The Maternal Brain
Neurobiological and Neuroendocrine Adaptation and Disorders in Pregnancy and Post Partum
Published on 21. September 2001
Book
Hardback
380 pages
978-0-444-50548-4 (ISBN)
Description
The adaptive changes within the central nervous system that prepare the body for the physiological requirements of pregnancy and motherhood are of major significance, and many scientists around the world are involved in elucidating these systems in humans and other mammals. The adaptive changes encompass diverse scientific disciplines, including neuroendocrinology, neuroscience and psychology, and failure of appropriate adaptation in mothers can lead to disorders that have profound and long lasting consequences for individuals and for society. This volume contains review articles written by the symposium speakers at a conference held in Bristol in July 1999, "The Maternal Brain - an International Meeting on Neurobiological and Neuroendocrine Adaptation and Disorders in Pregnancy and Postpartum". This conference comprised topics from molecular analysis of physiological systems using transgenic animals, through plasticity at the neurotransmitter and neuronal level, to the description of behavioural adaptation in terms of endocrinology.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Elsevier Science & Technology
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
Illustrations (some col.)
ISBN-13
978-0-444-50548-4 (9780444505484)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Content
Brain preparations for maternity - adaptive changes in behavioural and neuroendocrine systems during pregnancy and lactation - an overview; physiological roles for the neurosteroid allopregnanolone in the modulation of brain function during pregnancy and parturition; maternity leads to morphological synaptic plasticity in the oxytocin system; oxytocin - who needs it?; endogenous opioid regulation of oxytocin and ACTH secretion during pregnancy and parturition; the maternal spinal cord - biochemical and physiological correlates of steroid-activated antinociceptive processes; hypothalamic and limbic expression of CRF and vasopressin during lactation - implications for the control of ACTH secretion and stress hyporesponsiveness; peri-partum plasticity within the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis; the neurobiology of stress in human pregnancy - implications for development of the foetal central nervous system; alterations in behavioural and neuroendocrine stress coping strategies in pregnant, parturient and lactating rats; the actions of prolactin in the brain during pregnancy and lactation; regulation of prolactin secretion during pregnancy and lactation; non-metabolic and metabolic factors causing lactational anestrus - rat models uncovering the neuroendocrine mechanism underlying the suckling-induced changes in the mother; neuroendocrine changes and fertility in breast-feeding women; food intake and leptin during pregnancy and lactation; relaxing and drinking in pregnant rats; neuroendocrine and emotional changes in the post-partum period; lactogenic hormone regulation of maternal behaviour; neural mediation of nursing and related maternal behaviours; genomic imprinting and the maternal brain; like mother, like daughter - evidence for non-genomic transmission of parental behaviour and stress responsivity; pregnancy and post partum - changes in cognition and mood; molecular genetic approaches to puerperal psychosis; the maternal brain as a model for investigating mental illness; an appreciation of Professor Ramesh Kumar.