Preprint Review Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

A Scientometric Approach to Review the Role of the Medial Preoptic Area (MPOA) in Parental Behavior

Version 1 : Received: 26 February 2021 / Approved: 26 February 2021 / Online: 26 February 2021 (11:33:25 CET)
Version 2 : Received: 1 April 2021 / Approved: 1 April 2021 / Online: 1 April 2021 (14:52:17 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Carollo A, Balagtas JPM, Neoh MJ-Y, Esposito G. A Scientometric Approach to Review the Role of the Medial Preoptic Area (MPOA) in Parental Behavior. Brain Sciences. 2021; 11(3):393. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11030393 Carollo A, Balagtas JPM, Neoh MJ-Y, Esposito G. A Scientometric Approach to Review the Role of the Medial Preoptic Area (MPOA) in Parental Behavior. Brain Sciences. 2021; 11(3):393. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11030393

Abstract

Research investigating the neural substrates underpinning parental behaviour has recently gained momentum. Particularly, the hypothalamic medial preoptic area (MPOA) has been identified as a crucial region for parenting and other parent-related behaviour. The current study conducted a scientometric analysis of publications from 01 January 1972 to 19 January 2021 using CiteSpace software to determine trends in the scientific literature exploring the relationship between MPOA and parental behaviour. 677 scientific papers were analysed, producing a network of 1,509 nodes and 5,498 links. Four major clusters were identified: ``C-Fos Expression", ``Lactating Rat", ``Medial Preoptic Area Interaction" and ``Parental Behavior". Their content suggests an initial trend in which the properties of the MPOA in response to parental behavior were studied, followed by a growing attention towards the presence of a brain network, including the reward circuits, regulating such behavior. Furthermore, while attention was initially directed uniquely to maternal behavior, it has recently been extended to the understanding of paternal behaviors as well. Finally, although the majority of the studies were conducted on rodents, recent publications broaden the implications of previous documents to human parental behavior, giving insight into the mechanisms underlying postpartum depression. Potential directions in future works were also discussed.

Keywords

Medial Preoptic Area; MPOA; Parental behavior; Scientometry; Systematic Review; CiteSpace; Document Co-Citation Analysis; Keyword Analysis

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Anatomy and Physiology

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