Infantile stimulation and ultrasonic signaling: A possible mediator of early handling phenomena

Bell, Robert A.; Nitschke, Werner; Gorry, T. H.; Zachman, Thomas A.

doi:10.1002/dev.420040209

Cited by 94 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Handling increases pup vocalizations, which have, in turn, been associated with increased maternal licking͞grooming (see ref. 55). This finding might well underlie the increased licking͞grooming observed in the mothers of H pups (see refs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal care during infancy regulates the development of neural systems mediating the expression of fearfulness in the rat

Caldji

Tannenbaum

Sharma

et al. 1998

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

1,277

896

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The mothers of infant rats show individual differences in the frequency of licking͞grooming and archedback nursing (LG-ABN) of pups that contribute to the development of individual differences in behavioral responses to stress. As adults, the offspring of mothers that exhibited high levels of LG-ABN showed substantially reduced behavioral fearfulness in response to novelty compared with the offspring of low LG-ABN mothers. In addition, the adult offspring of the high LG-ABN mothers showed significantly (i) increased central benzodiazepine receptor density in the central, lateral, and basolateral nuclei of the amygdala as well as in the locus ceruleus, (ii) increased ␣ 2 adrenoreceptor density in the locus ceruleus, and (iii) decreased corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) receptor density in the locus ceruleus. The expression of fear and anxiety is regulated by a neural circuitry that includes the activation of ascending noradrenergic projections from the locus ceruleus to the forebrain structures. Considering the importance of the amygdala, notably the anxiogenic influence of CRH projections from the amygdala to the locus ceruleus, as well as the anxiolytic actions of benzodiazepines, for the expression of behavioral responses to stress, these findings suggest that maternal care during infancy serves to ''program'' behavioral responses to stress in the offspring by altering the development of the neural systems that mediate fearfulness.The development of responses to stress in the rat is influenced by the early postnatal environment (for reviews see refs. 1-3). Thus, postnatal handling during the first week of life decreases behavioral fearfulness and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) responses under conditions of stress. These effects persist throughout the life of the animal (4, 5) and form a basis for vulnerability to stress-related disease (6).The handling paradigm reflects the remarkable plasticity that exists within neural systems that mediate responses to stress. The manipulation is actually rather subtle. Handled pups are simply removed from the nest for 3-15 min and then reunited with the mother. Handling does not represent a period of maternal deprivation, because over the course of the day mothers are routinely off their nests for periods of 20-25 min (see refs. 7-9). At the same time the artificial and nonspecific nature of the handling paradigm is unsettling (see refs. 10 and 11). Under natural conditions, development in the rat typically occurs in the rather dark, tranquil confines of a burrow where the major source of stimulation is that of the mother and littermates: there is little here that resembles the disruption associated with human handling. However, several studies have shown that postnatal handling actually alters the behavior of the mother toward her pups, leading to the idea that the effects of postnatal handling may be mediated by changes in mother-pup interactions (1, 12, 13).In the Norway rat, mother-pup contact occurs primarily within the context of a nest-bout, which b...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal care during infancy regulates the development of neural systems mediating the expression of fearfulness in the rat

Caldji

Tannenbaum

Sharma

et al. 1998

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

1,277

896

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…It was reported that rodent pups emit USVs in situations of separation from the nest and low temperature [1], and the USVs were demonstrated to induce maternal retrieval in rats [1,2,10], mice [22] and hamsters [20]. Further, anogenital-licking behavior also was induced by USVs in rats [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of Ultrasonic Vocalizations Emitted bv Rodent Pups

et al. 2004

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Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) emitted by rodent pups, mouse, rat, Syrian hamster, vole, and Mongolian gerbil, were compared as a basic study for a screening test of anti-panic drugs. USVs of rodent pups, separated from their mother under a low temperature condition, were collected by Real-Time Spectrogram (RTS) apparatus, and transformed into spectrograms and power spectra by SIGNAL software. Waveforms of USVs emitted by the rodent pups showed several characteristic features, and species specificity of USVs was shown. We think that the species specificity might be due to differences of the anatomical structures in the respiratory tract and respiratory patterns in rodent pups.

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“…It has been reported that rodent pups emit ultrasonic vocalization (USV) when separated from the nest [2] and exposed to cold stress [1]. Furthermore, in response to their isolation calls, it was demonstrated that nest building and retrieving behavior were induced in mothers in rats [1], mice [16] and hamsters [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Study on Isolation Calls Emitted from Hamster Pups.

et al. 2001

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Waveforms of isolation calls emitted from hamster pups, which were Syrian hamsters, Djungarian hamsters, and Chinese hamsters, were compared in a basic study on improving reproduction by decrease of cannibalism, because it was reported that maternal behavior was induced by isolation calls in rodents. Isolation calls of hamster pups, isolated from their mother and receiving cold stress, were collected by Real-Time Spectrogram (RTS), and calculated to spectrograms and power spectra by SIGNAL. Isolation calls consisted of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) and audible vocalizations (ADVs) in each species. Waveforms of isolation calls emitted by the hamster pups, were shown to have several characteristic features. In this study, the species specificity of isolation calls was shown in hamster pups. It would seem that the species specificity originates in the differences of sensitivity to cold stress via the autonomic nerve in hamsters.

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Infantile stimulation and ultrasonic signaling: A possible mediator of early handling phenomena

Cited by 94 publications

References 24 publications

Maternal care during infancy regulates the development of neural systems mediating the expression of fearfulness in the rat

Maternal care during infancy regulates the development of neural systems mediating the expression of fearfulness in the rat

Comparison of Ultrasonic Vocalizations Emitted bv Rodent Pups

Comparative Study on Isolation Calls Emitted from Hamster Pups.

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