
58. Maternal Affect and Mother-Offspring Dynamics
From Mommy Brain Revisited by Dr. Jodi Pawluski
August 8, 2025 · 34 min · Episode 58
About this episode
This episode explores maternal affect and mother-offspring dynamics in relation to depressive-like behavior with Dr. Mariana Pereira.
In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited, I’m joined by Dr. Mariana Pereira, an Associate Professor at UMass. We dive into the maternal affective state and mother-offspring interactions in an animal model of depressive-like behavior. We also talk about dopamine, maternal mental health and treatment strategies. Tune in for a fascinating conversation on brain changes with maternal mood! For more about Dr Pereira's research, see here. Here is a direct link to the study we talk about. Tuncali, I., Sorial, N., Torr, K. et al. Positive maternal affect during mother–litter interaction is reduced in new mother rats exhibiting a depression-like phenotype. Sci Rep 13 , 6552 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-33035-z
People in this episode
Host: Dr. Jodi Pawluski
Guest: Dr. Mariana Pereira
Topics covered
- maternal affect
- mother-offspring interactions
- depressive-like behavior
- dopamine
- maternal mental health
- treatment strategies
Keywords
- maternal affect
- mother-offspring dynamics
- depression
- dopamine
- mental health
- animal model
- treatment strategies
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: UMass
Books & works: Positive maternal affect during mother–litter interaction is reduced in new mother rats exhibiting a depression-like phenotype
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- 59. Probiotics and the Maternal Brain · September 16, 2025 · 19 min
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