80. Functional MRI of mothers responding to infant cries

We reportpilot fMRIdata on brainactivityin humanmotherslistening to a cryingbaby. Since animal data suggestthat maternalbehavioris impairedby cingolateablations,we hypothesizedthat motherswould have cingulateactivation,especiallyanteriorly,with this provocation. Fourbiologicalmothershavinga youngestchildless thanage fourwere studiedwith fMIU while they listenedto reeordedbaby cries (active condition)alternatingwith white noises whose temporalfeatures and averageintensitymatchedthoseof thecries(controIcondition).Weused a pairedt-test (Pinfant crying. Also, the ROFCmay be espccirdlyinvolvedin this response, consistentwith some data suggestingthat orbitofiontalcortex lesions cause a syndromeof child neglectand socialindifferencein monkeys.