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• men experienced a reduction in gray matter before and after they became fathers.
• One study showed that the first time they hold their newborns, fathers get a boost of oxytocin, which is important for bonding.
• Another study of more than 600 men found that those in their early 20s who had higher levels of testosterone were more likely to become partnered fathers by the follow-up period four years later.
• The researchers noted that these changes occurred primarily in the cerebral cortex, which plays a role in executive functioning, including memory, thinking, reasoning, learning, problem-solving and emotional processing. This reduction, a type of streamlining process, is thought to help the brain process information more efficiently

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