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Updated: May 14, 2026
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Assessing Changes in Synaptic Plasticity Using an Awake Closed-Head Injury Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: January 20, 2023
Corticosteroid-induced neural remodeling predicts behavioral vulnerability and resilience
Shannon L Gourley1, Andrew M Swanson, Anthony J Koleske
1Department of Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA. Shannon.l.gourley@emory.edu
Summary
Chronic stress alters brain neuron structure, impacting behavior. Some neural changes persist after stress, potentially explaining long-term vulnerability or resilience to stress-related disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Postnatal stress exposure causes lasting changes in brain region structure.
- Structural plasticity in neurons may underlie stress-induced behavioral changes.
- Identifying persistent neural modifications is key to understanding stress-related disorders like depression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate persistent structural changes in specific brain regions after chronic stress.
- To identify neural correlates of stress vulnerability and resilience.
Main Methods:
- Enumerated dendritic spines and reconstructed dendritic arbors in hippocampal CA1, prefrontal cortex, and basal amygdala during and after corticosterone exposure.
- Utilized mice with reduced p190rhogap gene dosage to study structural correlates of stress response.
Main Results:
- Corticosterone altered dendritic spine density, which normalized in most regions after a recovery period.
- Dendritic retraction in hippocampal CA1 neurons and anhedonia persisted post-stress.
- p190rhogap gene dosage influenced structural changes related to stress vulnerability and resilience in the orbital cortex.
Conclusions:
- Stress-induced structural reorganization in certain neuron populations can be long-lasting.
- Persistent neural modifications may form the structural basis for lifelong stress vulnerability or resilience.
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