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Lucas ME, Hemsworth LM, Butler KL, Morrison RS, Tilbrook AJ, Marchant JN, Rault JL, Galea RY, Hemsworth PH. Early human contact and housing for pigs - part 3: ability to cope with the environment. Animal 2024; 18:101166. [PMID: 38772077 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2024.101166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Early experiences can have long-term impacts on stress adaptability. This paper is the last of three in a series on early experiences and stress in pigs, and reports on the effects of early human contact and housing on the ability of pigs to cope with their general environment. Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, 48 litters of pigs were reared in either a farrowing crate (FC) or a loose farrowing pen (LP; PigSAFE pen) which was larger, more physically complex and allowed the sow to move freely. Piglets were provided with either routine contact from stockpeople (C), or routine contact plus regular opportunities for positive human contact (+HC) involving 5 min of scratching, patting and stroking imposed to the litter 5 days/week from 0 to 4 weeks of age. At 4 weeks of age (preweaning), C piglets that were reared in FC had considerably lower concentrations of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) than piglets from the other treatment combinations. Compared to C pigs, +HC pigs had fewer injuries at 4 weeks of age. There were no clear effects of human contact on BDNF concentrations or injuries after weaning, or on basal cortisol or immunoglobulin-A concentrations, behavioural time budgets, tear staining, growth, or piglet survival. Compared to FC piglets, LP piglets showed more play behaviour and interactions with the dam and less repetitive nosing towards pen mates during lactation. There was no evidence that early housing affected pigs' behavioural time budgets or physiology after weaning. Tear staining severity was greater in LP piglets at 4 weeks of age, but this may have been associated with the higher growth rates of LP piglets preweaning. There was no effect of lactation housing on growth after weaning. Preweaning piglet mortality was higher in the loose system. The findings on BDNF concentrations, injuries and play behaviour suggest improved welfare during the treatment period in +HC and LP piglets compared to C and FC piglets, respectively. These results together with those from the other papers in this series indicate that positive human interaction early in life promotes stress adaptability in pigs. Furthermore, while the farrowing crate environment deprives piglets of opportunities for play behaviour and sow interaction, there was no evidence that rearing in crates negatively affected pig welfare or stress resilience after weaning. Whether these findings are specific to the two housing systems studied here, or can be generalised to other housing designs, warrants further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Lucas
- The Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
| | - L M Hemsworth
- The Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - K L Butler
- The Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - R S Morrison
- Rivalea Australia Pty Ltd, Corowa, Victoria 2464, Australia
| | - A J Tilbrook
- Centre for Animal Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Australia; School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton Campus, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia
| | - J N Marchant
- Organic Plus Trust, Alexandria, VA 22302, USA; A World of Good Initiative Inc., Dover, DE 19901, USA
| | - J-L Rault
- Institute of Animal Welfare Science, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna A-1210, Austria
| | - R Y Galea
- The Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - P H Hemsworth
- The Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
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Lucas ME, Hemsworth LM, Butler KL, Morrison RS, Tilbrook AJ, Marchant JN, Rault JL, Galea RY, Hemsworth PH. Early human contact and housing for pigs - part 1: responses to humans, novelty and isolation. Animal 2024; 18:101164. [PMID: 38761440 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2024.101164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of fear and stress responses in animals can be influenced by early life experiences, including interactions with humans, maternal care, and the physical surroundings. This paper is the first of three reporting on a large experiment examining the effects of the early housing environment and early positive human contact on stress resilience in pigs. This first paper reports on the responses of pigs to humans, novelty, and social isolation. Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, 48 litters of pigs were reared in either a conventional farrowing crate (FC) where the sow was confined or a loose farrowing pen (LP; PigSAFE pen) which was larger, more physically complex and allowed the sow to move freely throughout the farrowing and lactation period. Piglets were provided with either routine contact from stockpeople (C), or routine contact plus regular opportunities for positive human contact (+HC) involving 5 min of scratching, patting and stroking imposed to the litter 5 days/week from 0-4 weeks of age. The positive handling treatment was highly effective in reducing piglets' fear of humans, based on +HC piglets showing greater approach and less avoidance of an unfamiliar person at 3 weeks of age. There was evidence that this reduction in fear of humans lasted well beyond when the treatment was applied (lactation), with +HC pigs showing greater approach and less avoidance of humans in tests at 6, 9 and 14 weeks of age. The +HC treatment also reduced piglets' fear of a novel object at 3 weeks of age, and for pigs in FC, the cortisol response after social isolation at 7 weeks of age. Rearing in FC compared to LP reduced piglets' fear of novelty at 3 weeks of age, as well as their vocalisations and cortisol response to isolation at 7 weeks of age. The FC pigs showed greater approach and less avoidance of humans compared to LP pigs at 3, 4 and 6 weeks of age, but not at 9 and 14 weeks of age. These results show that positive handling early in life can reduce pigs' fear of humans, fear of novelty and physiological stress response to social isolation. The LP pigs were reared in a more isolated environment with less overall contact with stockpeople and other pigs, which may have increased their fear responses to humans and novel situations, suggesting that different housing systems can modulate these pigs' responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Lucas
- The Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
| | - L M Hemsworth
- The Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - K L Butler
- The Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - R S Morrison
- Rivalea Australia Pty Ltd, Corowa, Victoria 2464, Australia
| | - A J Tilbrook
- Centre for Animal Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Australia; School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton Campus, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia
| | - J N Marchant
- Organic Plus Trust, Alexandria, VA 22302, USA; A World of Good Initiative Inc., Dover, DE 19901, USA
| | - J-L Rault
- Institute of Animal Welfare Science, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna A-1210, Austria
| | - R Y Galea
- The Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - P H Hemsworth
- The Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
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Mrug S, Barker-Kamps M, Goering M, Patki A, Tiwari HK. Neighborhood Disadvantage and Parenting in Early Adolescence Predict Epigenetic Aging and Mortality Risk in Adulthood. J Youth Adolesc 2024; 53:258-272. [PMID: 37715862 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-023-01863-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
Youth who grow up in disadvantaged neighborhoods experience poorer health later in life, but little is known about the biological mechanisms underlying these effects and socioenvironmental factors that may protect youth from the biological embedding of neighborhood adversity. This study tests whether supportive and consistent parenting buffers associations between neighborhood disadvantage in early adolescence and epigenetic aging in adulthood. A community sample from Birmingham, Alabama, USA (N = 343; 57% female; 81% Black, 19% White) was assessed in early adolescence (T1; ages 11 and 13) and adulthood (T2; age 27). At T1, neighborhood poverty was derived from census data and neighborhood disorder was reported by caregivers. Both youth and parents reported on parental discipline and nurturance. At T2, methylation of salivary DNA was used to derive a mortality risk index and Hannum, Horvath, PhenoAge, and GrimAge epigenetic age estimators. Regression analyses revealed that neighborhood disadvantage was associated with accelerated epigenetic aging and/or mortality risk only when combined with high levels of harsh and inconsistent discipline and low child-reported parental nurturance. These findings identify epigenetic aging and mortality risk as relevant mechanisms through which neighborhood adversity experienced in adolescence may affect later health; they also point to the importance of supportive and consistent parenting for reducing the biological embedding of neighborhood adversity in early adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Mrug
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave South, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
| | - Malcolm Barker-Kamps
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave South, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Marlon Goering
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave South, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Amit Patki
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave South, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Hemant K Tiwari
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave South, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
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Parker KJ. Tales from the life and lab of a female social neuroscientist. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2023; 16:100202. [PMID: 38108026 PMCID: PMC10724734 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2023.100202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
This narrative review charts my unconventional path to becoming a social neuroscientist and describes my research findings - some baffling, some serendipitous, some pivotal - in the field of neuropeptide biology. I trace my childhood as a Bell Labs "brat" to my adolescence as a soccer-playing party girl, to my early days as a graduate student, when I first encountered oxytocin and vasopressin. These two molecules instantly captivated - and held - my attention and imagination. For more than 25 years, a core goal of my research program has been to better understand how these neuropeptides regulate social functioning across a range of species (e.g., meadow voles, mice, squirrel monkeys, rhesus monkeys, and humans), and to translate fundamental insights from this work to guide development of novel pharmacotherapies to treat social impairments in clinical populations. I also discuss my experience of being a woman and a mother in STEM, and identify the important people and events which helped shape my career and the scientist I am today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen J. Parker
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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Gingerich K, Lindner E, Kalman S, Miller-Cushon E. Social contact from birth influences personality traits of group-housed dairy calves. JDS COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 4:484-488. [PMID: 38045902 PMCID: PMC10692323 DOI: 10.3168/jdsc.2023-0383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to assess effects of prior social contact on the expression of personality traits in group-housed calves. Holstein heifer and bull calves were housed in either individual pens (n = 16), or in pairs (n = 8 pairs) at birth before they were mingled between treatments and moved to group pens at approximately 2 wk of life (8 calves/pen). During wk 4 of life, calves were tested in a series of standardized behavioral tests: an open field test, a novel object test, an unfamiliar calf test, and an unfamiliar human test. Responses in the open field test and novel object test were analyzed using principal component analysis, yielding 2 factors interpreted as bold and inactive/grooming. Calves housed in pairs before grouping had greater scores for bold and tended to have lower scores for inactive/grooming. Responses in the unfamiliar calf and human tests were similarly analyzed, yielding 3 factors interpreted as calf-directed, active, and human-directed. Calves housed in pairs before grouping had lower scores for calf-directed, tended to have lower scores for active, and scores for human-directed did not differ. Following grouping, average daily gain, milk replacer intake, and meal frequency did not differ between previous housing treatments. Our results suggest that behavioral traits reflective of personality in group-housed calves may be influenced by social contact from birth even following adaptation to group-housing.
