Mild early life stress enhances prefrontal-dependent response inhibition in monkeys.
BACKGROUND
Severely stressful early experiences have been implicated in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. In contrast, exposure to mild early life stress (i.e., stress inoculation) strengthens emotional and neuroendocrine resistance to subsequent stressors. Herein we extend this research to examine the effects of mild early life stress on cognition.


METHODS
Squirrel monkeys were randomized to a mild intermittent stress (IS; n = 11) or nonstress (NS; n = 9) condition from 17 to 27 weeks postpartum. At 1.5 years of age, monkeys were assessed for response inhibition on a test previously shown to reflect prefrontal-dependent cognitive function.


RESULTS
IS monkeys demonstrated fewer response inhibition errors compared with NS monkeys. There were no rearing-related differences in aspects of performance that did not require inhibitory control. Compared with NS monkeys, IS monkeys had lower basal plasma pituitary-adrenal stress hormone levels. No rearing-related differences on neuroendocrine measures obtained 15 minutes after testing were found.


CONCLUSIONS
Results from this experiment provide the first evidence that exposure to mildly stressful early experiences improves prefrontal-dependent response inhibition in primates. Combined with our previous data, findings from this animal model suggest that exposure to mild early life stress may enhance the development of brain systems that regulate emotional, neuroendocrine, and cognitive control.
Parker
Karen J
KJ
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, California 94305-5485, USA. kjparker@stanford.edu
Buckmaster
Christine L
CL
Justus
Katharine R
KR
Schatzberg
Alan F
AF
Lyons
David M
DM
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000502:physiology; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012453:Saimiri; D012931:Social Environment; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D006728:Hormones; D010907:Pituitary Hormones