Neonatal and juvenile stress induces changes in adult social behavior without affecting cognitive function.
The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that exposure to neonatal and/or juvenile stress results in distinct persisting modification of adult male rats' emotional and social competence. Compared to non-stressed control rats, neonatally stressed rats and rats exposed to combined neonatal and juvenile stress, had reduced frequency and duration of social encounters, and lower anxiety levels. Juvenile stress alone, induced more frequent, but shorter social encounters in adulthood. No significant differences in aggressive behavior were found between any of the groups. The findings confirm the existence of developmental time windows during which exposure to unpredictable stress can affect adult emotional and social behavior without affecting cognitive function.
Toth
Erika
E
Department of Psychology and the Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel. ertoth@yahoo.com
Avital
Avi
A
Leshem
Micah
M
Richter-Levin
Gal
G
Braun
Katharina
K
D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*