New behavior study findings have been reported by scientists at University of South Dakota
2009 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com) -- "Social stress in adolescence is correlated with emergence of psychopathologies during early adulthood. In this study, the authors investigated the impact of social defeat stress during mid-adolescence on adult male brain and behavior," scientists in the United States report. "Adolescent male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to repeated social defeat for 5 days while controls were placed in a novel empty cage. When exposed to defeat-associated cues as adults, previously defeated rats showed increased risk assessment and behavioral inhibition, demonstrating long-term memory for the defeat context. However, previously defeated rats exhibited increased locomotion in both elevated plus-maze and open field tests, suggesting heightened novelty-induced behavior. Adolescent defeat also affected adult monoamine levels in stress-responsive limbic regions, causing decreased medial prefrontal cortex dopamine, increased norepinephrine and serotonin in the ventral dentate gyrus, and decreased norepinephrine in the dorsal raphe. Our results suggest that adolescent social defeat produces both deficits in anxiety responses and altered monoaminergic function in adulthood," wrote M.J. Watt and colleagues, University of South Dakota. The researchers concluded: "This model offers potential for identifying specific mechanisms induced by severe adolescent social stress that may contribute to increased adult male vulnerability to psychopathology.." Watt and colleagues published their study in Behavioral Neuroscience (Adolescent Male Rats Exposed to Social Defeat Exhibit Altered Anxiety Behavior and Limbic Monoamines as Adults. Behavioral Neuroscience, 2009;123(3):564-576). For additional information, contact M.J. Watt, University of South Dakota, Sanford School Medical, Division Basic Biomedical Science, Neuroscience Group, 414 E Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069, USA. The publisher's contact information for the journal Behavioral Neuroscience is: American Psychological Association, 750 First St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, USA. Keywords: United States, Vermillion, Adolescence, Behavior, Neuroscience, University of South Dakota. This article was prepared by Life Science Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Life Science Weekly via NewsRx.com.
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