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Affiliation(s)
- K.N. Gingerich
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - E.E. Lindner
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - S. Kalman
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - E.K. Miller-Cushon
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
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Brown KL, Ganswindt A, Steenkamp G, Tordiffe ASW. Responses to Reduced Feeding Frequency in Captive-Born Cheetahs ( Acinonyx jubatus): Implications for Behavioural and Physiological Stress and Gastrointestinal Health. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2783. [PMID: 37685047 PMCID: PMC10486355 DOI: 10.3390/ani13172783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Unnatural diet composition and frequent feeding regimes may play an aetiological role in the multiple diseases prevalent in captive cheetahs. This study investigated the responses of captive-born (hand-reared) cheetahs (n = 6) to a reduced feeding frequency schedule distinguished by offering larger quantities of food less frequently. The study cheetahs were fed four once-daily meals per week during the 3-week treatment period, followed by a 3-week control period in which they were fed two daily rations six days a week. Total weekly food intake was maintained throughout the study. Variations in behaviour, faecal consistency score (FCS), and faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentration were measured. Less frequent feeding resulted in higher FCS (p < 0.01) and locomotory behaviour (p < 0.05) among the studied cheetahs. Faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentration demonstrated an initial acute stress response to the change in feeding frequency (p < 0.05) and subsequent adaptation. The results of the FCS analysis suggest that the more natural feeding pattern could have benefited the studied cheetahs' gastrointestinal health without a significant behavioural or physiological stress response overall to the change in feeding frequency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey Lee Brown
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0110, South Africa
- Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0110, South Africa
| | - André Ganswindt
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Gerhard Steenkamp
- Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0110, South Africa
- Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0110, South Africa
| | - Adrian Stephen Wolferstan Tordiffe
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0110, South Africa
- Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0110, South Africa
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Lucas ME, Hemsworth LM, Hemsworth PH. Review: Early life piglet experiences and impacts on immediate and longer-term adaptability. Animal 2023:100889. [PMID: 37468352 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2023.100889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Pigs in production systems are routinely exposed to challenging situations including abrupt weaning, painful husbandry procedures, intense contact with stockpeople, and exposure to novel social and physical environments. The resilience of pigs to these stressors has implications for animal welfare and productivity and can be affected by early life experiences. In rodents and primates, early experiences with stressors that the animal can adequately cope with confers future stress adaptability, leading to less abnormal behaviour, lower behavioural and physiological responses to stressors, and faster recovery after stress exposure. Early experiences that can affect the ability of pigs to overcome challenge include interactions with the dam, conspecifics, humans, and the overall complexity of the environment. Farrowing crates limit the sow's ability to show maternal behaviour towards piglets, and negatively affect piglet social behaviour during lactation, with less play and more manipulation of pen mates in crates than in large pens. Rearing in pens has been proposed to improve the ability of pigs to cope with routine stressors, but the evidence for this is conflicting. The early housing environment can affect general fearfulness and fear of humans, and surprisingly, most studies have shown fear responses to be greater in pigs reared pens than in crates. Given the potential for fear to affect animal welfare and productivity, more detailed research on early housing effects is needed. While there is limited evidence that early housing influences fear in the longer term, human contact early in life appears to have a more profound and sustained effect, with regular positive human interaction early in life having an enduring effect on reducing pigs' fear of humans. The practicality of positive human-pig interaction in a commercial environment needs to be examined further, but only a small amount of positive human contact early in life can improve the resilience of pigs to routine husbandry stressors. Early social experience with non-littermates reduces stress at weaning and mixing, while early weaning before 3-4 weeks of age increases abnormal behaviours. Environmental enrichment, such as foraging substrates and increased floor space, reduces abnormal behaviour in piglets, but housing in an enriched environment early in life and subsequently in a non-enriched environment can increase abnormal behaviour if these environments are dramatically different. Although the later environment can modify the influence of the early environment, overall, early life experiences can be important in shaping how pigs cope with stress in both an immediate and longer-term capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Lucas
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
| | - L M Hemsworth
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - P H Hemsworth
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
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Dai Q, Smith GD. Resilience to depression: Implication for psychological vaccination. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1071859. [PMID: 36865075 PMCID: PMC9971009 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1071859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
From the vulnerability perspective, we often ask the question "why someone suffers from depression?" Despite outstanding achievements along this line, we still face high occurrence or recurrence and unsatisfied therapeutic efficacy of depression, suggesting that solely focusing on vulnerability perspective is insufficient to prevent and cure depression. Importantly, although experiencing same adversity, most people do not suffer from depression but manifest certain resilience, which could be used to prevent and cure depression, however, the systematic review is still lack. Here, we propose the concept "resilience to depression" to emphasize resilient diathesis against depression, by asking the question "why someone is exempted from depression?" Research evidence of resilience to depression has been reviewed systematically: positive cognitive style (clear purpose in life, hopefulness, et al.), positive emotion (emotional stability, et al.), adaptive behavior (extraversion, internal self-control, et al.), strong social interaction (gratitude and love, et al.), and neural foundation (dopamine circuit, et al.). Inspired by these evidence, "psychological vaccination" could be achieved by well-known real-world natural-stress vaccination (mild, controllable, and adaptive of stress, with help from parents or leaders) or newly developed "clinical vaccination" (positive activity intervention for current depression, preventive cognitive therapy for remitted depression, et al.), both of which aim to enhance the resilient psychological diathesis against depression, through events or training. Potential neural circuit vaccination was further discussed. This review calls for directing attention to resilient diathesis against depression, which offers a new thinking "psychological vaccination" in both prevention and therapy of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Dai
- Department of Medical Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Graeme D. Smith
- School of Health Sciences, Caritas Institute of Higher Education, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Castellano-Navarro A, Beltrán Francés V, Albiach-Serrano A, MacIntosh AJJ, Illa Maulany R, Ngakan PO, Liebal K, Amici F. Maternal and offspring behavior in free-ranging Japanese and moor macaques: A comparative approach. Am J Primatol 2023; 85:e23461. [PMID: 36575833 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Female primates represent the most important social partner for their developing offspring. However, mothers may strongly differ in the way they relate to their offspring (e.g., in terms of two different dimensions: protectiveness and rejection). In this study, we aimed to assess how dominance style predicts (i) changes in maternal behavior through offspring development, and (ii) the link between maternal behavior and offspring behavior. We conducted behavioral observations on 34 free-ranging immatures of two species of macaques with different dominance styles: less tolerant Japanese macaques (JM; Macaca fuscata) and more tolerant moor macaques (MM; Macaca maura). Our results showed that maternal behavior differed between JM and MM: maternal proximity and grooming decreased through offspring development more quickly in MM than in JM, whereas maternal rejection and aggression, which were generally more frequent in JM, decreased with offspring age similarly in both species. In contrast, maternal restraint of offspring decreased similarly with offspring age in both species. Furthermore, dominance style was differentially associated with the link between maternal and offspring behavior: in MM only, maternal grooming predicted an increase of the probability that offspring interacted with partners other than their mothers and engaged in solitary play, whereas maternal rejection predicted a decrease in the occurrence of solitary play. Overall, these results suggest interspecific variation in maternal behavior during offspring's first years of life, and point to the possibility that these differences may have an important role in shaping their behavioral development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Castellano-Navarro
- Life Sciences, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.,Ethology and Animal Welfare Section, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, Valencia, Spain
| | - Víctor Beltrán Francés
- Life Sciences, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.,Fundació UdG: Innovació i Formació, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Anna Albiach-Serrano
- Ethology and Animal Welfare Section, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, Valencia, Spain
| | - Andrew J J MacIntosh
- Department of Ecology and Social Behavior, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan.,Department of Conservation and Animal Welfare Science, Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Risma Illa Maulany
- Department of Forestry, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Sulawesi, Indonesia
| | - Putu O Ngakan
- Department of Forestry, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Sulawesi, Indonesia
| | - Katja Liebal
- Life Sciences, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Federica Amici
- Life Sciences, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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10
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Ecological validity of social defeat stressors in mouse models of vulnerability and resilience. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 145:105032. [PMID: 36608919 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Laboratory mouse models offer opportunities to bridge the gap between basic neuroscience and applied stress research. Here we consider the ecological validity of social defeat stressors in mouse models of emotional vulnerability and resilience. Reports identified in PubMed from 1980 to 2020 are reviewed for the ecological validity of social defeat stressors, sex of subjects, and whether results are discussed in terms of vulnerability alone, resilience alone, or both vulnerability and resilience. Most of the 318 reviewed reports (95%) focus on males, and many reports (71%) discuss vulnerability and resilience. Limited ecological validity is associated with increased vulnerability and decreased resilience. Elements of limited ecological validity include frequent and repeated exposure to defeat stressors without opportunities to avoid or escape from unfamiliar conspecifics that are pre-screened and selected for aggressive behavior. These elements ensure defeat and may be required to induce vulnerability, but they are not representative of naturalistic conditions. Research aimed at establishing causality is needed to determine whether ecologically valid stressors build resilience in both sexes of mice.
