledge about parental motivation and how this motivation varies across a range of circumstances. The project also facilitates laboratory training and professional development of multiple undergraduate researchers, including those from groups that are underrepresented in STEM research. Research in bi-parental non-human species suggests that males experience a number of biological changes that prepare them for fatherhood. This project investigates whether human males experience similar changes that prepare them for a caregiving role. The researchers examine if and when hormone levels change with the transition to fatherhood, and whether these changes are correlated with paternal involvement and attachment during infancy. Levels of the hormones oxytocin, vasopressin and testosterone are measured for expecting fathers (and non-father controls) at multiple intervals until their infants reach 1 year of age, and parents report on paternal involvement and attachment. The researchers also examine if and when methylation of genes that code for oxytocin, vasopressin and androgen receptors changes with the transition to fatherhood, and whether those changes are correlated with paternal involvement and attachment. In addition, MRI and fMRI scans are collected from participants pre- and post-natally to examine if regional cerebral gray matter volume and neural responses to infant picture stimuli change with the transition to fatherhood and if those changes are correlated with paternal involvement and attachment.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.