Appropriate parental care by fathers greatly facilitates health in human family life. Much less is known from animal studies regarding the factors and neural circuitry that affect paternal behavior compared with those affecting maternal behavior. We recently reported that ICR mouse sires displayed maternal-like retrieval behavior when they were separated from pups and caged with their mates (co-housing) because the sires receive communicative interactions via ultrasonic and pheromone signals from the dams. We investigated the brain structures involved in regulating this activity by quantifying c-Fos-immunoreactive cells as neuronal activation markers in the neural pathway of male parental behavior. c-Fos expression in the medial preoptic area (mPOA) was significantly higher in sires that exhibited retrieval behavior (retrievers) than those with no such behavior (non-retrievers). Identical increased expression was found in the mPOA region in the retrievers stimulated by ultrasonic vocalizations or pheromones from their mates. Such increases in expression were not observed in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (NAcc) or ventral palladium (VP). On the following day that we identified the families of the retrievers or non-retrievers, c-Fos expression in neuronal subsets in the mPOA, VTA, NAcc and VP was much higher in the retriever sires when they isolated together with their mates in new cages. This difference was not observed in the singly isolated retriever sires in new cages. The non-retriever sires did not display expression changes in the four brain regions that were assessed. The mPOA neurons appeared to be activated by direct communicative interactions with mate dams, including ultrasonic vocalizations and pheromones. The mPOA-VTA-NAcc-VP neural circuit appears to be involved in paternal retrieval behavior.

There has been a growing recognition of the benefits of participating in art practices for promoting well-being and social connection. Despite this, only a limited number of studies have assessed the neuroendocrinological changes that might contribute to these benefits. In this exploratory study, we focused on a creative activity related to music composition using digital tools. The emergence of computer software to create music (CSCM) has lowered the barriers to musical technical skills and theory, making music composition more accessible. We examined whether incorporating CSCM into a music-making workshop would affect the levels of two hormones, oxytocin and cortisol, among healthy adults. These two hormones were chosen, because oxytocin is involved in prosocial behavior and bonding, while cortisol plays a role in the stress response. Considering the time it takes to learn and adapt to a typical customized CSCM, we simplified its use to allow participants to experience music-making within a short timeframe and set up two distinct workshops. One was individual music creation with the support of a facilitator (Dyad) and the other was music creation in a group (Group). Participants in the Dyad workshops showed increased oxytocin levels, whereas those in the Group workshops did not. Cortisol levels remained unchanged during the Dyad workshops, but decreased in the Group ones. These results suggest that neuroendocrinological changes may occur during music-making activities using computer software. This work highlights the potential value of CSCM-incorporated music-making activities, although further controlled studies are required to confirm these findings.

Postpartum depression (PPD) significantly impacts both mothers and children, so its early detection is crucial to mitigate these effects. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a widely used screening tool for identifying individuals at risk of PPD. However, PPD symptoms often emerge gradually, and subtle changes in maternal well-being within the low-risk EPDS range may be overlooked. Oxytocin (OT), a neuropeptide important for social functioning and maternal behaviors, may offer deeper insights into the progression of PPD. This exploratory cross-sectional study examined the association between EPDS scores and salivary OT responses to infant-related stimuli in postpartum Japanese mothers without PPD diagnosis. We hypothesized that OT responses would differ according to mothers’ EPDS scores, with higher scores associated with blunted OT reactivity. OT responses were assessed within one year postpartum under breastfeeding, interaction, or video tests. Mothers with EPDS <5 showed increased OT responses, whereas those with ≥5 showed diminished responses. The difference in OT responses observed below the EPDS screening cutoff may suggest early biological sensitivity associated with PPD vulnerability. Although the factors determining who develops PPD remain unclear, our findings may highlight the potential value of integrating OT response assessments with EPDS screening to improve early detection. Further, these findings suggest that OT dynamics may serve as a biological indicator of subtle emotional changes during the postpartum period.

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