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Hipwell AE, Fu H, Tung I, Stiller A, Keenan K. Preconception stress exposure from childhood to adolescence and birth outcomes: The impact of stress type, severity and consistency. FRONTIERS IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH 2023; 4:1007788. [PMID: 36713849 PMCID: PMC9876597 DOI: 10.3389/frph.2022.1007788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The negative effects of prenatal stress on offspring health are well established, but there remains little understanding of the influence of stress prior to conception despite known effects on biological systems that are important for a healthy pregnancy. Furthermore, operational definitions of stress vary considerably, and exposure is often characterized via summed, ordinal scales of events. We hypothesized that type, severity, and consistency of preconception stress would be associated with birthweight and gestational age (GA) at birth. Data were drawn from a subsample of participants in the 21-year longitudinal Pittsburgh Girls Study (PGS, N = 2,450) that has followed women annually since childhood. Prior work in the PGS derived three domains of stress exposure between ages 7-17 years related to subsistence (e.g., resource strain, overcrowding), safety (e.g., community violence, inter-adult aggression), and caregiving (e.g., separation, maternal depression). We tested the effects of dimensions of preconception stress on birthweight and GA among offspring of 490 PGS participants who delivered at age 18 or older (n = 490; 76% Black, 20% White, 4% Multiracial). Our hypotheses were partially supported with results varying by stress type and severity and by infant sex. Severity of preconception exposure to subsistence stress was prospectively associated with lower offspring birthweight (B = -146.94, SE = 69.07, 95% CI = -282.66, -11.22). The association between severity of caregiving stress in childhood and adolescence and GA at birth was moderated by infant sex (B = 0.85, SE = .41, 95% CI = 0.04, 1.66), suggesting greater vulnerability to this type of stress for male compared to female infants. Exposure to safety stressors did not predict birth outcomes. Infants of Black compared with White mothers had lower birthweight in all models regardless of preconception stress type, severity or consistency. However, we observed no moderating effects of race on preconception stress-birth outcome associations. Demonstrating specificity of associations between preconception stress exposure and prenatal health has the potential to inform preventive interventions targeting profiles of exposure to optimize birth outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison E. Hipwell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Haoyi Fu
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Irene Tung
- Department of Psychology, California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA, United States
| | - Ashley Stiller
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Kate Keenan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
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Münz F, Wolfschmitt EM, Zink F, Abele N, Hogg M, Hoffmann A, Gröger M, Calzia E, Waller C, Radermacher P, Merz T. Porcine blood cell and brain tissue energy metabolism: Effects of "early life stress". Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1113570. [PMID: 37138659 PMCID: PMC10150084 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1113570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Early Life Stress (ELS) may exert long-lasting biological effects, e.g., on PBMC energy metabolism and mitochondrial respiration. Data on its effect on brain tissue mitochondrial respiration is scarce, and it is unclear whether blood cell mitochondrial activity mirrors that of brain tissue. This study investigated blood immune cell and brain tissue mitochondrial respiratory activity in a porcine ELS model. Methods: This prospective randomized, controlled, animal investigation comprised 12 German Large White swine of either sex, which were weaned at PND (postnatal day) 28-35 (control) or PND21 (ELS). At 20-24 weeks, animals were anesthetized, mechanically ventilated and surgically instrumented. We determined serum hormone, cytokine, and "brain injury marker" levels, superoxide anion (O2 •¯) formation and mitochondrial respiration in isolated immune cells and immediate post mortem frontal cortex brain tissue. Results: ELS animals presented with higher glucose levels, lower mean arterial pressure. Most determined serum factors did not differ. In male controls, TNFα and IL-10 levels were both higher than in female controls as well as, no matter the gender in ELS animals. MAP-2, GFAP, and NSE were also higher in male controls than in the other three groups. Neither PBMC routine respiration and brain tissue oxidative phosphorylation nor maximal electron transfer capacity in the uncoupled state (ETC) showed any difference between ELS and controls. There was no significant relation between brain tissue and PBMC, ETC, or brain tissue, ETC, and PBMC bioenergetic health index. Whole blood O2 •¯ concentrations and PBMC O2 •¯ production were comparable between groups. However, granulocyte O2 •¯ production after stimulation with E. coli was lower in the ELS group, and this effect was sex-specific: increased O2 •¯ production increased upon stimulation in all control animals, which was abolished in the female ELS swine. Conclusion: This study provides evidence that ELS i) may, gender-specifically, affect the immune response to general anesthesia as well as O2 •¯ radical production at sexual maturity, ii) has limited effects on brain and peripheral blood immune cell mitochondrial respiratory activity, and iii) mitochondrial respiratory activity of peripheral blood immune cells and brain tissue do not correlate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Münz
- Institute for Anesthesiological Pathophysiology and Process Engineering, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
- Clinic for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Eva-Maria Wolfschmitt
- Institute for Anesthesiological Pathophysiology and Process Engineering, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Fabian Zink
- Institute for Anesthesiological Pathophysiology and Process Engineering, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Nadja Abele
- Institute for Anesthesiological Pathophysiology and Process Engineering, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Melanie Hogg
- Institute for Anesthesiological Pathophysiology and Process Engineering, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Andrea Hoffmann
- Institute for Anesthesiological Pathophysiology and Process Engineering, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Michael Gröger
- Institute for Anesthesiological Pathophysiology and Process Engineering, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Enrico Calzia
- Institute for Anesthesiological Pathophysiology and Process Engineering, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Christiane Waller
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Nuremberg General Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Peter Radermacher
- Institute for Anesthesiological Pathophysiology and Process Engineering, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tamara Merz
- Institute for Anesthesiological Pathophysiology and Process Engineering, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
- Clinic for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
- *Correspondence: Tamara Merz,
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13
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Nolvi S, Merz EC, Kataja EL, Parsons CE. Prenatal Stress and the Developing Brain: Postnatal Environments Promoting Resilience. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 93:942-952. [PMID: 36870895 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Heightened maternal stress during pregnancy is associated with atypical brain development and an elevated risk for psychopathology in offspring. Supportive environments during early postnatal life may promote brain development and reverse atypical developmental trajectories induced by prenatal stress. We reviewed studies focused on the role of key early environmental factors in moderating associations between prenatal stress exposure and infant brain and neurocognitive outcomes. Specifically, we focused on the associations between parental caregiving quality, environmental enrichment, social support, and socioeconomic status with infant brain and neurocognitive outcomes. We examined the evidence that these factors may moderate the effects of prenatal stress on the developing brain. Complementing findings from translational models, human research suggests that high-quality early postnatal environments are associated with indices of infant neurodevelopment that have also been associated with prenatal stress, such as hippocampal volume and frontolimbic connectivity. Human studies also suggest that maternal sensitivity and higher socioeconomic status may attenuate the effects of prenatal stress on established neurocognitive and neuroendocrine mediators of risk for psychopathology, such as hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning. Biological pathways that may underlie the effects of positive early environments on the infant brain, including the epigenome, oxytocin, and inflammation, are also discussed. Future research in humans should examine resilience-promoting processes in relation to infant brain development using large sample sizes and longitudinal designs. The findings from this review could be incorporated into clinical models of risk and resilience during the perinatal period and used to design more effective early programs that reduce risk for psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saara Nolvi
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Center for Population Health Research, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
| | - Emily C Merz
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Eeva-Leena Kataja
- Department of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Center for Population Health Research, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Christine E Parsons
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Interacting Minds Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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14
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Stolzlechner L, Bonorand A, Riemer S. Optimising Puppy Socialisation-Short- and Long-Term Effects of a Training Programme during the Early Socialisation Period. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12223067. [PMID: 36428295 PMCID: PMC9687081 DOI: 10.3390/ani12223067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The socialisation period in dog puppies is one of the most important periods determining behavioural development in dogs. Here, we aimed to test the effect of providing stimulation (beyond mere exposure) early during the socialisation period (approx. 3-6 weeks) on puppies' behaviour. Each of 12 litters (83 puppies) of various breeds was divided into a treatment and a control group. Between 3-6 weeks, the treatment group received age-appropriate "challenge" exercises (carefully graded noise exposure, novel objects, and problem-solving tasks) four times per week (total 12 times). The control group spent the same time with the trainer, who cuddled or played with the puppies. In a behaviour test at 6-7 weeks, two of four principal components, "social-startle" and "response to novelty", differed significantly between the groups. Treatment puppies were bolder towards the novel object, showed a reduced startle reaction, and recovered more quickly after a loud noise. Furthermore, they accomplished the problem-solving task faster and were more persistent during problem-solving than the control group. The control group showed a higher interest in a friendly stranger. It is a possibility that increased handling experienced by the control group had beneficial effects on their sociability. No long-term effects of the treatment were found, as determined by a validated dog personality questionnaire, available for 67 dogs at the age of six months. Likely, a continuation of the treatment over a longer time period would be necessary to obtain lasting effects, since the training took place only during the first third of the socialisation period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Stolzlechner
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alina Bonorand
- Division of Animal Welfare, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggassstrasse 120, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stefanie Riemer
- Division of Animal Welfare, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggassstrasse 120, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Correspondence:
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15
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Atkinson L, Doyle RE, Woodward A, Jongman EC. Exposure to humans after weaning does not reduce the behavioural reactivity of extensively reared Merino lambs. Behav Processes 2022; 201:104709. [PMID: 35878682 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Human-directed fear in extensively reared sheep is often high due to the aversive nature of common husbandry procedures and infrequent interactions with humans. This study investigated whether additional human exposure provided to weaned lambs reduced human-directed fear and behavioural reactivity. Ninety Merino lambs were either exposed to low or moderately stressful human exposure sessions, or had no additional human contact, and their fear responses and behavioural reactivity to humans, a startle stimulus and confinement were tested. Overall, the imposed interventions did not reduce behavioural reactivity during these tests, suggesting fear towards humans had not been altered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh Atkinson
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, The University of Melbourne, Level 3, Building 400, Corner Park Drive and Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 250 Princes Highway, Werribee, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Rebecca E Doyle
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, The University of Melbourne, Level 3, Building 400, Corner Park Drive and Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 250 Princes Highway, Werribee, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew Woodward
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 250 Princes Highway, Werribee, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ellen C Jongman
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, The University of Melbourne, Level 3, Building 400, Corner Park Drive and Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 250 Princes Highway, Werribee, Victoria, Australia.
