The Behavioral, Hormonal, and Neural Correlates of Cognitive Control in Response to Sexual Interference Stimuli in Fathers and Non-fathers Público
Saltalamacchia, Julia (2012)
Published
Abstract
Abstract
Despite the fact that there is great variation in human paternal
care, its benefits to
children are immense and well documented. Life History Theory
suggests that men
pursue a reproductive strategy on a spectrum from mating effort to
parenting effort. The
purpose of this study is to investigate behavioral, hormonal and
neurobiological
differences between fathers and non-fathers through four aims. We
use a choice reaction
time task with sexual interference in fMRI to investigate brain and
behavioral differences
in reaction to sexual stimuli. Additionally, we investigate
differences in testosterone
levels and differences in brain structure. We found that fathers
are less distracted by
sexual interference stimuli than non-fathers, as measured by
reaction time. Those with the
slowest reaction times engaged the cognitive and emotional control
areas of their
prefrontal cortex less than those with faster reaction times.
Fathers have lower baseline
levels of testosterone than non-fathers, and those with higher
baseline levels of
testosterone engage their prefrontal cortex less during the
reaction time task. Our results
also suggest that fathers have greater gray matter density than
non-fathers in the medial
oribital frontal cortex and rostral ACC. These results suggest that
differences between
fathers and non-fathers manifest themselves in differences in
behavior, brain structure
and function, and hormones.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
I.
Introduction.................................................................................................1
II.
Methods.......................................................................................................8
a.
Subjects..................................................................................................8
b. Behavioral Task and
Procedure.............................................................8
c. Behavioral and Demographic
Analyses.................................................9
d. Plasma Collection and Hormone
Analyses...........................................10
e. fMRI Image
Acquisition.......................................................................11
f. fMRI Image
Analyses...........................................................................11
g. VBM
Analysis.......................................................................................12
III.
Results.........................................................................................................14
a.
Demographic.........................................................................................14
b.
Behavioral.............................................................................................14
c.
Hormones..............................................................................................15
d. Functional MRI
Data............................................................................16
e.
Structural...............................................................................................17
IV.
Discussion...................................................................................................19
V.
Tables and
Figures......................................................................................29
a. Table
1..................................................................................................29
b. Table
2..................................................................................................29
c. Table
3..................................................................................................30
d. Table
4..................................................................................................30
e. Table
5..................................................................................................31
f. Table
6..................................................................................................31
g. Figure
1.................................................................................................32
h. Figure
2.................................................................................................33
i. Figure
3.................................................................................................34
j. Figure
4.................................................................................................35
k. Figure
5.................................................................................................36
l. Figure
6.................................................................................................37
m. Figure
7.................................................................................................38
n. Figure
8.................................................................................................39
o. Figure
9.................................................................................................40
p. Figure
10...............................................................................................41
q. Figure
11...............................................................................................42
r. Figure
12...............................................................................................43
VI.
References...................................................................................................44
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