Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 23, 2026
Neurodevelopmental Reflex Testing in Neonatal Rat Pups
Published on: April 24, 2017
Neonatal dexamethasone treatment affects social behaviour of rats in later life
Patrick J G H Kamphuis1, Gerda Croiset, Joost M Bakker
1Department of Pharmacology and Anatomy, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, PO Box 85060, 3508 AB Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Insights
Neonatal dexamethasone (DEX) treatment in rats altered social behaviors later in life, increasing play and sexual motivation but impairing social memory. These findings suggest potential adverse effects on social functioning in humans.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Synthetic glucocorticoids like dexamethasone (DEX) are used to prevent chronic lung disease in premature infants.
- Concerns exist regarding the long-term neurodevelopmental effects of neonatal DEX exposure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term behavioral consequences of neonatal dexamethasone (DEX) treatment in a rat model.
- To determine if DEX exposure affects social behaviors, anxiety, and exploratory activity.
Main Methods:
- Neonatal rats received DEX or saline (SAL) according to a clinically relevant protocol.
- Behavioral assessments included social play, sexual motivation, aggression, social memory, elevated plus maze, and open-field tests.
Main Results:
- Neonatal DEX treatment increased juvenile social play and adult sexual motivation and intromission behavior.
- DEX-treated rats exhibited decreased submissive behavior and impaired social memory in adulthood.
- Anxiety-like behavior and exploratory activity remained unaffected, indicating selective effects on social behaviors.
Conclusions:
- Neonatal DEX exposure selectively alters specific social behaviors, including social memory and responses to social challenges.
- These neurodevelopmental effects may lead to inappropriate social interactions later in life.
- Further investigation into the lasting effects of neonatal DEX on human social functioning is warranted.
Abstract:
Synthetic glucocorticoids, like dexamethasone (DEX), have been frequently administered to premature infants to prevent chronic lung disease. Major concern has arisen about the long-term neurodevelopmental sequelae of this DEX treatment. In the present study, we found that neonatal DEX treatment in rats, using a treatment protocol resembling the one used in the clinical situation, increased social play behaviour in juvenile life. Furthermore, neonatal DEX treatment increased sexual motivation and intromission behaviour in the bi-level chamber, decreased submissive behaviour during an aggressive encounter, and impaired social memory in adulthood. These changes in social behaviour are not due to a general behavioural impairment since anxiety behaviour in the elevated plus maze and exploratory activity in the open-field were not affected in DEX rats. In addition, DEX rats showed no alteration in the total duration of social interest or social activity during a social interaction test. These effects of neonatal DEX treatment on behaviour later in life likely result from neurodevelopmental actions of the hormone since we found no differences in received maternal care between DEX and SAL treated pups. Together these results indicate that neonatal treatment with DEX selectively alters aspects of the behavioural response to social challenges. Thus, neonatal DEX treatment may lead to inappropriate interactions with conspecifics later in life. These data therefore warrant investigation of lasting and potentially adverse effects of treatment of human neonates with DEX on social functioning.
