scholarly journals Early life stress-induced vulnerability to postpartum mental disturbance: prolonged dysregulation of the HPA axis and behavior

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minae Niwa ◽  
Sedona Lockhart ◽  
Daniel J Wood ◽  
Kun Yang ◽  
Kyohei Kin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Behavioral Deficits ◽  
Hpa Axis Dysregulation ◽  
Treatment Refractory ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Novel Model

Early life stress (ELS) increases the risk for postpartum depression (PPD). Patients with depression who experienced ELS tend to be treatment refractory. Nevertheless, it remains elusive how ELS underlies the pathophysiology of PPD at the mechanistic level. Here we observed that adolescent social isolation in mice resulted in an aberrantly sustained elevation of glucocorticoids via hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation and long-lasting behavioral deficits during the postpartum period. The postpartum behavioral changes elicited by ELS were not ameliorated by the medicines currently used for PPD in behavioral assays that are frequently used in drug discovery for human depression. However, post-delivery treatment with a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist effectively ameliorated the deficits. We also demonstrated a significant impact of ELS on the HPA axis dysregulation and PPD in humans. In summary, we show the validity and utility of a novel model and a novel option of treatment for a subset of treatment-refractory PPD.

The Role of Early Life Stress in HPA Axis and Anxiety

2020 ◽  
pp. 141-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario F. Juruena ◽  
Filip Eror ◽  
Anthony J. Cleare ◽  
Allan H. Young
Keyword(s):  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Early Life Stress

scholarly journals Effects of Early-Life Stress on the Brain and Behaviors: Implications of Early Maternal Separation in Rodents

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (19) ◽  
pp. 7212
Author(s):  
Mayumi Nishi
Keyword(s):  
Child Abuse ◽  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Maternal Separation ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Emotional Behavior ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
The Brain

Early-life stress during the prenatal and postnatal periods affects the formation of neural networks that influence brain function throughout life. Previous studies have indicated that maternal separation (MS), a typical rodent model equivalent to early-life stress and, more specifically, to child abuse and/or neglect in humans, can modulate the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, affecting subsequent neuronal function and emotional behavior. However, the neural basis of the long-lasting effects of early-life stress on brain function has not been clarified. In the present review, we describe the alterations in the HPA-axis activity—focusing on serum corticosterone (CORT)—and in the end products of the HPA axis as well as on the CORT receptor in rodents. We then introduce the brain regions activated during various patterns of MS, including repeated MS and single exposure to MS at various stages before weaning, via an investigation of c-Fos expression, which is a biological marker of neuronal activity. Furthermore, we discuss the alterations in behavior and gene expression in the brains of adult mice exposed to MS. Finally, we ask whether MS repeats itself and whether intergenerational transmission of child abuse and neglect is possible.

scholarly journals Influence of early life stress on later hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis functioning and its covariation with mental health symptoms: A study of the allostatic process from childhood into adolescence

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 1039-1058 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilyn J. Essex ◽  
Elizabeth A. Shirtcliff ◽  
Linnea R. Burk ◽  
Paula L. Ruttle ◽  
Marjorie H. Klein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Hierarchical Linear Model ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal

AbstractThe hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis is a primary mechanism in the allostatic process through which early life stress (ELS) contributes to disease. Studies of the influence of ELS on children's HPA axis functioning have yielded inconsistent findings. To address this issue, the present study considers multiple types of ELS (maternal depression, paternal depression, and family expressed anger), mental health symptoms, and two components of HPA functioning (traitlike and epoch-specific activity) in a long-term prospective community study of 357 children. ELS was assessed during the infancy and preschool periods; mental health symptoms and cortisol were assessed at child ages 9, 11, 13, and 15 years. A three-level hierarchical linear model addressed questions regarding the influences of ELS on HPA functioning and its covariation with mental health symptoms. ELS influenced traitlike cortisol level and slope, with both hyper- and hypoarousal evident depending on type of ELS. Further, type(s) of ELS influenced covariation of epoch-specific HPA functioning and mental health symptoms, with a tighter coupling of HPA alterations with symptom severity among children exposed previously to ELS. Results highlight the importance of examining multiple types of ELS and dynamic HPA functioning in order to capture the allostatic process unfolding across the transition into adolescence.

scholarly journals Developmental stress and social phenotypes: integrating neuroendocrine, behavioural and evolutionary perspectives

2017 ◽  
Vol 372 (1727) ◽  
pp. 20160242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen A. Spencer
Keyword(s):  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Social Behaviour ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Developmental Stress ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Neuroendocrine Axis ◽  
Complex Relationships ◽  
Social Behaviours

The social world is filled with different types of interactions, and social experience interacts with stress on several different levels. Activation of the neuroendocrine axis that regulates the response to stress can have consequences for innumerable behavioural responses, including social decision-making and aspects of sociality, such as gregariousness and aggression. This is especially true for stress experienced during early life, when physiological systems are developing and highly sensitive to perturbation. Stress at this time can have persistent effects on social behaviours into adulthood. One important question remaining is to what extent these effects are adaptive. This paper initially reviews the current literature investigating the complex relationships between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and other neuroendocrine systems and several aspects of social behaviour in vertebrates. In addition, the review explores the evidence surrounding the potential for ‘social programming’ via differential development and activation of the HPA axis, providing an insight into the potential for positive effects on fitness following early life stress. Finally, the paper provides a framework from which novel investigations could work to fully understand the adaptive significance of early life effects on social behaviours. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Physiological determinants of social behaviour in animals'.

Early-life stress mediated modulation of adult neurogenesis and behavior

2012 ◽  
Vol 227 (2) ◽  
pp. 400-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Korosi ◽  
E.F.G. Naninck ◽  
C.A. Oomen ◽  
M. Schouten ◽  
H. Krugers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adult Neurogenesis ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
And Behavior
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