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[Effects of aversive stress during brain development on hippocampal synaptic and behavioral responses to emotional

Hiroyo Koseki1, Machiko Matsumoto, Hiroko Togashi

  • 1Department of Oral Pathobiological Science, Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita-15, Nishi-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060 8638, Japan. hiroyo@den.hokudai.ac.jp

Nihon Shinkei Seishin Yakurigaku Zasshi = Japanese Journal of Psychopharmacology
|March 31, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Early stress in the second postnatal week impairs emotional regulation. This critical period affects synaptic responses to stress, impacting fear conditioning and serotonin receptor function.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Behavioral Biology

Context:

  • Early life stress during critical developmental periods can have lasting effects on brain function and behavior.
  • Understanding the specific timing of these effects is crucial for identifying vulnerable periods in brain development.

Purpose:

  • To investigate the impact of early postnatal stress on synaptic plasticity and fear-related behaviors in postadolescence.
  • To determine if stress exposure during the second postnatal week (2w-FS) versus the third postnatal week (3w-FS) differentially affects emotional stress responses.

Summary:

  • Postnatal stress exposure during the second week of life (2w-FS) significantly reduced fear conditioning and altered hippocampal CA1 synaptic responses in postadolescent rats.
  • Unlike controls and 3w-FS, 2w-FS rats showed attenuated synaptic inhibition during contextual fear conditioning and a lack of 5-HT(1A) receptor-mediated suppression of synaptic responses, including long-term potentiation (LTP).

Impact:

  • The second postnatal week is identified as a critical period for the development of adaptive synaptic responses to emotional stress.
  • Findings suggest that 5-HT(1A) receptor-mediated regulation is involved in normalizing synaptic function and emotional stress responses during this critical developmental window.

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