Sex differences and parental experience contribute to hippocampal remodelling across the lifespan

Abstract

This review examines how the experience of being a parent affects hippocampal plasticity throughout the lifespan, in both male and female rodents. The hippocampus is a unique region capable of producing new neurons throughout adulthood in numerous mammals. When transitioning into parenthood, there is a significant impact on hippocampal neurogenesis and other forms of plasticity in female and male rodents. However, research on the regulation and functional implications (such as cognitive abilities and anxiety regulation) is limited and mixed. Studies have been conducted across sexes, ages, and species. The effects of motherhood on the hippocampus are well-documented in monoparental laboratory rats, while research on fatherhood is more limited. Biparental species provide an opportunity to study this experience in both sexes. We review the current knowledge and propose future research questions to increase our understanding of the short- and long-term consequences of parenthood in both sexes.