PLOS ONE：双亲抚养更有益于儿童大脑发育

近日，加拿大科学家表示，双亲抚养比单亲抚养能显著增强儿童脑部细胞的发育，从而影响其成年之后脑部细胞的产生。

这一研究结论是基于动物实验得出的。来自加拿大卡尔加里大学（University of Calgary）的研究人员将实验鼠幼仔分成两组，一组由双亲抚养，另一组由单亲抚养。当这些幼仔长大后，研究人员发现它们的脑细胞生产存在差异，且不同性别的实验鼠的差异点不同。

具体而言，由双亲抚养的雌性实验鼠长大后，其脑白质量比单亲抚养的同类更高，这可以增加它们的肌肉协调和社交能力。而由双亲抚养的雄性实验鼠长大后，它们的大脑拥有更多灰质，这能增强它们的学习和记忆能力。

研究人员还发现，这些益处甚至能传给下一代，显示出其具有可持续性和可传递性。他们表示，虽然该实验基于实验鼠模型，但有可能在其他哺乳动物，比如在人类身上也会有相似的结果。

与大脑发育相关的拓展阅读：

• Sci Transl Med：MECP2复制影响免疫系统以及大脑发育
• Cell Stem Cell:长链非编码RNA对大脑发育的作用
• J Neurosci：研究首证朊蛋白有助人大脑发育
• Cell Reports：奥科学家发现影响大脑发育关键基因
• PNAS：儿童期遭虐待可能影响大脑发育
• Cell：张旭等发现调控大脑发育的新机理
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Abstract

Early life events can modulate brain development to produce persistent physiological and behavioural phenotypes that are transmissible across generations. However, whether neural precursor cells are altered by early life events, to produce persistent and transmissible behavioural changes, is unknown. Here, we show that bi-parental care, in early life, increases neural cell genesis in the adult rodent brain in a sexually dimorphic manner. Bi-parentally raised male mice display enhanced adult dentate gyrus neurogenesis, which improves hippocampal neurogenesis-dependent learning and memory. Female mice display enhanced adult white matter oligodendrocyte production, which increases proficiency in bilateral motor coordination and preference for social investigation. Surprisingly, single parent-raised male and female offspring, whose fathers and mothers received bi-parental care, respectively, display a similar enhancement in adult neural cell genesis and phenotypic behaviour. Therefore, neural plasticity and behavioural effects due to bi-parental care persist throughout life and are transmitted to the next generation.