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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Apr 1.
Published in final edited form as: Parent Sci Pract. 2012 Jun 14;12(2-3):202–211. doi: 10.1080/15295192.2012.683358

Figure 2.

Figure 2

Neurobiology of the rodent maternal brain. The neurobiological circuits involved in variation in maternal LG include the medial preoptic area (MPOA), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), lateral septum (LS), central amygdala (Amyg), ventral tegmental area (VTA), and nucleus accumbens (NAc). Levels of oxytocin and estrogen receptors in the MPOA influence the frequency of maternal LG care displayed. These hypothalamic effects have downstream consequences for activation within the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system, which includes projections from the VTA to NAc. Environmental experiences shape the development of these circuits leading to altered LG behavior.