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Abstract
Human infancy and early childhood is both a time of heightened brain plasticity and responsivity to the environment as well as a developmental period of dependency on caregivers for survival, nurturance, and stimulation. Across primate species and human evolutionary history, close contact between infants and caregivers is species-expected. As children develop, caregiver-child proximity patterns change as children become more autonomous. In addition to developmental changes, there is variation in caregiver-child proximity across cultures and families, with potential implications for child functioning. We propose that caregiver-child proximity is an important dimension for understanding early environments, given that interactions between children and their caregivers are a primary source of experience-dependent learning. We review approaches for operationalizing this construct (e.g., touch, physical distance) and highlight studies that illustrate how caregiver-child proximity can be measured. Drawing on the concepts proposed in dimensional models of adversity, we consider how caregiver-child proximity may contribute to our understanding of children's early experiences. Finally, we discuss future directions in caregiver-child proximity research with the goal of understanding the link between early experiences and child adaptive and maladaptive functioning.
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17
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Marasco V, Smith S, Angelier F. How does early-life adversity shape telomere dynamics during adulthood? Problems and paradigms. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2100184. [PMID: 35122449 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202100184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Although early-life adversity has been associated with negative consequences during adulthood, growing evidence shows that such adversity can also lead to subsequent stress resilience and positive fitness outcomes. Telomere dynamics are relevant in this context because of the link with developmental conditions and longevity. However, few studies have assessed whether the effects of early-life adversity on developmental telomere dynamics may relate to adult telomere dynamics. We propose that the potential links between early-life adversity and adult telomere dynamics could be driven by developmental constraints (the Constraint hypothesis), by the nature/severity of developmental adversity (the Resilience hypothesis), or by developmental-mediated changes in individual life-history strategies (the Pace of Life hypothesis). We discuss these non-mutually exclusive hypotheses, explore future research directions, and propose specific studies to test these hypotheses. Our article aims to expand our understanding of the evolutionary role of developmental conditions on adult telomere dynamics, stress resilience and ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Marasco
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology (KLIVV), University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Steve Smith
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology (KLIVV), University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-La Rochelle Université (LRU), UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
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18
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Keenan K, Fu H, Tung I, Berona J, Krafty RT, Hipwell AE, Stepp SD, Carpio K. Capturing the dynamic nature of stress exposure in the Pittsburgh Girls Study. SSM Popul Health 2021; 16:100983. [PMID: 34950762 PMCID: PMC8671117 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The science of stress exposure and health in humans has been hampered by differences in operational definitions of exposures and approaches to defining timing, leading to results that lack consistency and specificity. In the present study we aim to empirically derive variability in type, timing and chronicity of stress exposure for Black and White females using prospectively collected data in the Pittsburgh Girls Study (PGS). Methods The PGS is an ongoing 20-year longitudinal, community-based study. In this paper we focused on annual caregiver reports of three domains of stress: subsistence (e.g., resource strain, overcrowding); safety (e.g., community violence, inter-adult aggression), and caregiving (e.g., separation, maternal depression) from early childhood through adolescence. Z-scores were used to conduct a finite mixture model-based latent class trajectory analysis. Model fit was compared using the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). We examined differences in timing and chronicity of stress exposure between Black and White girls. Results Distinct trajectory groups characterized by differential timing and chronicity of stress exposure were observed across all stress domains. Six trajectories characterized subsistence and safety stress, and five characterized caregiving stress. Variability in initial level, chronicity, and magnitude and timing of change was observed within and across domains of stressors. Race differences also varied across the domains: race differences in timing and chronicity were most pronounced for the subsistence and safety domains, whereas Black and White girls had similar levels of exposure to caregiving stress. Conclusions Substantial variability in timing and chronicity was observed within and across stress domains. Modeling specific domains and dimensions of stress exposure is likely important in testing associations between exposure and health; such specificity may lead to more effective deployment of preventive interventions based on stress exposure. Distinct trajectories in exposure were observed for subsistence, safety, and caregiving stress domains. Race differences in timing and chronicity of exposure were pronounced for subsistence and safety domains. Patterns of exposure (e.g., level, timing) are likely critical for understanding the impact on stress exposure on health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Keenan
- University of Chicago, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Haoyi Fu
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Biostatistics, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Irene Tung
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Johnny Berona
- University of Chicago, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Robert T Krafty
- Emory University, Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Alison E Hipwell
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Stephanie D Stepp
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kristen Carpio
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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19
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Lecorps B, Weary DM, von Keyserlingk MAG. Negative expectations and vulnerability to stressors in animals. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 130:240-251. [PMID: 34454913 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Humans express stable differences in pessimism that render some individuals more vulnerable to stressors and mood disorders. We explored whether non-human animals express stable individual differences in expectations (assessed via judgment bias tests) and whether these differences relate to susceptibility to stressors. Judgment bias tests do not distinguish pessimism from sensitivity to reinforcers; negative expectations are likely driven by a combination of these two elements. The available evidence suggests that animals express stable individual differences in expectations such that some persistently perceive ambiguous situations in a more negative way. A lack of research prevents drawing firm conclusions on how negative expectations affect responses to stressors, but current evidence suggests a link between negative expectations and the adoption of avoidance coping strategies, stronger responses to uncontrollable stressors and risk of mood-related disorders. We explore implications for animals living in captivity and for research using animals as models for human disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Lecorps
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, 2357 Main Mall, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z6, Canada
| | - Daniel M Weary
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, 2357 Main Mall, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z6, Canada
| | - Marina A G von Keyserlingk
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, 2357 Main Mall, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z6, Canada.
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20
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Wu Z, Zhou L, Sun L, Xie Y, Xiao L, Wang H, Wang G. Brief postpartum separation from offspring promotes resilience to lipopolysaccharide challenge-induced anxiety and depressive-like behaviors and inhibits neuroinflammation in C57BL/6J dams. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 95:190-202. [PMID: 33766700 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence indicates an important role for neuroinflammation in depression. Brief maternal separation promotes resilience to depression in offspring, but relatively little is known about the effects of different durations of postpartum separation (PS) from offspring on anxiety and depressive-like behaviors in dams following immune challenge. Lactating C57BL/6J mice were subjected to no separation (NPS), brief PS (15 min/day, PS15) or prolonged PS (180 min/day, PS180) from postpartum day (PPD) 1 to PPD21 and then injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Behavioral tests, including the open field test (OFT) and forced swimming test (FST), were carried out at 24 h after the injection. LPSresulted in anxiety and depressive-like behaviors in NPS dams and activated ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule (Iba1), an important biomarker of microglia, in the hippocampus. However, compared with NPS + LPS dams, PS15 + LPS dams spent significantly more time in the center of the OFT (anxiety-like behavior) and exhibited lower immobility time in the FST (depressive-like behavior), which indicated a phenomenon of resilience. Furthermore, the activation of neuroinflammation was inhibited in PS15 dams. Specifically, levels of the Iba1 mRNA and protein were decreased, while the mRNA expression of NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome/interleukin-18 (IL-18)/nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) was decreased in the hippocampus. Furthermore, positive linear correlations were observed between microglial activation and LPS-induced depressive-like behaviors in dams. Collectively, the findings of this study confirm that brief PS from offspring promotes resilience to LPS immune challenge-induced behavioral deficits and inhibits neuroinflammation in dams separated from their offspring during lactation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuotian Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Jiefang Road No.238, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Lin Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Jiefang Road No.238, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Limin Sun
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Jiefang Road No.238, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Yumeng Xie
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Jiefang Road No.238, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Ling Xiao
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Jiefang Road No.238, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Huiling Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Jiefang Road No.238, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Gaohua Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Jiefang Road No.238, Wuhan 430060, China.
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21
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Nagasawa M, Kuramochi S, Hamamoto A, Yamakawa T, Kikusui T. A Pilot Study of the Effects of Human Intervention on Canine Group Movement Behavior. JOURNAL OF ROBOTICS AND MECHATRONICS 2021. [DOI: 10.20965/jrm.2021.p0572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Dogs are the oldest domesticated animals. The process of domestication of dogs is still unclear; however, they have established themselves as human partners and are sometimes more cooperative with humans than their conspecifics. In this study, to determine the effect of affiliative human presence on group behavior in dogs, we conducted short-time trials analyzing dog group movements. There was a hierarchical relationship in which juvenile dogs were aware of adult dogs, and adult dogs were aware of human movements. We also found that the age of the juvenile dog and the characteristics of their mothers may affect the movement behavior of juvenile dogs.
