Memory of early maltreatment: neonatal behavioral and neural correlates of maternal maltreatment within the context of classical conditioning.
BACKGROUND
While children form an attachment to their abusive caregiver, they are susceptible to mental illness and brain abnormalities. To understand this important clinical issue, we have developed a rat animal model of abusive attachment where odor paired with shock paradoxically produces an odor preference. Here, we extend this model to a seminaturalistic paradigm using a stressed, "abusive" mother during an odor presentation and assess the underlying learning neural circuit.


METHODS
We used a classical conditioning paradigm pairing a novel odor with a stressed mother that predominantly abused pups to assess olfactory learning in a seminaturalistic environment. Additionally, we used Fos protein immunohistochemistry to assess brain areas involved in learning this pain-induced odor preference within a more controlled maltreatment environment (odor-shock conditioning).


RESULTS
Odor-maternal maltreatment pairings within a seminatural setting and odor-shock pairings both resulted in paradoxical odor preferences. Learning-induced gene expression was altered in the olfactory bulb and anterior piriform cortex (part of olfactory cortex) but not the amygdala.


CONCLUSIONS
Infants appear to use a unique brain circuit that optimizes learned odor preferences necessary for attachment. A fuller understanding of infant brain function may provide insight into why early maltreatment affects psychiatric well-being.
Roth
Tania L
TL
Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA. Tania.L.Conner-1@ou.edu
Sullivan
Regina M
RM
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004597:Electroshock; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008568:Memory; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology; D009812:Odorants; D016761:Oncogene Proteins v-fos / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans
D016761:Oncogene Proteins v-fos