Cognition, Behavior, and Memory
Author: Ailen Alba Colapietro | email: ailencolapietro@gmail.com
Ailen Alba Colapietro 1°, Jazmín Grillo Balboa 1°, Verónica Cantarelli 2°, Marina Ponzio 2°, Marta Cristina Antonelli 1°, María Eugenia Pallarés 1°
1° Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias “Prof. E. De Robertis”, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires
2° Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
Infant maltreatment is a public health problem with long-term health consequences. It generates a dysregulation of the stress system response, which predisposes individuals to develop emotional disorders later in life. To date, few studies have examined the effects of infant maltreatment in younger individuals, as well as its relevance for the early onset of stress-related disorders. In this study, we used the scarcity-adversity model (SAM) during postpartum days 8-12 to induce maltreatment, and assessed offspring behavioral phenotype at juvenile age. As expected, dams exposed to SAM had enhanced fragmented and violent behavior towards their offspring. At postnatal day 13, SAM treatment increased corticosterone levels in exposed pups compared to control ones. At juvenile age, SAM offspring of both sexes spent more time in unsupported rearing in the Open field test, spent less time swimming and climbing and more time immobile in the Forced swimming test, and consumed more sucrose compared to controls in the Sucrose Preference test. No differences were found between groups in the Light/dark box and in the Elevated plus maze tests. Our results show that exposure to maltreatment during infancy has consequences on depressive-like behavior and exploratory activity at juvenile age. These data about emerging behaviors may be useful for the development of anticipated interventions that prevent the establishment of psychopathologies later in life.