Innate sensitivity and plastic mechanisms in auditory cortex for reliable maternal behavior

• Published in: bioRxiv
• Main Authors: Schiavo, Jennifer K, Valtcheva, Silvana, Bair-Marshall, Chloe, Song, Soomin C, Martin, Kathleen A, Froemke, Robert
• Format: Paper
• Language: English
• Published: Cold Spring Harbor Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 12.03.2020
• Subjects: Auditory plasticity; Behavior; Behavioral plasticity; Cortex (auditory); Cortex (temporal); Genetics; Hearing; Information processing; Maternal behavior; Neonates; Neuroimaging; Optics; Short-term depression

Infant cries evoke powerful responses in parents. To what extent are parental animals innately sensitive to neonatal vocalizations, or might instead learn about key vocal cues for appropriate parenting responses? In mice, naive virgins do not recognize the meaning of pup distress calls, but begin to...