Rutgers University
Department of Psychology
52 Frelinghuysen Road
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8020

(732) 445-2415 (office)
(732) 445-2643(lab)
FAX: (732) 445-2263

jmstern@rci.rutgers.edu

Laboratory Home Page

Physiological bases of reproductive behavior, especially sensory, neural, and endocrine mechanisms involved in the control of maternal behavior.

• Observations of behavior
• Microinfusions (e.g., of neurotransmitter agonists and antagonists)
• Immunocytochemistry (e.g., for Fos protein)
• Tract-tracing
• Hormone administration and assays

My research objective is to elucidate the neurobiological bases of maternal behavior, using rats as a model. Previous research established the critical roles for the trigeminal and suckling stimulation in the regulation, respectively, of pronurturant behaviors carried out with the mouth such as retrieval and licking of pups and nursing behavior, including the reflexive upright crouching posture, kyphosis. Recent work utilizing immunocytochemical visualization of the immediate-early gene, c-fos, revealed numerous forebrain sites activated by physical interactions with pups but only one site, in the caudal midbrain periaqueductal gray, that is activated more by suckling than non- suckling contact with pups. Lesions to this site selectively and severely reduce kyphosis and heighten maternal aggression toward a strange intruder. Future work will further delineate the kyphosis nipples-spinal cord-brainstem neural circuit and the role of forebrain sites, especially the nucleus accumbens and medial preoptic area, in the various components of maternal behavior, including their neurochemical mediation.

For complete list: PubMed

Stern, J. M. and Protomastro, M. (2000)
Effects of low dosages of apomorphine on maternal responsiveness in lactating rats.
Pharmacology, Biochemistry & Behavior 66(2): 353-359.

Lonstein, J. S., Gréco, B., DeVries, G. J., Stern, J. M., and Blaustein, J. D. (2000)
Maternal behavior stimulates c-fos activity within estrogen receptor a-containing neurons in lactating rats.
Neuroendocrinology 72(2): 91-101.

Stern, J. M. and Lonstein, J. S. (2001)
Neural mediation of nursing and related maternal behaviors.
In Progress in Brain Research: The Maternal Brain, Vol. 133,
C. D. Ingram, J. A. Russell, eds., Elsevier, Amsterdam (In Press)

Stern, J. M., Yu, Y. L., and Crocket, D. C. (2001)
Dorsolateral columns of the spinal cord are necessary for both suckling-induced neuroendocrine reflexes and the kyphotic nursing posture in lactating rats.
Brain Research (Under Review)

Stern, J. M. and Keer. S. E.
Acute hunger of rat pups elicits increased kyphotic nursing and shorter intervals between nursing bouts: implications for changes with time postpartum.
J. Comparative Psychology 2001 (In Press-Expected date of publication is March 2002).