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22
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Yuan R, Nechvatal JM, Buckmaster CL, Ayash S, Parker KJ, Schatzberg AF, Lyons DM, Menon V. Long-term effects of intermittent early life stress on primate prefrontal-subcortical functional connectivity. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1348-1356. [PMID: 33495547 PMCID: PMC8134590 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-00956-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Correlational studies of humans suggest that exposure to early life stress has long-term effects on neural circuits involved in vulnerability and resilience to mental health disorders. Stress-related mental health disorders are more prevalent in women than in men. Here, female squirrel monkeys are randomized to intermittently stressful (IS) social separations or a non-separated (NS) control condition conducted from 17 to 27 weeks of age. Nine years later in mid-life adulthood, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was employed to parcellate prefrontal cortex (PFC). Resulting subdivisions were then used to characterize functional connectivity within PFC, and between PFC subdivisions and subcortical regions that are known to be altered by stress. Extensive hyper-connectivity of medial and orbitofrontal PFC with amygdala, hippocampus, and striatum was observed in IS compared to NS monkeys. Functional hyper-connectivity in IS monkeys was associated with previously reported indications of diminished anxiety-like behavior induced by prepubertal stress. Hyper-connectivity of PFC with amygdala and with hippocampus was also associated with increased ventral striatal dopamine D2 and/or D3 receptor (DRD2/3) availability assessed with positron emission tomography (PET) of [11C]raclopride binding in adulthood. Ventral striatal DRD2/3 availability has been linked to cognitive control, which plays a key role in stress coping as an aspect of emotion regulation. These findings provide causal support for enduring neurobiological effects of early life stress and suggest novel targets for new treatments of stress-related mental health disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Yuan
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, USA
| | - Jordan M. Nechvatal
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, USA ,grid.240952.80000000087342732Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford, USA
| | - Christine L. Buckmaster
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, USA
| | - Sarah Ayash
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, USA ,grid.410607.4Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Hanns-Dieter-Huesch Weg 19, 55128 Mainz, Germany ,grid.509458.50000 0004 8087 0005Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Hanns-Dieter-Huesch Weg 19, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Karen J. Parker
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, USA ,grid.168010.e0000000419368956Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Alan F. Schatzberg
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, USA ,grid.168010.e0000000419368956Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - David M. Lyons
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, USA ,grid.168010.e0000000419368956Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, USA. .,Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford, USA. .,Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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23
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Positive Human Contact and Housing Systems Impact the Responses of Piglets to Various Stressors. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11061619. [PMID: 34070802 PMCID: PMC8227335 DOI: 10.3390/ani11061619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Early life experiences such as contact with humans, maternal care and the physical environment can play a substantial role in shaping behavioural and physiological responses to stress. This experiment studied the effects of lactation housing systems and human interaction on stress in young pigs. We hypothesised that piglets handled in a positive manner and reared in loose farrowing and lactation pens with increased opportunity for interaction with their dam, greater space and more complexity in their physical environment have improved stress resilience than piglets reared in traditional farrowing crates with routine contact from stockpeople. In both housing systems, providing regular opportunities for positive human interaction reduced piglets’ fear of humans and routine husbandry procedures imposed by humans, and reduced the number of injuries obtained after weaning. However, contrary to the expected findings, piglets from loose farrowing and lactation pens were more reactive to capture by a stockperson, more fearful of novel and human stimuli, had more injuries during the lactation period and were more likely to perform behaviours which may be indicative of reduced coping after weaning. Whether these effects are specific to the loose farrowing and lactation system studied in this experiment or are reflective of other loose systems requires further research. Abstract This experiment studied the effects of lactation housing systems and human interaction on piglets’ responses to routine stressors. Forty litters of piglets were reared in either a standard farrowing crate (FC) or a loose farrowing and lactation pen (LP; PigSAFE pen) and received either routine contact with humans (C) or regular opportunities for positive human contact (+HC; 3 min of patting, stroking and scratching 5 times/week). Behavioural and physiological responses to routine husbandry procedures, weaning, novelty and humans were studied in addition to effects on piglet growth, injuries and survival. Compared to C piglets, +HC piglets vocalised for shorter durations (p = 0.018) during husbandry procedures and showed a lower intensity of escape behaviour during iron injection (p = 0.042) and oral vaccination (p = 0.026) at 3 d of age, capture at 2 wk of age (p < 0.001), and intramuscular vaccination (p = 0.005) at 3 wk of age. +HC piglets at 2 wk of age were faster than C piglets to approach (p = 0.048) and interact (p = 0.042) with a stationary unfamiliar human. Compared to LP piglets, FC piglets showed a lower intensity of escape behaviour during capture and iron administration by a stockperson at 3 d of age (p = 0.043). FC piglets at 2 wk of age were faster than LP piglets to approach (p = 0.005) and interact (p = 0.027) with a novel object and approach (p = 0.009) and interact (p = 0.008) with an unfamiliar human. FC piglets had fewer injuries than LP piglets at 2 wk of age (p = 0.004). +HC pigs had fewer injuries than C pigs after weaning (p = 0.003). After weaning there were more pigs from LP than FC observed to be upright (both stationary, p = 0.002 and walking, p = 0.024), vocalizing (p = 0.004), nosing another pig (p = 0.035) and nosing the pen floor (p = 0.038). There were no significant effects on neutrophil:lymphocyte ratios or plasma cortisol concentrations 1.5 h after weaning. However, 25 h after weaning +HC pigs had higher haptoglobin concentrations than C pigs (p = 0.002), and C/LP pigs had higher cortisol concentrations than +HC/LP and C/FC pigs (p = 0.012). There were no significant effects on piglet growth, the number of piglets born alive or the number stillborn, however there were more piglets weaned from FC than LP (p = 0.035). The results from this experiment raise questions that require further research on the ability of pigs reared in loose pens to cope with stressors such as exposure to humans, novelty, husbandry procedures and weaning. This experiment also provides evidence that regular positive human interaction reduces pigs’ fear of humans and husbandry procedures imposed by stockpeople. More research is required to determine if any of these effects are sustained long-term.
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Salvat-Pujol N, Labad J, Urretavizcaya M, de Arriba-Arnau A, Segalàs C, Real E, Ferrer A, Crespo JM, Jiménez-Murcia S, Soriano-Mas C, Menchón JM, Soria V. Childhood maltreatment interacts with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis negative feedback and major depression: effects on cognitive performance. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2021; 12:1857955. [PMID: 33796230 PMCID: PMC7968873 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2020.1857955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Childhood maltreatment (CM) is associated with impaired hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis negative feedback and cognitive dysfunction, resembling those abnormalities linked to major depressive disorder (MDD). Objectives: We aimed to assess the potential modulating effects of MDD diagnosis or HPA axis function in the association between different types of CM and cognitive performance in adulthood. Methods: Sixty-eight MDD patients and 87 healthy controls were recruited. CM was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. We obtained three latent variables for neuropsychological performance (verbal memory, visual memory and executive function/processing speed) after running a confirmatory factor analysis with cognitive tests applied. Dexamethasone suppression test ratio (DSTR) was performed using dexamethasone 0.25 mg. Results: Different types of CM had different effects on cognition, modulated by MDD diagnosis and HPA axis function. Individuals with physical maltreatment and MDD presented with enhanced cognition in certain domains. The DSTR differentially modulated the association between visual memory and physical neglect or sexual abuse. Conclusions: HPA axis-related neurobiological mechanisms leading to cognitive impairment might differ depending upon the type of CM. Our results suggest a need for early assessment and intervention on cognition and resilience mechanisms in individuals exposed to CM to minimize its deleterious and lasting effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neus Salvat-Pujol
- Bellvitge University Hospital, Psychiatry Department. Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Neurosciences Group - Psychiatry and Mental Health, Barcelona, Spain.,Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí, Department of Mental Health, I3PT, Sabadell, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Labad
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain.,Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí (I3PT), Department of Mental Health, Consorci Sanitari del Maresme, Mataró, Spain
| | - Mikel Urretavizcaya
- Bellvitge University Hospital, Psychiatry Department. Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Neurosciences Group - Psychiatry and Mental Health, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aida de Arriba-Arnau
- Bellvitge University Hospital, Psychiatry Department. Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Neurosciences Group - Psychiatry and Mental Health, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cinto Segalàs
- Bellvitge University Hospital, Psychiatry Department. Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Neurosciences Group - Psychiatry and Mental Health, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eva Real
- Bellvitge University Hospital, Psychiatry Department. Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Neurosciences Group - Psychiatry and Mental Health, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alex Ferrer
- Bellvitge University Hospital, Psychiatry Department. Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Neurosciences Group - Psychiatry and Mental Health, Barcelona, Spain.,Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí, Department of Mental Health, I3PT, Sabadell, Spain
| | - José M Crespo
- Bellvitge University Hospital, Psychiatry Department. Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Neurosciences Group - Psychiatry and Mental Health, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susana Jiménez-Murcia
- Bellvitge University Hospital, Psychiatry Department. Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Neurosciences Group - Psychiatry and Mental Health, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carles Soriano-Mas
- Bellvitge University Hospital, Psychiatry Department. Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Neurosciences Group - Psychiatry and Mental Health, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Health Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - José M Menchón
- Bellvitge University Hospital, Psychiatry Department. Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Neurosciences Group - Psychiatry and Mental Health, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Virginia Soria
- Bellvitge University Hospital, Psychiatry Department. Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Neurosciences Group - Psychiatry and Mental Health, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Ash H, Smith TE, Buchanan-Smith HM. The long-term impact of infant rearing background on the behavioural and physiological stress response of adult common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Crailsheim D, Romani T, Llorente M, Kalcher-Sommersguter E. Assessing the sociability of former pet and entertainment chimpanzees by using multiplex networks. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20969. [PMID: 33262388 PMCID: PMC7708499 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77950-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in the field of social network analysis facilitate the creation of multiplex networks where several interaction types can be analysed simultaneously. In order to test the potential benefits of this approach, we investigated the sociability of atypically raised chimpanzees by constructing and analysing 4-layered multiplex networks of two groups of former pet and entertainment chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). These networks are based on four social interaction types (stationary vicinity, affiliative behaviour, allogrooming, passive close proximity) representing low- to high-level interaction types in terms of sociability. Using the tools provided by the MuxViz software, we could assess and compare the similarity and information gain of each these social interaction types. We found some social interaction types to be more similar than other ones. However, each social interaction type imparted different information. We also tested for a possible impact of the chimpanzees’ biographical background on the social interaction types and found affiliative behaviour as well as allogrooming to be affected by adverse early life experiences. We conclude that this multiplex approach provides a more realistic framework giving detailed insight into the sociability of these chimpanzees and can function as a tool to support captive care management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dietmar Crailsheim
- Unitat de Recerca i Etologia, Fundació MONA, Riudellots de La Selva, Spain. .,Facultat d'Educació i Psicologia, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain.
| | - Toni Romani
- Faculty of Artes Liberales, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Miquel Llorente
- Unitat de Recerca i Etologia, Fundació MONA, Riudellots de La Selva, Spain.,Facultat d'Educació i Psicologia, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain.,Institut de Recerca i Estudis en Primatologia - IPRIM, Girona, Spain
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Biological sensitivity to context: A test of the hypothesized U-shaped relation between early adversity and stress responsivity. Dev Psychopathol 2020; 32:641-660. [PMID: 31347484 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579419000518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
We conducted signal detection analyses to test for curvilinear, U-shaped relations between early experiences of adversity and heightened physiological responses to challenge, as proposed by biological sensitivity to context theory. Based on analysis of an ethnically diverse sample of 338 kindergarten children (4-6 years old) and their families, we identified levels and types of adversity that, singly and interactively, predicted high (top 25%) and low (bottom 25%) rates of stress reactivity. The results offered support for the hypothesized U-shaped curve and conceptually replicated and extended the work of Ellis, Essex, and Boyce (2005). Across both sympathetic and adrenocortical systems, a disproportionate number of children growing up under conditions characterized by either low or high adversity (as indexed by restrictive parenting, family stress, and family economic condition) displayed heightened stress reactivity, compared with peers growing up under conditions of moderate adversity. Finally, as hypothesized by the adaptive calibration model, a disproportionate number of children who experienced exceptionally stressful family conditions displayed blunted cortisol reactivity to stress.
