Serotonin and motherhood: From molecules to mood

•Serotonin is involved motherhood and neuroplasticity in the maternal brain.•Effects of serotonin on maternal behaviors are brain site-specific.•5-HT1A, 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors are involved in maternal behaviors.•Maternal mood and SSRIs affect the serotonin system and maternal behavior.•More res...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in neuroendocrinology 2019-04, Vol.53, p.100742-100742, Article 100742
Main Authors: Pawluski, Jodi L., Li, Ming, Lonstein, Joseph S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
5-HT
5-Hyroxytryptophan
Affect - physiology
Animals
Brain - physiology
Female
Gynecology and obstetrics
Human health and pathology
Humans
Life Sciences
Maternal aggression
Maternal Behavior - physiology
Maternal brain
Motherhood
Neurobiology
Neuronal Plasticity - physiology
Neurons and Cognition
Neuroplasticity
Parenting
Postpartum depression
Postpartum Period - metabolism
Pregnancy
Serotonin - metabolism
SSRI
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Summary:•Serotonin is involved motherhood and neuroplasticity in the maternal brain.•Effects of serotonin on maternal behaviors are brain site-specific.•5-HT1A, 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors are involved in maternal behaviors.•Maternal mood and SSRIs affect the serotonin system and maternal behavior.•More research is needed on serotonin in maternal mental health. Emerging research points to a valuable role of the monoamine neurotransmitter, serotonin, in the display of maternal behaviors and reproduction-associated plasticity in the maternal brain. Serotonin is also implicated in the pathophysiology of numerous affective disorders and likely plays an important role in the pathophysiology of maternal mental illness. Therefore, the main goals of this review are to detail: (1) how the serotonin system of the female brain changes across pregnancy and postpartum; (2) the role of the central serotonergic system in maternal caregiving and maternal aggression; and (3) how the serotonin system and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications (SSRIs) are involved in the treatment of maternal mental illness. Although there is much work to be done, studying the central serotonin system’s multifaceted role in the maternal brain is vital to our understanding of the processes governing matrescence and the maintenance of motherhood.
ISSN:0091-3022
1095-6808
DOI:10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.03.001