2024-03-29T10:05:30Z
http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/do/oai/
oai:digitalcommons.conncoll.edu:bneurosciencehp-1000
2010-05-12T17:51:26Z
publication:bneuroscience
publication:honors
publication:bneurosciencehp
Do Athletes Respond Differently to Academic and Social Stress? An Examination of Cortisol and Perceived Stress Throughout a Semester in College Athletes and Typical College Students
Holak, Rita Rose
Honors Paper
2010-01-01T08:00:00Z
students
athletes
stress
cortisol
In order to be a successful athlete, you must be able to perform well under stressful situations. Are athletes also better at responding to stress under other circumstances such as social and academic stress? The present study investigated the impact of exercise on salivary cortisol and perceived stress in college students. Cortisol was sampled throughout a semester as well as before and after a laboratory‐based stress test during the final exam period. It was found that athletes had the largest increase in cortisol between baseline and the final exam period and the sedentary students had the smallest increase. Also, cortisol levels and perceived stress were correlated in the athlete group and in a second group of students who work out regularly. These findings suggest that perhaps since athletes are often in competitive situations their HPA axis is physiologically conditioned to raise their cortisol to an optimal level in order to achieve their personal best possible results in stress provoking situations.
2010-05-12T07:00:00Z
Behavioral Neurobiology
https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/bneurosciencehp/1
oai:digitalcommons.conncoll.edu:bneurosciencehp-1001
2012-05-18T17:07:36Z
publication:bneuroscience
publication:honors
publication:bneurosciencehp
The Impact of a Naturalistic Stressor on Spontaneous Alternation Behavior: A New Animal Model of OCD
Finch, Christina
Honors Paper
2012-01-01T08:00:00Z
OCD
stress
SAB
TMT
enriched environment
<p>Over the past few decades, various animal models of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) have been developed. Similarly, various stressors have been used throughout animal research. The Spontaneous Alternation Behavioral (SAB) model is a well-established model of OCD while 2,5-dihydro-2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline (TMT) has recently become a popular naturalistic stressor. This study linked the two together, thus modeling the effect of stress on OCD behaviors. After living in an enriched or standard environment for 3 weeks, male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to either TMT or no odor, and then were examined in the SAB task. Unlike what was hypothesized, the enriched environment proved not to be obviously protective towards future stress in terms of SAB behavior. However, rats housed in enriched environments proved to be more decisive, which could be reflective of the protective nature of their enriched housing. Additionally, an interaction effect of housing and odor in terms of distance traveled during odor exposure, paired with the rats’ location in regard to the odor source, lead the researchers to believe that the enriched housing was protective for rats faced with stress. TMT proved to be effectively aversive to the rats yet, unlike what was hypothesized, TMT was not shown to be stress-inducing, at least not in a way that increased OCD-like behavior as modeled by the SAB model. The effects of stress on OCD is challenging to model and further research in this field, using a variety of models, will need to be explored.</p>
2012-05-18T07:00:00Z
Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms
https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/bneurosciencehp/2
oai:digitalcommons.conncoll.edu:bneurosciencehp-1002
2012-05-18T20:40:22Z
publication:bneuroscience
publication:bneurosciencehp
Integrating the cocaine sensitization and ( + )-MK-801 animal models of schizophrenia: The effect of dopamine and glutamate interactions on comorbid schizophrenia and drug abuse
McPherson, Alison
Restricted
2012-01-01T08:00:00Z
2012-05-18T07:00:00Z
https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/bneurosciencehp/3
oai:digitalcommons.conncoll.edu:bneurosciencehp-1003
2013-05-23T19:05:43Z
publication:bneuroscience
publication:honors
publication:bneurosciencehp
Combined effects of rearing environment and lead (Pb2+) exposure on visuospatial learning and memory in rats
Tolman, Nicholas
Honors Paper
2013-01-01T08:00:00Z
