Motor Lateralization, Behavioral Despair and Dopaminergic Brain Asymmetry After Prenatal Stress

Alonso, S.J.

doi:10.1016/s0091-3057(97)00009-9

Cited by 59 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Blocking D1 receptors attenuates AlloP’s intra-VTA actions to enhance mating among female rats (Frye et al, 2004, 2006a). Indeed, PNS alters mating responses in adult female rats (Frye and Orecki, 2002) and increases total dopamine content in the dSTR (Gerardin et al, 2005), and NAcc (Alonso et al, 1994, 1997; McArthur et al, 2005). Notably, dopaminergic pharmacotherapy can bolster the motivational aspects of reward in animal models (Tindell et al, 2005).…”

Section: Impact Of Prenatal Stress On Animal Models Of Natural Rewardmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prenatal Stress Alters Progestogens to Mediate Susceptibility to Sex-Typical, Stress-Sensitive Disorders, such as Drug Abuse: A Review

et al. 2011

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Maternal–offspring interactions begin prior to birth. Experiences of the mother during gestation play a powerful role in determining the developmental programming of the central nervous system. In particular, stress during gestation alters developmental programming of the offspring resulting in susceptibility to sex-typical and stress-sensitive neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric, and neurodegenerative disorders. However, neither these effects, nor the underlying mechanisms, are well understood. Our hypothesis is that allopregnanolone, during gestation, plays a particularly vital role in mitigating effects of stress on the developing fetus and may mediate, in part, alterations apparent throughout the lifespan. Specifically, altered balance between glucocorticoids and progestogens during critical periods of development (stemming from psychological, immunological, and/or endocrinological stressors during gestation) may permanently influence behavior, brain morphology, and/or neuroendocrine-sensitive processes. 5α-reduced progestogens are integral in the developmental programming of sex-typical, stress-sensitive, and/or disorder-relevant phenotypes. Prenatal stress (PNS) may alter these responses and dysregulate allopregnanolone and its normative effects on stress axis function. As an example of a neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric, and/or neurodegenerative process, this review focuses on responsiveness to drugs of abuse, which is sensitive to PNS and progestogen milieu. This review explores the notion that allopregnanolone may effect, or be influenced by, PNS, with consequences for neurodevelopmental-, neuropsychiatric-, and/or neurodegenerative- relevant processes, such as addiction.

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Section: Impact Of Prenatal Stress On Animal Models Of Natural Rewardmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prenatal Stress Alters Progestogens to Mediate Susceptibility to Sex-Typical, Stress-Sensitive Disorders, such as Drug Abuse: A Review

et al. 2011

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“…Rats exposed to different types of stress during the last week of pregnancy produce offspring that show delays in motor development, impaired adaptation to stressful conditions, altered sexual behavior, and learning deficit (Weinstock 2001(Weinstock , 2002Huizink et al 2004). Several of these alterations have been attributed to changes in dopamine (DA) neurotransmission (Fride and Weinstock 1989;Diaz et al 1995Diaz et al , 1997 evidenced by a higher DA turnover in prefrontal cortex and a lower turnover in striatum and nucleus accumbens (NAc) (Fride and Weinstock 1988;Alonso et al 1997), resulting in an increased number of DA D2-type receptors and a decrease in D3-type receptors in NAc (Henry et al 1995). These changes could serve as the neurochemical basis for the development of neuropsychiatric disorders, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, and schizophrenia (Weinstock 2001;Huizink et al 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ontogenetic Expression of Dopamine-Related Transcription Factors and Tyrosine Hydroxylase in Prenatally Stressed Rats

et al. 2009

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The development of the central nervous system can be permanently affected by insults received during the perinatal period, predisposing the organism to long-term behavioral and neurochemical abnormalities. Rats exposed to different types of stress during the last week of gestation produce offspring that show several alterations, many of which have been attributed to changes in dopamine (DA) neurotransmission that could serve as the neurochemical basis for the development of neuropsychiatric disorders. Employing an immunocytochemical approach, we studied the expression levels of two transcription factors Nurr1 and Pitx3 which are expressed at critical moments of DA neurons differentiation as well as the expression of the rate limiting enzyme in DA synthesis, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in mesencephalic areas of the brains of prenatally stressed (PS) offspring at different postnatal ages. Main results show that stress exerted to the gestant mother produces permanent effect in the ontogenetic expression of key factors related to the DA metabolism mainly in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the mesencephalon. The immunocytochemical expression of the transcription factor Nurr1 shows an increase at postnatal days (PNDs) 7, 28, and 60 whereas Pitx3 shows a decrease at PND 28 and an increase at 60 PND. The rate limiting step in DA synthesis, the enzyme TH shows a decrease at PND 7 to reach control levels at PNDs 28 and 60. The increase of TFs might be up-regulating TH in order to restore DA levels that were previously seen to be normal before puberty. The area selectivity of the increase of the TFs toward VTA and the mesolimbic pathway indicates that an insult received during the prenatal period will exert mainly motivational, emotional, and reward behavior impairments in the adult life.

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“…In animals, maternal prenatal stress has also been linked with atypical laterality in the offspring (3)(4)(5). In humans, reduced brain asymmetry and less right-handedness have been proposed as indicators of disturbances in normal brain development and to be related to psychopathology (6).…”

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confidence: 99%

Prenatal Stress and Mixed-Handedness

2007

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Atypical lateralization, as indicated by mixedhandedness, has been related to diverse psychopathologies. Maternal prenatal stress has recently been associated with mixed-handedness in the offspring. In the present study, this relationship was investigated further in a prospective, methodologically comprehensive manner. