Work

Phenotypic outcomes in adolescence and adulthood in the scarcity‐adversity model of low nesting resources outside the home cage

Year: 2017

Type: article

Abstract: Early life adversity is known to disrupt behavioral trajectories and many rodent models have been developed to characterize these stress-induced outcomes. One example is the scarcity-adversity model of low nesting resources. This model employs resource scarcity (i.e., low nesting materials) to elicit adverse caregiving conditions (including maltreatment) toward rodent neonates. Our lab utilizes a version of this model wherein caregiving exposures occur outside the home cage during the first postnatal week. The aim of this study was to determine adolescent and adult phenotypic outcomes associated with this model, including assessment of depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors and performance in different cognitive domains. Exposure to adverse caregiving had no effect on adolescent behavioral performance whereas exposure significantly impaired adult behavioral performance. Further, adult behavioral assays revealed substantial differences between sexes. Overall, data demonstrate the ability of repeated exposure to brief bouts of maltreatment outside the home cage in infancy to impact the development of several behavioral domains later in life.

Source: Developmental Psychobiology

DOI: 10.1002/dev.21547

Authors: Tiffany S. Doherty, Jennifer Blaze, Samantha M. Keller, Tania L. Roth

Institution: University of Delaware

Language: English

Topic: Child Abuse and Trauma

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institute of General Medical Sciences, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development