<p>Critical periods of neural development occur during early postnatal life that correspond with increases in synaptic plasticity and the formation of neural circuits needed for learning and memory. This development can be profoundly influenced by experience and negatively affected by environmental toxins. Environmental enrichment and lead exposure inversely affect mediators of synaptic plasticity, which suggests that enrichment may have an attenuating effect on lead induced cognitive deficits. A wealth of evidence has indicated that exposure to excessive amounts of inorganic Pb2+ during early development can produce long lasting cognitive deficits in humans. Evidence also suggests that children raised in an impoverished environment are at a disproportionate risk for developing Pb2+-induced cognitive deficits compared with peers exposed to an enriched environment. The present study evaluated the effects of both developmental Pb2+ exposure and environmental enrichment on visuospatial working and long-term memory in rats. Animals were fed either 1500 ppm Pb2+ acetate-laced rat chow or standard chow and exposed to either an impoverished environment (single housed, bedding only) or an enriched environment (4 rats/cage with toys, enclosures, etc.) for 7 weeks following weaning (PN day 25). Long-term and working memory error rates were assessed during a 17 day radial arm maze (RAM) learning task. Results suggest that the quality of the rearing environment but not Pb2+ exposure had a significant effect on learning performance. These findings suggest that the detrimental effects of Pb2+ exposure on cognitive development may be attenuated by exposure to an enriched environment and that the combination of being reared in an impoverished environment coupled with Pb2+ exposure can significantly impair learning performance later in life.</p>
2013-05-23T07:00:00Z
Behavioral Neurobiology
Environmental Health
Toxicology
https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/bneurosciencehp/5
oai:digitalcommons.conncoll.edu:bneurosciencehp-1004
2013-05-23T19:11:40Z
publication:bneuroscience
publication:honors
publication:bneurosciencehp
The Effects of Acute Nicotine Administration on Memory Formation and Neural Activity in the Hippocampus, Perirhinal Cortex, and Medial Septum: Implications for Neurodegenerative Disorders
Wishnoff, Matthew
Honors Paper
2013-01-01T08:00:00Z
<p>Within the general public, nicotine is commonly thought of as a harmful molecule due to its role in tobacco addiction. However, nicotinic stimulation of the cholinergic system has also been shown to enhance cognitive functioning. This enhancement is thought to be caused by an increase in the release of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine (ACh), which is responsible for mediating a variety of cognitive processes, such as REM sleep and memory formation. Recent research by Melichercik and colleagues shows that systemic nicotine administration enhances memory acquisition for both object location and object recognition memory in rats, as assessed by a modified version of the novel object recognition test (NOR). Using a standard NOR test we were able to reproduce their behavioral results: systemic nicotine administration enhances object recognition memory acquisition. Furthermore, we show for the first time that these behavioral results can be correlated with an increase in neuronal activation in the medial septum using immunohistochemical techniques. This research has implications for understanding the pathology that underlies neurodegenerative disorders with cholinergic involvement such as Alzheimer’s Disease.</p>
2013-05-23T07:00:00Z
Behavioral Neurobiology
Pharmacology
https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/bneurosciencehp/4
oai:digitalcommons.conncoll.edu:bneurosciencehp-1005
2016-06-17T18:30:31Z
publication:bneuroscience
publication:bneurosciencehp
The Impact of NMDA and NR2B-specific Antagonists on Working Memory Function and C-fos Expression in Rats: Unraveling the Ketamine Mystery
Fleming, Leah
Restricted
2016-01-01T08:00:00Z
<p>The NMDA receptor plays a role in mental processes ranging from mood regulation to memory formation. Ketamine, a non-selective NMDA antagonist, has both rapid antidepressant effects and side effects similar to the symptomology of schizophrenia. Another link between these disorders is working memory, which relies on the NMDA receptor and specifically NR2B-subunit function. This experiment tested the effects of acute and long-term administration of ketamine and an NR2B-specific antagonist (traxoprodil) on working memory in rats. Rats were tested with a spatial working memory procedure on the eight-arm radial arm maze after acute and repeated doses of each drug. After the animals’ final day of testing on the maze, brains were extracted for immunohistochemistry staining using a c-fos antibody. The results showed a trend indicating that animals repeatedly administered ketamine perform better on working memory tasks than those administered saline or traxoprodil. The animals administered ketamine also showed significantly lower c-fos expression in areas of their frontal cortex compared to animals receiving saline or traxoprodil. These results indicate that the long-term effects of ketamine do not appear to be the result of its action on the NR2B subunit. These findings have positive implications for the therapeutic use of low doses of this drug class for depression and hints at dose-related differences in the effects of repeated ketamine administration.</p>
2016-06-03T07:00:00Z
Biological Psychology
Neuroscience and Neurobiology
https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/bneurosciencehp/6
oai:digitalcommons.conncoll.edu:bneurosciencehp-1006
2019-05-14T12:37:12Z
