Mouse Brain Circuit Linked to Infanticide Triggers Identified

A recent study has identified a mid-brain region, the principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNSTpr), as a trigger for infanticide in female mice. Blocking this region chemically prevented infanticide almost completely, while artificially activating it led to killings in nearly all instances. The study also revealed the BNSTpr’s antagonistic relationship with the medial preoptic area (MPOA), a brain region known to promote maternal behavior. The findings could play a similar role in better understanding infanticide by women, as the BNSTpr region is also present in humans.