Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 27, 2026
06:39
Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
Published on: June 13, 2021
3.8K
Corticosterone response to gestational stress and postpartum memory function in mice.
Zahra Jafari1,2, Jogender Mehla1, Navvab Afrashteh1
1Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN), University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada.
Plos One
|July 11, 2017
Summary
Maternal noise exposure during pregnancy disrupts corticosterone levels and impairs postpartum spatial memory in mice, similar to physical stressors. This highlights the need to protect pregnant mothers from loud noise.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Maternal stress during pregnancy can alter corticosterone levels.
- These changes are linked to postpartum behavioral issues.
- The specific impact of noise exposure on maternal stress and offspring behavior is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of noise exposure during pregnancy on corticosterone levels and postpartum spatial cognition in mice.
- To compare the impact of noise stress with physical stress during gestation.
- To understand the relationship between corticosterone fluctuations and memory function.
Main Methods:
- Pregnant mice were exposed to noise stress (NS) or physical stress (PS) on specific gestational days.
- Plasma corticosterone levels were measured before and after stress exposure.
- Spatial learning and memory were assessed using the Morris water task (MWT) 30 days after parturition.
Main Results:
- Both noise and physical stress significantly increased corticosterone levels from gestational day 11 to 17.
- Stressed mice exhibited longer swim times and lower swim speeds in the MWT.
- Noise-stressed mice showed significantly shorter probe times, indicating impaired memory retention.
Conclusions:
- Gestational noise exposure adversely affects the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and postpartum spatial memory.
- The negative impact of noise stress is comparable to or greater than that of physical stress.
- Findings underscore the importance of mitigating noise exposure for maternal health and offspring well-being.
