Maternal isolation during the first two postnatal weeks affects novelty‐induced responses and sensitivity to ethanol‐induced locomotor activity during infancy
Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: Animals exposed to chronic maternal separation (MS) exhibit enhanced ethanol self-administration and greater hormonal and behavioral responsiveness to stress in adulthood. Whether the effects of MS are immediately evident in infancy or whether they appear only later on development is still an unanswered question This study tested sensitivity to ethanol's behavioral stimulating effects in infant rats that experienced MS from postnatal Day 1-14. MS infants exhibited significantly greater reactivity to the motor stimulating effects of 1.25 g/kg ethanol than control animals, yet greater motor suppression after 2.5 g/kg ethanol. Baseline level of response to novelty was altered in MS infants, in a nor-binaltorphimine insensitive manner, that is, despite modified activity of the kappa-opioid system. These results indicate that the consequences of chronic maternal isolation emerge early in ontogeny, affecting ethanol sensitivity in infancy.
Source: Developmental Psychobiology
DOI: 10.1002/dev.21192
Language: English
Subfield: Behavioral Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1930495879