[Subregion-dependent synaptic changes in the orbitofrontal-amygdala pathways by adolescent social isolation in mice]

Because the early-life period is a critical window for the development and reorganization of neural circuits, the early life environment has a great impact on cognitive and emotional functions. It has been reported that a history of early life adversity such as child maltreatment and neglect increases the risk for psychiatric disorders with social and emotional problems. To develop treatments for these psychiatric disorders, it is important to understand the neural mechanisms of how early-life adversity causes social and emotional dysfunctions. In this article, we introduce our research that has revealed adolescent social isolation impairs social and stress-coping behaviors through subregion-dependent synaptic disruption in the orbitofrontal-amygdala circuit in mice.