Long-term early life adverse experience impairs responsiveness to exteroceptive stimuli in adult rats

0492119 - FGÚ 2019 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Holubová, A. - Mikulecká, Anna - Pometlová, M. - Nohejlová, K. - Šlamberová, R.
Long-term early life adverse experience impairs responsiveness to exteroceptive stimuli in adult rats.
Behavioural Processes. Roč. 149, Apr (2018), s. 59-64. ISSN 0376-6357. E-ISSN 1872-8308
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA18-03806S
Institutional support: RVO:67985823
Keywords : stress * open field * habituation * attention * rat
OECD category: Neurosciences (including psychophysiology
Impact factor: 2.008, year: 2018

It has been shown that early life traumatic events strongly alter the physiology and behavior in adult rats. In the present study, the effect of postnatal stressor on the spontaneous behavior of adult male rats was evaluated. A method of positive habituation based on a detailed analysis of behavioral patterns and attention of animals to a stimulus object was used. Twenty-four dams and twenty-four of their male progeny were used. Pups were divided into three groups (n = 8): controls (C), maternal social stressor (S), maternal social and physical stressors (SW). Animals (postnatal day 70-80) were individually placed in the open field arena in two habituation sessions with a 24-h delay between them (Test day 1 and Test day 2). Before the start of third session (Test day 3) a solid object was fixed in the center of the arena. Each test lasted 10 min. Our results showed the habituation effect in both stressed-groups. Although there were no significant differences in the number of investigations of the novel object among all tested groups, stress-exposed rats spent less time investigating the object. In conclusion, our findings indicate that long-term neonatal stress may impair an animal's ability to sustain attention to stimuli.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0285682