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Ilyumzhinova R, Mbayiwa K, Fowle J, Jones C, Hipwell AE, Keenan K. Phenotyping stress exposures related to perinatal health disparities. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:1006-1012. [PMID: 33200404 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Black American women living in low-resource environments are exposed to multiple stressors and are at high risk for perinatal complications. Stress exposure likely impacts pregnancy and birth complications via alterations in health systems that are engaged in regulating the stress response. Stressors may vary in terms of magnitude and pattern of effect on such health systems. In the present study, we test associations between three types of stress exposure: perceived stress, negative life events, and discrimination stress on neuroendocrine and cardiac response to a controlled laboratory stressor during the first trimester of pregnancy. In all, 100 pregnant Black women with Medicaid insurance completed a laboratory assessment during which salivary cortisol and heart rate variability (HRV) were used to measure stress response to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Results revealed that only discrimination stress was significantly associated with cortisol and HRV in response to the TSST. High levels of discrimination stress were associated with lower levels of cortisol reactivity and higher levels of HRV across the visit. These results highlight the differential impact of domains of stress exposure on stress regulation during pregnancy and provide further evidence of the impact of discrimination stress on Black American women's health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rimma Ilyumzhinova
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kimberley Mbayiwa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jill Fowle
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Cherrelle Jones
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Alison E Hipwell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kate Keenan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Ash H, Ziegler TE, Colman RJ. Early learning in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus): Behavior in the family group is related to preadolescent cognitive performance. Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23159. [PMID: 32515834 PMCID: PMC7440670 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Early environment can have a major impact on development, with family life known to play an important role. Longitudinal studies can therefore help increase our understanding of variance in cognitive abilities in young animals, as well as over time. We followed 22 marmosets (11 male and 11 female) from infancy through to early adolescence. At 3 months old, the marmosets were trained to reliably touch a rewarded stimulus. At 5 months, behavior was observed within the natal group. At 9 months, the marmosets were given a visual discrimination task to assess learning ability. Mann-Whitney U tests found no sex or family size differences in number of errors at 3 or 9 months. While no significant relationships were found between behavior in the family and learning at 3 months, significant negative correlations were found between duration spent in locomotion and learning errors (p = .05), as well as between frequency of calm vocalizations and learning errors (p = .001) at 9 months. A U-shape curve was found between amount of social play and learning at 9 months. Positive family interactions, including moderate amounts of play, as well as calm individual behavior, may therefore be important in learning. This study sheds light on cognitive development in much younger marmosets than previously studied, and helps increase understanding of how individual differences in learning may arise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley Ash
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Toni E. Ziegler
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Ricki J. Colman
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, 1111 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, USA
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Tabibnia G. An affective neuroscience model of boosting resilience in adults. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 115:321-350. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Linnér A, Westrup B, Lode-Kolz K, Klemming S, Lillieskold S, Markhus Pike H, Morgan B, Bergman NJ, Rettedal S, Jonas W. Immediate parent-infant skin-to-skin study (IPISTOSS): study protocol of a randomised controlled trial on very preterm infants cared for in skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth and potential physiological, epigenetic, psychological and neurodevelopmental consequences. BMJ Open 2020; 10:e038938. [PMID: 32636292 PMCID: PMC7342825 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-038938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In Scandinavia, 6% of infants are born preterm, before 37 gestational weeks. Instead of continuing in the in-utero environment, maturation needs to occur in a neonatal unit with support of vital functions, separated from the mother's warmth, nutrition and other benefits. Preterm infants face health and neurodevelopment challenges that may also affect the family and society at large. There is evidence of benefit from immediate and continued skin-to-skin contact (SSC) for term and moderately preterm infants and their parents but there is a knowledge gap on its effect on unstable very preterm infants when initiated immediately after birth. METHODS AND ANALYSIS In this ongoing randomised controlled trial from Stavanger, Norway and Stockholm, Sweden, we are studying 150 infants born at 28+0 to 32+6 gestational weeks, randomised to receive care immediately after birth in SSC with a parent or conventionally in an incubator. The primary outcome is cardiorespiratory stability according to the stability of the cardiorespiratory system in the preterm score. Secondary outcomes are autonomic stability, thermal control, infection control, SSC time, breastfeeding and growth, epigenetic profile, microbiome profile, infant behaviour, stress resilience, sleep integrity, cortical maturation, neurodevelopment, mother-infant attachment and attunement, and parent experience and mental health. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The study has ethical approval from the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (2017/1135-31/3, 2019-03361) and the Norwegian Regional Ethical Committee (2015/889). The study is conducted according to good clinical practice and the Helsinki declaration. The results of the study will increase the knowledge about the mechanisms behind the effects of SSC for very preterm infants by dissemination to the scientific community through articles and at conferences, and to the society through parenting classes and magazines. STUDY STATUS Recruiting since April 2018. Expected trial termination June 2021. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT03521310 (ClinicalTrials.gov).
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnes Linnér
- Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Neonatal Unit, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Björn Westrup
- Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karoline Lode-Kolz
- Department of Paediatrics, Stavanger Universitetssjukehus, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Stina Klemming
- Neonatal Unit, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Siri Lillieskold
- Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Neonatal Unit, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hanne Markhus Pike
- Department of Paediatrics, Stavanger Universitetssjukehus, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Barak Morgan
- Global Risk Governance Programme, Law Faculty, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Western Cape, South Africa
- NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg-Braamfontein, Gauteng, South Africa
| | | | - Siren Rettedal
- Department of Paediatrics, Stavanger Universitetssjukehus, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Wibke Jonas
- Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
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Revisiting the roots of attachment: A review of the biological and psychological effects of maternal skin-to-skin contact and carrying of full-term infants. Infant Behav Dev 2020; 60:101441. [PMID: 32603951 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2020.101441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
During the early period of hypothesis building and empirical testing of attachment theory, a major emphasis was placed on mother-infant physical contact. In spite of this, mother-infant contact has received scant attention amongst attachment and child development researchers in the past decades. Here, a brief theoretical framework for mother-infant contact is presented, drawing on animal studies as well as human studies of preterm infants and neonates. Salient mechanisms may include an extended sensitive period during early infancy, requiring specific somatosensory stimuli for bio-behavioral homeorhesis; oxytocinergic and epigenetic pathways; kinesthetic stimuli and face-to-face proximity allowing for increased social interaction. Studies of extended human mother-full-term infant physical contact have demonstrated positive effects in multiple domains. For infants, these include sleep organization, temperature and heart rate regulation, behavioral response, crying/colic, socio-emotional development, attachment quality, speech development opportunities and mother-child interactions. For mothers, studies demonstrate improved depressive symptomatology, physiological stress regulation, contingent responsivity, breastfeeding and mother-child interactions. Parent-infant attachment quality has gained prominence as a trauma-resilience factor as well as a predictor of adult physical health. The potential role of mother-infant contact as an attachment promoting intervention as well as future research subjects are discussed. Current evidence supports the original attachment research that early maternal touch provision may influence infant socio-emotional development and attachment quality, with positive implications for mother-child relationship functioning.
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Berardino BG, Ballarini F, Chertoff M, Igaz LM, Cánepa ET. Nutritional stress timing differentially programs cognitive abilities in young adult male mice. Nutr Neurosci 2020; 25:286-298. [PMID: 32308155 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2020.1751507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: The impact of chronic exposure to environmental adversities on brain regions involved in cognition and mental health depends on whether it occurs during the perinatal period, childhood, adolescence or adulthood. The effects of these adversities on the brain and behavior arise as a function of the timing of the exposure and their co-occurrence with the development of specific regions. Here we aimed to explore the behavioral phenotypes derived from two nutritional stress paradigms which differed in the timing of exposure: a low-protein perinatal diet during gestation and lactation and a low-protein diet during adolescence.Methods: Locomotor and exploratory activity, recognition memory and aversive memory were measured in CF-1 8-week-old male mice subjected to perinatal malnutrition (LP-P) or adolescent malnutrition (LP-A), and their respective controls with normal protein diet (NP-P and NP-A).Results: By using the open field test, we found that LP-P and LP-A mice showed reduced exploratory activity compared to controls, but no alterations in their locomotor activity. Recognition memory was impaired only in LP-P mice. Interestingly, aversive memory was not altered in LP-P mice but was enhanced in LP-A mice. Considering the stress-inoculation theory, we hypothesized that protein malnutrition during adolescence represents a challenging but still moderate stressful environment, which promotes active coping in face of later adversity.Conclusion: Our results indicate that while perinatal malnutrition impairs recognition memory, adolescent malnutrition enhances aversive memory, showing dissimilar adaptive responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno G Berardino
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, and Instituto de Química Biológica de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fabricio Ballarini
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires - IBCN "Eduardo De Robertis" (CONICET), Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariela Chertoff
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, and Instituto de Química Biológica de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lionel M Igaz
- IFIBIO Bernardo Houssay, Grupo de Neurociencia de Sistemas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eduardo T Cánepa
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, and Instituto de Química Biológica de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Engel ML, Gunnar MR. The development of stress reactivity and regulation during human development. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2019; 150:41-76. [PMID: 32204834 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2019.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Adverse experiences during childhood can have long-lasting impacts on physical and mental health. At the heart of most theories of how these effects are transduced into health impacts is the activity of stress-mediating systems, most notably the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis. Here we review the anatomy and physiology of the axis, models of stress and development, the development of the axis prenatally through adolescence, the role of experience and sensitive periods in shaping its regulation, the social regulation of the axis at different points in development, and finally conclude with suggestions for future research. We conclude that it is clear that early adversity sculpts the stress system, but we do not understand which dimensions have the most impact and at what points in early development. It is equally clear that secure attachment relationships buffer the developing stress system; however, the mechanisms of social buffering and how these may change with development are not yet clear. Another critical issue that is not understood is when and for whom adversity will result in hypo- vs hyperactivity of stress-mediating systems. These and other issues are important for advancing our understanding of how early adversity "gets under the skin" and shapes human physical and mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa L Engel
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Megan R Gunnar
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.