publication:bneuroscience
publication:honors
publication:bneurosciencehp
Anxiety-Like Behavior in Adolescent Rats Following Maternal Separation and Chronic Cocaine Exposure
Handy, Jonathan
Honors Paper
2019-01-01T08:00:00Z
<p>Cocaine is one of the most widely used illicit substances in the world and has an addiction rate comparable to opioids. Early Life Stress (ELS) has been shown to have a profound influence on the development of an individual, showing strong correlations to the development of psychiatric disorders and psychostimulant abuse. Adolescents in particular are at a high risk for the abuse of psychostimulants such as cocaine. Previous studies have individually described the correlation between cocaine addiction and anxiety, and the correlation between ELS and cocaine addiction. Rats who have experienced some form of ELS have shown a higher levels of self-administration, but the anxiety resulting from addiction and ELS has not been observed. This study sought to examine the effects of ELS and/or adolescent cocaine exposure on anxiety-like behavior, as measured by the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) and Open Field tests in rats. Due to complications in maternal separation and behavioral sensitization to cocaine, the relationship these variables have on expressed anxiety-like behavior is unclear.</p>
2019-05-14T07:00:00Z
Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms
Psychology
Substance Abuse and Addiction
https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/bneurosciencehp/8
oai:digitalcommons.conncoll.edu:bneurosciencehp-1007
2019-05-14T12:44:48Z
publication:bneuroscience
publication:honors
publication:bneurosciencehp
The Influence of Negative Mood on Mind Wandering as Observed Through Reach Tracking Techniques
Tran, Sydney
Honors Paper
2019-01-01T08:00:00Z
mood induction
mind wandering
reach tracking
go/no-go
visual search
<p>In two experiments, the influence of inducing negative mood on cognitive performance was explored by analyzing physical arm reaching movements as indicators of mind wandering. Mood was induced by viewing a series of six photos per mood condition that were previously established for their emotionally valenced and arousal ratings. A reach tracking device recorded three metrics of arm movement that were expected to reflect instances of mind wandering: initiation latency, movement time, and arm curvature. In the first experiment, 29 participants were randomly assigned into one of two induced-mood groups, negative mood (n = 15) or neutral mood (n = 14). Participants performed a simple Go/No-go task in which arm movements were detected by the reach tracker. The first experiment indicated that the mood inducement was successful but the effect of negative mood on either self-reported mind wandering or variances in arm movement were not significant. Thus, the second experiment prompted the change to a visual-search target-selection task in which variances in initiation latency, movement time, and curvature were expected to be more pronounced. The second experiment consisted of 23 participants who were also randomly assigned to either negative (n = 12) or neutral (n = 11) mood condition. The second experiment revealed that the mood induction was still successful but that there were still no significant effects observed between mood and indicators of mind wandering. Though the results of this study did not reflect initial predictions, it may suggest that low-arousing negative moods in healthy individuals are not associated with increased mind wandering.</p>
2019-05-14T07:00:00Z
Psychiatry and Psychology
https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/bneurosciencehp/7
oai:digitalcommons.conncoll.edu:bneurosciencehp-1008
2020-02-10T15:50:35Z
publication:bneuroscience
publication:honors
publication:bneurosciencehp
Implicit Bias through the Lens of Electroencephalography
Cooper, Hope
Honors Paper
2020-01-01T08:00:00Z
<p>Unconscious or implicit bias is a part of everyday life. All human beings both exhibit implicit bias and (some more than others) are also the victims of it. Due to the way humans have evolved implicit bias will never be something that ceases to exist. Thus, it is important that neuroscience and social science closely study how it works and how to curb the behaviors caused by implicit bias. In the following research EEG (electroencephalography) was used alongside a weapons IAT (Implicit Association Test) to examine specific neural components that may correlate with higher bias scores on the IAT. Specific components N200 and P200 were examined. The results indicated that white and Black faces elicited different mean amplitudes in the N200 waveform. There was also a significant negative correlation between the difference of congruent (Black faces and weapons) and incongruent (white faces and weapons) groups and IAT scores (calculated as the D score). This result indicated that the smaller the difference between block types (congruent and incongruent) the larger the D score (bias). These results were the opposite of original hypothesis. They both support and extend the findings of previous research regarding implicit bias and EEG. Some results of the current study also give rise to new ideas about bias and cognitive control.</p>
