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Updated: Apr 20, 2026

Chronic Social Defeat Stress in Early Adolescent Male Mice
Published on: January 24, 2025
Chronic unpredictable stress during adolescence causes long-term anxiety
L E Chaby1, S A Cavigelli2, A M Hirrlinger3
1Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States; Department of Ecosystem Science & Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States; Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States.
Abstract:
Exposure to stress during adolescence can cause long-term changes in behavior and cognition. Anxiety diagnoses rise during adolescence and are increased by adverse experiences. Currently, it is unknown how long stress during adolescence alters anxiety in adulthood. We found that rats exposed to chronic unpredictable stress during adolescence expressed altered behavior 6.5 months later; showing increased anxiety in a feeding test in a novel environment. Although behavioral changes indicative of anxiety were detected in late adulthood, the basal levels of fecal corticoid metabolites in prior-stressed rats did not differ from unstressed, control rats.
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