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Alterations in brain microstructure in rats that develop abnormal aggression following peripubertal stress
Sophie E Walker1, Tobias C Wood2, Diana Cash2
1Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
The European Journal of Neuroscience
|July 3, 2018
Summary
Early adversity can lead to aggression, but individual differences matter. Stress-induced brain changes in rats linked to aggression were associated with a weaker stress hormone response.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Biology
- Psychology
Background:
- Early life adversity is linked to later aggression, but responses vary.
- Individual differences may explain varied responses to stress.
- Corticolimbic brain regions are implicated in aggression.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate if individual differences in aggression after stress relate to brain structure variations.
- Examine the link between stress hormone axis responsiveness and neurobehavioral outcomes.
- Identify potential mechanisms underlying aggression development after early adversity.
Main Methods:
- Used a rat model of peripubertal stress to induce abnormal aggression.
- Applied structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to analyze brain structure.
- Assessed hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responsiveness to stress.
Main Results:
- A subset of stressed rats developed aggression; others showed anxiety or reduced sociability.
- Peripubertal stress altered brain microstructure in aggressive rats (prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus).
- Lower glucocorticoid response to stress predicted later aggression in stressed rats.
Conclusions:
- Peripubertal stress is linked to structural brain changes in aggression-associated regions in rats.
- Low glucocorticoid responsiveness may be a mechanism underlying stress-induced aggression.
- Individual differences in behavioral responses to stress are crucial for understanding neurobiological correlates.
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