2020-02-10T08:00:00Z
Behavioral Neurobiology
Psychology
https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/bneurosciencehp/9
oai:digitalcommons.conncoll.edu:bneurosciencehp-1009
2022-05-17T19:34:36Z
publication:bneuroscience
publication:honors
publication:bneurosciencehp
Exploring the Relationship of Gender, COVID-19-Related Stress and Autobiographical Memory
Kass, Mirelle
Honors Paper
2021-01-01T08:00:00Z
COVID-19
Stress
Autobiographical Memory
Biological Sex
<p>The Coronavirus (COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2) pandemic erupted in March 2020 and significantly disrupted the daily lives of all individuals. The limited number of COVID-19 research studies have focused on psychological distress in general adult populations or in essential workers, but its effects on Autobiographical Memory (AM), the collection of personal memories that aid in the formation of one’s goals and identities, have not yet been explored. The current study contributes important discoveries to the growing body of literature through its exploration of the intersection of COVID-19-related stress, AM performance, and sex assigned at birth in undergraduate college students. Results suggest that COVID-19-related stress, induced via a modified Mannheim Multicomponent Stress Test (MMST), significantly impeded an individual’s ability to produce a specific memory. Additionally, biological sex significantly influenced a participant’s duration of memory retrieval, level of memory specificity, and affective response to the memory during the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT). Female participants recalled memories faster, produced more specific memories, embodied a more negative affect, and experienced more physiological stress, measured by the Empatica E4 Wristband. These results suggest that the consequences of COVID-19-related stress include disruptions of identity formation, and that biological sex modulates one’s memory recall, memory specificity, affective response, and physiological stress response. Furthermore, COVID-19 appears to evoke amplified stress in college students who are assigned female at birth, are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and/or have elevated baseline anxiety levels, which increases their likelihood of developing a psychological disorder and/or symptomatology. This study adds to current literature on the impact of COVID-19 on depressive, anxiety, trauma, and stress-related disorders.</p>
2021-01-01T08:00:00Z
Psychology
https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/bneurosciencehp/10
oai:digitalcommons.conncoll.edu:bneurosciencehp-1010
2021-05-18T21:38:10Z
publication:bneuroscience
publication:bneurosciencehp
Sleep Quality and Its Links to Sustained Attention
Steinkrauss, Ashley
Restricted
2021-01-01T08:00:00Z
sleep
sustained attention
selective attention
eye tracking
pupil
eye movement
<p>In this study, we want to understand the effects of sleep on attention, specifically with the use of the gradual onset continuous performance task (gradCPT) and the additional singleton task (AS). Sleep quality was measured for each participant through the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index measure. Poor sleep may make individuals more susceptible to external distractors but may reduce internal mistakes (<em>R</em><em>2 </em><em>= </em>.48, <em>F</em>(7,25) = 3.3, <em>p </em>= .013). Sustained attention from the gradCPT is not affected negatively by poor sleep. Selective attention shows a reduced performance in the AS task for individuals with poor sleep. People with poor sleep measures show fewer false alarms (β = -12.5, <em>p </em>= .013) and shorter response times (β = -49.4, <em>p </em>= .002). Poor sleep may indicate decreased overall accuracy (β = -19.0, <em>p </em>= .018). Eye movements were monitored for pupillary size and blink duration for the gradCPT and fixation and saccades for the AS. For gradCPT, pupil size (<em>t</em>(32) = 2.38, <em>p </em>= .023) and blink rate (<em>t</em>(32) = 3.17, <em>p </em>= .003) were higher before making a mistake compared to a correct response. When the distractor was present for AS response time increased (<em>t</em>(35) = 14.02, <em>p </em>< .001) and first fixations to the target decreased when distractors were present (<em>t</em>(35) = -9.00, <em>p </em>< .001). These results show that the effects of sleep on attention are varied and may be dependent on the demands and difficulties of the task.</p>
2021-01-01T08:00:00Z
Psychology
https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/bneurosciencehp/11
oai:digitalcommons.conncoll.edu:bneurosciencehp-1011
2021-05-18T21:40:51Z
publication:bneuroscience
publication:bneurosciencehp
Effects of Post-Weaning Environmental Enrichment and Acute Stress on Pain Analgesia
Lewis, Stephanie
Restricted
2021-01-01T08:00:00Z
analgesics
stress
enrichment
lidocaine
ibuprofen
pregabalin
morphine
