This dataset contains processed quantitative data associated with the study “Early-life maternal care is required for the typical development of calming responses to back stroking.” The deposited Excel file contains the final numerical data used to generate Main Figures 1–6 of the published paper. RNA-seq data are available from GEO under accession number GSE305688, and AAV construct information is available through Addgene and Supplementary Data 2 of the paper.
See details in Yoshida et. al. (2026) Commun Biol.
Sachine Yoshida, Akiko Harauma, Toru Moriguchi, Yousuke Tsuneoka, Kimiya Narikiyo, Kazuya Miyanishi, Makoto Kashima, Makoto Wada, Yu Hayashi, Hiromasa Funato (2026) Early-life maternal care is required for the typical development of calming responses to back stroking., Communications biology
Published in 2026 Apr 10 (Electronic publication in April 10, 2026, midnight )
(Abstract) In many mammals, early interactions between caregivers and offspring involve rich physical contact during which offspring typically remain calm near the caregiver. Such contact is thought to support emotional regulation during infancy, but how prior experience shapes these mechanisms remains unclear. Here, we show that back stroking induces a calming response in human infants and mouse pups, with reduced movement. In mouse pups, back stroking further reduces heart rate, facilitates sleep onset, and attenuates stress-induced corticosterone elevations. These sleep-promoting and stress-buffering effects are absent in artificially reared pups deprived of postnatal maternal care, suggesting that early experience tunes the calming response to stroking. Transcriptomic analysis reveals reduced hypothalamic expression of the calcium channel subunit gene Cacna1b in artificially reared pups, and knockdown of hypothalamic Cacna1b in maternally reared pups abolishes stroking-induced calming. Thus, early-life maternal care and associated physical contact may shape hypothalamic circuits supporting behavioral and physiological regulation.