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Updated: May 8, 2026
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Assessment of Perigenital Sensitivity and Prostatic Mast Cell Activation in a Mouse Model of Neonatal Maternal Separation
Published on: August 13, 2015
Sensitive windows, sensitive outcomes: Early or late-postnatal maternal separation differentially impacts puberty and
Angarika Balakrishnan1, Prabarna Ganguly1, Sheta Roy1
1Northeastern University, 125 Nightingale Hall, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
Neurobiology of Stress
|May 7, 2026
Summary
Early life stress impacts development differently based on timing and sex. Maternal separation (MS) in rats shows distinct effects on puberty, memory, and behavior depending on the postnatal window of exposure and the animal's sex.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Behavioral Biology
Background:
- Early-life adversity disrupts neurodevelopment, affecting cognitive and emotional regulation.
- Maternal separation (MS) is a rodent model for studying early-life stress.
- Sex and developmental timing are critical but underexplored factors in MS outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex-specific effects of early, late, or prolonged MS on pubertal maturation, spatial memory, and anxiety-like behavior in rats.
- To determine how the timing of MS during specific postnatal windows influences these outcomes.
- To highlight developmental timing and sex as key determinants of early-life stress.
Main Methods:
- Rats underwent maternal separation (MS) during early (P2-P10), late (P11-P20), or prolonged (P2-P20) periods.
- Pubertal development was monitored daily.
- Spatial memory was assessed using the delayed win-shift task.
- Anxiety-like behavior and social interaction were evaluated using light-enhanced startle (LES) and dyadic social interaction tests.
Main Results:
- Females exposed to early or prolonged MS showed earlier puberty; males were unaffected.
- Spatial memory was impaired by prolonged MS in females and early MS in males.
- Social behavior was altered by early/late MS in females and late MS in males.
- Males exhibited reduced LES after late MS; females showed enhanced LES after early MS.
Conclusions:
- Maternal separation exerts distinct, sex- and window-dependent effects on pubertal development, cognition, and behavior.
- Developmental timing and sex are crucial factors influencing the consequences of early-life stress.
- Distinguishing postnatal periods is essential for understanding early caregiving disruption impacts.
