title: The impact of maternal neglect on genetic hyperactivity.
abstract: Early environmental conditions are increasingly appreciated as critical in shaping behavior and cognition. Evidence suggests that stressful rearing environments can have an enduring impact on behaviors in adulthood, but few studies have explored the possibility that rearing environment could exacerbate genetic hyperactivity disorders. Uncovering a strong environmental influence on the transmission of hyperactivity could provide novel avenues for translational research. Recently we developed a selectively bred High-Active line of mice to model ADHD, providing a unique resource to address the question of environmental transmission. The High-Active line demonstrates transgenerational hyperactivity, but the influence of the postnatal environment (i.e. maternal care provided by dams) on hyperactivity had not been systemically quantified. This study employed a cross-fostering method to simultaneously address 1) whether High-Active and Control pups are provided with similar levels of care in the early environment, and 2) whether any differences in rearing environment influence hyperactive behavior. High-Active dams demonstrated impairment in all measures of maternal competence relative to Controls, which reduced survival rates and significantly reduced the body mass of offspring in early life and at weaning. While the deteriorated postnatal environment provided by High-Active dams was ultimately sufficient to depress Control activity, the hyperactivity of High-Active offspring remained unaffected by fostering condition. These data not only confirm the power of genetics to influence hyperactivity across generations, but also provide evidence that early rearing environments may not have a significant impact on the extreme end of hyperactive phenotypes.
authors.affiliation: The Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, 405 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, 405 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. Electronic address: pmajda2@illinois.edu.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Majdak
authors.affiliation: The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, 405 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Grogan
authors.affiliation: The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, 405 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Gogola
authors.affiliation: The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, 405 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Anastassia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sorokina
authors.affiliation: The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, 405 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tse
authors.affiliation: The Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, 405 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, 405 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, 603 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820, USA.
authors.forename: Justin S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Rhodes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006948:Hyperkinesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D010641:Phenotype; D014886:Weaning
keywords: Genetic hyperactivity; Maternal care; Postnatal stress; Pup retrieval; Selective breeding