<p>Pain is a common ailment that affects a large number of people around the world. However, there is limited research investigating external factors (such as stress and enrichment) that impact pain and the effectiveness of analgesics. This study examined the relationship between enrichment environments and acute stress on pain sensitivity and the effects of four analgesics (lidocaine, ibuprofen, pregabalin, and morphine). To measure analgesic effect, a standard tail-flick apparatus was used. Thirty-seven Sprague-Dawley rats were raised in one of three enrichment environments (impoverished, standard, or enriched). Every rat received all analgesics twice (once with no stress and once with an acute stressor in the form of fox scent exposure). Tail flick measurements (on which ANOVA and <em>t</em>-test analyses were conducted) were taken after analgesic administration. Morphine was shown to produce the strongest analgesic effect (<em>p </em>< .0001); however, the hypothesis that enrichment would be positively correlated with analgesic effect was not supported overall; and no conclusive results were determined regarding the impact of stress on analgesic effect. Future research can further investigate these variables and their impact on effective pain management and analgesic administration. </p>
2021-01-01T08:00:00Z
Biological Psychology
Pain Management
https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/bneurosciencehp/12
oai:digitalcommons.conncoll.edu:bneurosciencehp-1012
2023-05-04T15:52:53Z
publication:bneuroscience
publication:bneurosciencehp
Investigating Distractor-induced Effects in Visual Search Utilizing Eye-Tracking
Shaikh, Anjum
Restricted
2022-01-01T08:00:00Z
attentional capture
distractor-induced early quitting
eye-tracking
computeraided detection
<p>This paper is restricted to users on the Connecticut College campus until May 18, 2024.</p>
<p>The present study provides an insightful look into the effects of distractors using behavioral and eye-tracking measures. In this study, two eye-tracking experiments utilizing a feature search task were conducted to investigate the distractor-induced early quitting effect with a target prevalence of 50% rather than the 100% target prevalence typical of attentional capture studies. In Experiment 1, two independent variables of target (present/absent) and distractor (target/present) were examined with behavioral measures (accuracy and response time) as well as eye-tracking methods (total fixations, total fixation durations, and total distractor saccade percentages). Distractors were categorized as salient due to their red color, larger size, and delayed onset of 100 milliseconds after the presentation of other stimuli. In Experiment 2, all methodology was replicated with the exception that the salient item was occasionally the target. Experiment 1 demonstrated a robust replication of the distractor-induced early quitting effect on measures of accuracy and response time. Participants also fixated on fewer objects in the visual search task on distractor-present when they were most susceptible to distractor-induced early quitting. Additionally, participants tended to avoid making a saccade to the distractor on distractor-present trials. Experiment 2 demonstrated replication of data on participants’ accuracy, response time on target-present trials, and total fixations on target-present trials. Additionally, participants reported the opposite effect on total distractor saccade percentage, as participants had higher percentages of saccades to the distractor on distractor-present trials. However, other measures were not replicated.</p>
Behavioral Neurobiology
https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/bneurosciencehp/13
oai:digitalcommons.conncoll.edu:bneurosciencehp-1013
2023-05-08T21:08:00Z
publication:bneuroscience
publication:bneurosciencehp
Investigating the Impact of Biofeedback and Self-Compassion Training on Emotion Regulation and Stress of College Students
Barr, Sophie
Restricted
2023-01-01T08:00:00Z
biofeedback
heart-rate variability
self-compassion
emotion regulation
college students
<p>This honors paper is restricted to users on the Connecticut College campus.</p>
<p>The mental health of college students is at an all time high with depression and anxiety rates skyrocketing; however, college counseling services lack abundant resources in remedial and preventative care for students as they manage the stressors of college life. This study seeks to understand the impact of biofeedback training in the form of heart rate variability (HRV) and self-compassion training on Connecticut College students’ well-being. In addition, this study hopes to unpack the nature of emotion regulation and whether emotion regulation can be strengthened as well as better understood through these two trainings. Participants recruited were divided into four groups–a control group (G1), an HRV biofeedback training group (G2), a self-compassion training group (G3), and a combination of both trainings (G4). In order to gauge changes in well-being, six psychological questionnaires and HRV measurements were collected prior to a six-week training period and immediately after. While results were not