Dad’s Absence Affects Neurobiology of Offspring ~ Mental Health Blog

Scientists
at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) have
discovered that an absent father during critical growth periods can lead to
social and behavioral impairments in adults. This is the first study of its
kind to correlate paternal deprivation and social attributes with physical
changes in the brain.

Researchers were
able to control the environment in which the mice were raised, including the
factors among the different groups.  As a
result, mice studies may be clearer than human studies claims Francis Bambico,
a former student of Dr. Gobbi at McGill and now a post-doc at the Centre for
Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto.

Researchers compared
the social behaviour and brain structure of mice in different groups; those raised
with both parents and those raised by their mothers. Findings show that mice
raised by single mothers experienced abnormal social interactions and were more
aggressive than those raised with both parents present. In addition, these
findings were more prevalent among female mice. 
Furthermore, females also experienced an increased sensitivity to
amphetamine.

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Amphetamine, Behaviour, Behavioural Impairment, Brain Development, Deviant Behaviour, Father, Father Absenteeism, Fatherhood, Mice, Neurobiology, Offspring, Parenthood, Parents, Social Deficits, Substance Abuse

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