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Parker KJ, Buckmaster CL, Hyde SA, Schatzberg AF, Lyons DM. Nonlinear relationship between early life stress exposure and subsequent resilience in monkeys. Sci Rep 2019; 9:16232. [PMID: 31700103 PMCID: PMC6838120 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52810-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Retrospective correlational studies of humans suggest that moderate but not minimal or substantial early life stress exposure promotes the development of stress inoculation-induced resilience. Here we test for a nonlinear relationship between early life stress and resilience by comparing varying "doses" of early life stress. Juvenile squirrel monkeys underwent one of five treatment conditions between 17-27 weeks of age: Stress inoculation (SI) with continuous access to mother (SI + Mom; one stress element), SI without continuous access to mother (SI; two stress elements), SI without continuous access to mother and with alprazolam injection pretreatments (SI + Alz; three stress elements), SI without continuous access to mother and with vehicle injection pretreatments (SI + Veh; three stress elements), or standard housing (No SI; zero stress elements). Alprazolam was used to test whether anxiolytic medication diminished SI effects. Subjects exposed to one or two early life stressors subsequently responded with fewer indications of anxiety (e.g., decreased maternal clinging, increased object exploration, smaller cortisol increases) compared to No SI subjects. Subjects exposed to three early life stressors did not differ on most measures from one another or from No SI subjects. These findings provide empirical support for a nonlinear J-shaped relationship between early life stress exposure and subsequent resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen J Parker
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Christine L Buckmaster
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Shellie A Hyde
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Alan F Schatzberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - David M Lyons
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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Dilemmas for Natural Living Concepts of Zoo Animal Welfare. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:ani9060318. [PMID: 31195690 PMCID: PMC6616422 DOI: 10.3390/ani9060318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This ethical discourse specifically deals with dilemmas encountered within zoological institutions, namely for the concept of natural living, and a new term-wilding. It is agreed by some that zoos are not ethically wrong in principle, but there are currently some contradictions and ethical concerns for zoos in practice. Natural living is a complicated concept, facing multiple criticisms. Not all natural behaviours, nor natural environments, are to the benefit of animals in a captive setting, and practical application of the natural living concept has flaws. Expression of natural behaviours does not necessarily indicate positive well-being of an animal. Herein it is suggested that highly-motivated behaviours may be a better term to properly explain behaviours of more significance to captive animals. Wilding refers to extrapolation of the natural living concept to treating an animal as wild, residing in a wild habitat. This definition is intrinsically problematic, as quite literally by definition, captivity is not a wild nor natural environment. Treating a captive animal exactly the same as a wild counterpart is practically impossible for many species in a few ways. This article discusses complexities of natural living versus natural aesthetics as judged by humans, as well as the possibility of innate preference for naturalness within animals. Zoos nobly strive to keep wild animals as natural and undomesticated as possible. Here it is argued that unintended and unavoidable genetic and epigenetic drift favouring adaptations for life in a captive environment may still occur, despite our best efforts to prevent this from occurring. This article further discusses the blurred lines between natural and unnatural behaviours, and the overlaps with more important highly-motivated behaviours, which may be better predictors of positive affective states in captive animals, and thus, better predictors of positive well-being and welfare. Finally, as we are now in the Anthropocene era, it is suggested that human-animal interactions could actually be considered natural in a way, and notwithstanding, be very important to animals that initiate these interactions, especially for "a life worth living".
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Höltge J, Mc Gee SL, Thoma MV. The curvilinear relationship of early-life adversity and successful aging: the mediating role of mental health. Aging Ment Health 2019; 23:608-617. [PMID: 29447460 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2018.1433635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The steeling effect suggests that early-life adversity can have a beneficial impact later in life. However, little is known about its underlying mechanisms and long-term outcomes . The study aimed to examine the role of early-life adversity (ELA) on successful aging, and whether this relationship can be explained by mental and physical health. METHOD Socio-demographics, early-life adversity (ELA), individual quality of life (iQoL), and mental and physical health of 270 individuals (Mage = 66.82 years, 71.5% female) were assessed. Polynomial regressions and mediation analyses were conducted. RESULTS Significant inverse U-shaped associations were found between ELA and iQoL (β = -.59, p = .005) and between ELA and mental health (β = -.64, p = .002), but not between ELA and physical health. Furthermore, mental health significantly mediated the relationship between ELA and iQoL (b = -.84, BCa CI [-1.66, -.27]). CONCLUSION Highest level of individual quality of life (i.e. successful aging) was related to a moderate amount of ELA. Additionally, mental health significantly mediated this relationship. These findings suggest that some amount of ELA could be beneficial for successful aging. Resource-focused interventions are needed to improve health and promote successful aging for an underdetected, at-risk subgroup with low early-life adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Höltge
- a Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, Institute of Psychology , University of Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland.,b University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging", University of Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Shauna L Mc Gee
- a Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, Institute of Psychology , University of Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland.,b University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging", University of Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Myriam V Thoma
- a Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, Institute of Psychology , University of Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland.,b University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging", University of Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland
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Zhang H, Yao Z, Lin L, Sun X, Shi X, Zhang L. Early life stress predicts cortisol response to psychosocial stress in healthy young adults. Psych J 2019; 8:353-362. [PMID: 30932372 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Repeated exposure to stress during early life has a lifetime impact on physical and psychological functions. Our study investigated the long-term effects of early life stress (ELS; measured retrospectively) on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system functions under psychosocial stress among healthy adults. Fifty healthy volunteers (33 male, 17 female, mean age 22.6 ± 1.8 years) underwent a standardized psychosocial stress protocol (the Trier Social Stress Test), with the collection of salivary cortisol, heart rates, and positive and negative affect. The results showed increases in cortisol, heart rate, and negative affect after the stress inducement. More importantly, a significant negative correlation was found between the severity of ELS and the increase of cortisol to the stress. The severity of stress in one's early life predicted his/her cortisol reactivity to the stress in adulthood. Neither the heart rate reactivity nor the affective reactivity shows significant association with ELS. The blunted cortisol reactivity reflects the alteration of the HPA axis, which may confer the risk for certain stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huihui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhuxi Yao
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Li Lin
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaofang Sun
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Industrial Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xia Shi
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Cantor MC, Neave HW, Costa JHC. Current perspectives on the short- and long-term effects of conventional dairy calf raising systems: a comparison with the natural environment. Transl Anim Sci 2019; 3:549-563. [PMID: 32704826 PMCID: PMC7200560 DOI: 10.1093/tas/txy144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the neonatal and infancy period is short, it is well documented that the early neonatal environment is critical for appropriate physical, behavioral, and cognitive development that lasts into adulthood. Dairy calves are commonly removed from the dam shortly after birth and raised in individual housing and fed limited milk allowances (4 to 6 L/d) in commercial farms around the world (conventional raising). Individual housing was developed to promote health status and facilitate individual animal monitoring. However, it is associated with high labor demand, and early life social isolation is associated with cognitive and behavioral abnormalities. Recently, group housing and enhanced milk-feeding programs are being increasingly adopted by farms; these practices more closely resemble the social and nutritional environments in natural or seminatural environments when the calf is raised with the dam. Conventional raising may lead to short- and long-term effects when compared to calves raised with the dam or peers. Short-term effects of conventional raising include impaired social skills when introduced to novel peers, reduced consumption of novel feeds, increased activity in a novel environment, and signs of hunger associated with limited milk intake and poor growth during the preweaning period. Evidence also suggests that the long-term effects of conventional artificial raising systems include behavioral differences, such as lower social submissiveness, increased heart rate and cortisol when presented with a novel environment, and production differences such as milk yield and reproductive performance. However, research on the long-term effects of maternal, social, physical, and nutritional restrictions in early life is still limited and should be encouraged. More research is needed to determine the long-term effects of artificial raising systems (individual, group housing, dam-raised) on future behavior, cognition, performance, and health parameters in dairy calves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa C Cantor
- Dairy Science Program, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
| | - Heather W Neave
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Joao H C Costa
- Dairy Science Program, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
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Alterations in Systemic and Cognitive Glucocorticoid Sensitivity in Depression. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2018; 4:310-320. [PMID: 30686583 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Decades of research point to cortisol insensitivity as a biomarker of depression. Despite a vast literature on cortisol's effects on memory, the role of cortisol insensitivity in core psychological features of depression, such as emotional memory biases, is unknown. METHODS Sixty-five premenopausal women with varying levels of depression completed this study involving an at-home low-dose dexamethasone suppression test and four experimental sessions (i.e., two visits for memory encoding of emotionally arousing pictures, each of which was followed 48 hours later by a recall test). Participants received 20 mg of oral cortisol (CORT) or placebo prior to encoding. We tested whether systemic cortisol insensitivity measured with the dexamethasone suppression test predicted cognitive sensitivity to CORT, which was operationalized as the change in negatively biased memory formation for pictures encoded following CORT versus placebo administration. RESULTS Cortisol insensitivity was associated with more severe depression and flatter diurnal cortisol levels. Cortisol insensitivity predicted negative memory bias for pictures encoded during the placebo session and reduction in negative memory bias for pictures encoded during the CORT (compared with placebo) session, even after accounting for psychiatric symptomatology. CONCLUSIONS Our findings replicate research showing that cortisol insensitivity predicts depression severity and flatter diurnal cortisol levels. The results further suggest that systemic cortisol insensitivity is related to negative memory bias and its alleviation by cortisol administration. These novel cognitive findings tie together knowledge regarding endocrine and psychological dysfunction in depression and suggest that boosting cortisol signal may cognitively benefit individuals with cortisol insensitivity.
