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Hippocampal neurochemistry is involved in the behavioural effects of neonatal maternal separation and their reversal by post-weaning environmental enrichment: A magnetic resonance study
- Source :
- Behavioural Brain Research. 217:122-127
- Publication Year :
- 2011
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 2011.
-
Abstract
- Exposure to early life stress results in behavioural changes, and these dysfunctions may persist throughout adulthood. In this study, we investigated whether hippocampus volume and neurochemical changes were involved in the appearance of these effects in the maternal separation (MS) animal model using the noninvasive techniques of structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to MS for 180 min from postnatal days (PND) 2-14 demonstrated decreased sucrose preference, increased immobility in the forced swimming test (FST), and impaired memory in the Morris water maze in adulthood. Environmental enrichment (EE) (PND 21-60) could ameliorate the effects of MS on sucrose preference and learning and memory but not on immobility in the FST. In addition, EE significantly increased N-acetylaspartate (NAA) of MS animals. However, we did not find an effect of MS or EE on hippocampal volume. These results indicate the involvement of hippocampal neurochemistry in the behavioural changes that result from early stressful life events and their modification by post-weaning EE. Thus changes in NAA, as a measure of neuronal integrity, appear to be a sensitive correlate of these behavioural effects. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
- Subjects :
- Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Hippocampus
Morris water navigation task
Environment
Hippocampal formation
Choice Behavior
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Behavioral Neuroscience
Neurochemical
Internal medicine
medicine
Animals
Neurochemistry
Maze Learning
Swimming
Aspartic Acid
Maternal deprivation
Environmental enrichment
Maternal Deprivation
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Rats
Endocrinology
Female
Atrophy
Psychology
Neuroscience
Stress, Psychological
Behavioural despair test
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 01664328
- Volume :
- 217
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Behavioural Brain Research
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....2867feb666f3e93e93bb72c4a74758fc