significant, G4 experienced the largest improvement from baseline to post-intervention for heart coherence, mindfulness, self-compassion, expressive suppression, and perceived stress: G4 stood out as the group with the greatest improvement across measures, which suggests that integrating both trainings benefitted participants more than practicing only one. Combining HRV biofeedback and self-compassion training improved emotion regulation, which suggests that cognitive rewiring as well as autonomic agency may be integral in preventing emotion dysregulation; however, results convey a disconnect between autonomic, neurovisceral activity and integrative emotional processing with the central nervous system. More studies on emotion regulation treatments will help in bridging this gap in emotion regulation.</p>
2023-05-22T07:00:00Z
Behavioral Neurobiology
https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/bneurosciencehp/16
oai:digitalcommons.conncoll.edu:bneurosciencehp-1014
2023-05-08T20:55:39Z
publication:bneuroscience
publication:honors
publication:bneurosciencehp
Examining the Role of Chronic Stress in Cancer Progression and Metastasis: p53 as a Potential Mechanism
Dean, Jillian R
Honors Paper
2023-01-01T08:00:00Z
<p>The influence of stress on the development and progression of cancer has been a longstanding hypothesis. Chronic stress can have a significant impact on the immune system and inflammatory response, potentially leading to decline of the body's immune capabilities (Segerstrom & Miller, 2004). Stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which triggers the release of stress hormones, such as cortisol (Smith & Vale, 2006). When chronically activated, this can lead to corresponding changes in the immune system, including decreased activity of natural killer cells, which play a crucial role in identifying and destroying cancer cells. Chronic inflammation has also been shown to promote the growth and metastasis of cancer cells and it can also damage DNA, leading to mutations that can contribute to carcinogenesis (Singh et al., 2019).</p>
<p>While it’s clear that chronic stress can have a negative impact on the immune system and inflammatory response and may also play an important role in cancer pathology, the mechanisms remain unclear. The tumor suppressor gene (TP53) encodes a protein called p53, which is a key modulator in the innate and adaptive immune system and is the most frequently mutated gene in cancer (Hernandez Borrero & El-Deiry, 2021). The phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene provides instructions for producing an enzyme found in almost all tissues in the body. The enzyme acts as a tumor suppressor and is one of the p53 outputs mediating proliferation. Murine Double Minute 2 (MDM2) is a proto-oncogene that forms a negative feedback loop with p53 and acts as a negative regulator. The overexpression of MDM2 inhibits p53 expression. Here, we examine the role of chronic stress on carcinogenesis through a loss or attenuation of p53 in mouse astrocytes lacking the functional TP53 gene. To investigate this, we focus on corticosterone (main corticosteroid hormone in mice) and a select number of genes, TP53, MDM2, and PTEN. We hypothesize that chronic stress, modeled in this study by prolonged exposure to corticosterone, promotes downregulation of proteins in the p53 regulatory pathway.</p>
2023-05-22T07:00:00Z
Behavioral Neurobiology
https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/bneurosciencehp/15
oai:digitalcommons.conncoll.edu:bneurosciencehp-1015
2023-05-08T20:59:26Z
publication:bneuroscience
publication:honors
publication:bneurosciencehp
Cognitive and Neural Development in a Rodent Model of PTSD from Maternal Maltreatment
Doan, Nhi
Honors Paper
2023-01-01T08:00:00Z
<p>Childhood neglect influences development and increases the risk for and severity of mental illness. Previous study has shown that early life stress (ELS) alters stress circuitry, elevates basal stress hormone, and impairs regulation of the HPA. In this study, we seek to understand the impacts of decreased quality of care and trauma on the cognitive and neural development of rats at adolescence. We used a 1-week limited bedding protocol to induce fragmented care in dams and a 10-minute exposure to fox odor to induce stress in offspring later. Memory function and patterns of brain activity following stressor exposure were assessed in order to characterize the impact of early life stress in male and female rats. The predator odor groups showed reduction in mobility and exploration time during and one week after exposure. The predator odor-exposed group without early life stress showed better memory performance. Female rats in the ELS groups are more susceptible to the fox odor and were less able to recognize novel objects, compared to the male counterparts. These findings also implied an interaction between ELS and predator odor, which requires further research to validate the impact ELS might have on later stressful events.</p>
2023-05-22T07:00:00Z
Behavioral Neurobiology
https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/bneurosciencehp/14