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Capitanio JP. Naturally Occurring Nonhuman Primate Models of Psychosocial Processes. ILAR J 2018; 58:226-234. [PMID: 28472500 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilx012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Human research into psychological processes such as anxiety, depression, or loneliness typically involves accruing cases in which the phenomenon of interest is naturally occurring, and then comparing such a sample with control cases. In contrast, animal research designed to model similar processes to test mechanistic hypotheses typically involves inducing the phenomenon of interest via some exogenously (i.e., human) administered procedure. In the present review, the author proposes that naturally occurring animal models can complement induced models in understanding complex psychological phenomena. Advantages and disadvantages of naturally occurring versus induced models are described, and detailed examples of three naturally occurring models-for loneliness and health, behavioral inhibition and asthma, and social functioning and autism-are described, along with a formal program (the BioBehavioral Assessment program) at the California National Primate Research Center, that is designed to quantify variation in biobehavioral processes in infant rhesus macaques to facilitate development of naturally occurring models. It is argued that, because of the similarity in complex behavioral and psychological processes between macaques and humans, naturally occurring primate models provide a bridge between human studies and induced primate models and have the potential to identify new models for translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Capitanio
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, California.,California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California
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42
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The psychoneuroimmunology of pregnancy. Front Neuroendocrinol 2018; 51:25-35. [PMID: 29110974 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Revised: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Pregnancy is associated with a number of significant changes in maternal physiology. Perhaps one of the more notable changes is the significant alteration in immune function that occurs during pregnancy. This change in immune function is necessary to support a successful pregnancy, but also creates a unique period of life during which a female is susceptible to disease and, as we'll speculate here, may also contribute to mental health disorders associated with pregnancy and the postpartum period. Here, we review the known changes in peripheral immune function that occur during pregnancy and the postpartum period, while highlighting the impact of hormones during these times on immune function, brain or neural function, as well as behavior. We also discuss the known and possible impact of pregnancy-induced immune changes on neural function during this time and briefly discuss how these changes might be a risk factor for perinatal anxiety or mood disorders.
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Social touch during development: Long-term effects on brain and behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 95:202-219. [PMID: 30278194 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, our goal is to explore what is known about the role of social touch during development. We first address the neural substrates of social touch and the role of tactile experience in neural development. We discuss natural variation in early exposure to social touch, followed by a discussion on experimental manipulations of social touch during development and "natural experiments", such as early institutionalization. We then consider the role of other developmental and experiential variables that predict social touch in adults. Throughout, we propose and consider new theoretical models of the role of social touch during development on later behavior and neurobiology.
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Köhler JC, Gröger N, Lesse A, Guara Ciurana S, Rether K, Fegert J, Bock J, Braun K. Early-Life Adversity Induces Epigenetically Regulated Changes in Hippocampal Dopaminergic Molecular Pathways. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:3616-3625. [PMID: 30173406 PMCID: PMC6476847 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1199-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Early-life adversity (ELA) represents a major risk factor for the development of behavioral dysfunctions and mental disorders later in life. On the other hand, dependent on type, time point, and duration, ELA exposure can also induce adaptations, which result in better stress coping and resilience later in life. Guided by the hypothesis that chronic exposure to ELA results in dysfunctional brain and behavior, whereas short exposure to ELA may result in resilience, the behavioral and neurobiological consequences of long-term separation stress (LTSS) and short-term separation stress (STSS) were compared in a mouse model for ELA. In line with our hypothesis, we found that LTSS induced depressive-like behavior, whereas STSS reduced depressive-like behavioral symptoms. We then tested the hypothesis that the opposite behavioral outcomes of the two stress paradigms may be mediated by functional, epigenetically regulated changes of dopaminergic modulation in the hippocampal formation. We found that STSS exposure elevated dopamine receptor D1 (DRD1) gene expression and decreased gene expression of its downstream modulator DARPP-32 (32-kDa dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein), which was paralleled by decreased H3 acetylation at its gene promoter region. In contrast, LTSS elevated DARPP-32 gene expression, which was not paralleled by changes in histone acetylation and DRD1 gene expression. These findings indicate that short- and long-term neonatal exposure to ELA induces changes in dopaminergic molecular pathways, some of which are epigenetically regulated and which either alleviate or aggravate depressive-like symptoms later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana C Köhler
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Straße 44, Bldg. 91, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.,PG "Epigenetics and Structural Plasticity", Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - N Gröger
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Straße 44, Bldg. 91, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - A Lesse
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Straße 44, Bldg. 91, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - S Guara Ciurana
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Straße 44, Bldg. 91, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - K Rether
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Straße 44, Bldg. 91, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - J Fegert
- Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie/Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - J Bock
- PG "Epigenetics and Structural Plasticity", Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Braun
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Straße 44, Bldg. 91, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany. .,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.
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Masten AS, Barnes AJ. Resilience in Children: Developmental Perspectives. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2018; 5:E98. [PMID: 30018217 PMCID: PMC6069421 DOI: 10.3390/children5070098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Advances in developmental resilience science are highlighted with commentary on implications for pediatric systems that aspire to promote healthy development over the life course. Resilience science is surging along with growing concerns about the consequences of adverse childhood experiences on lifelong development. Resilience is defined as the capacity of a system to adapt successfully to challenges that threaten the function, survival, or future development of the system. This definition is scalable across system levels and across disciplines, applicable to resilience in a person, a family, a health care system, a community, an economy, or other systems. Robust findings on resilience in childhood underscore the importance of exposure dose; fundamental adaptive systems embedded in the lives of individuals and their interactions with other systems; developmental timing; and the crucial role of healthcare practitioners and educators as well as family caregivers in nurturing resilience on the "front lines" of lived childhood experience. Resilience science suggests that human resilience is common, dynamic, generated through myriad interactions of multiple systems from the biological to the sociocultural, and mutable given strategic targeting and timing. Implications for pediatric practice and training are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann S Masten
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Andrew J Barnes
- Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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Light LEO, Bartlett TQ, Poyas A, Nijland MJ, Huber HF, Li C, Keenan K, Nathanielsz PW. Maternal activity, anxiety, and protectiveness during moderate nutrient restriction in captive baboons (Papio sp.). J Med Primatol 2018; 47:10.1111/jmp.12350. [PMID: 29749628 PMCID: PMC6230519 DOI: 10.1111/jmp.12350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We hypothesized that maternal nutrient restriction (NR) would increase activity and behavioral indicators of anxiety (self-directed behaviors, SDBs) in captive baboons (Papio sp.) and result in more protective maternal styles. METHODS Our study included 19 adult female baboons. Seven females ate ad libitum (control group), and eight females ate 30% less (NR group) and were observed through pregnancy and lactation. RESULTS Control females engage in higher rates of SDB than NR females overall (P ≤ .018) and during the prenatal period (P ≤ .001) and engage in more aggressive behavior (P ≤ .033). Control females retrieved infants more than NR females during weeks 5-8 postpartum (P ≤ .019). CONCLUSIONS Lower SDB rates among prenatal NR females reduce energy expenditure and increase available resources for fetal development when nutritionally restricted. Higher infant retrieval rates by controls may indicate more infant independence rather than maternal style differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia E. O. Light
- Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC, 28223-0001, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA
| | - Thad Q. Bartlett
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA
| | - Annica Poyas
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA
| | - Mark J. Nijland
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
| | - Hillary F. Huber
- Department of Animal Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
| | - Cun Li
- Department of Animal Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
| | - Kate Keenan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Peter W. Nathanielsz
- Department of Animal Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA
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Di Segni M, Andolina D, Ventura R. Long-term effects of early environment on the brain: Lesson from rodent models. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2018; 77:81-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.09.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Revised: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Höltge J, Mc Gee SL, Maercker A, Thoma MV. A Salutogenic Perspective on Adverse Experiences. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1027/2512-8442/a000011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. Research has predominantly focused on the negative effects of adversity on health and well-being. However, the salutogenic perspective suggests that adversity may not always be detrimental ( Antonovsky, 1996 ). In fact, under certain circumstances, adversity may have the potential for positive outcomes, such as increased resilience and thriving ( Carver, 1998 ; Rutter, 1987 ). The “steeling effect” suggests that past experiences of adversity may increase resistance to later adversities. It proposes that moderate adversity may facilitate more adaptive functioning than no adversity or high levels of adversity ( Rutter, 2006 , 2012 ). The relationship between adversity and health may be optimally assessed using curvilinear models, yet the majority of previous studies have examined linear associations ( Masten & Cicchetti, 2016 ). It is therefore the aim of this review to determine whether moderate adversity is associated with more adaptive functioning when compared to no and high levels of adversity. Practical implications and future research are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Höltge
- Department of Psychology, Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
- University Research Priority Program “Dynamics of Healthy Aging”, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shauna L. Mc Gee
- Department of Psychology, Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
- University Research Priority Program “Dynamics of Healthy Aging”, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Maercker
- Department of Psychology, Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
- University Research Priority Program “Dynamics of Healthy Aging”, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Myriam V. Thoma
- Department of Psychology, Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
- University Research Priority Program “Dynamics of Healthy Aging”, University of Zurich, Switzerland
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Császár-Nagy N, Bókkon I. Mother-newborn separation at birth in hospitals: A possible risk for neurodevelopmental disorders? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 84:337-351. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Revised: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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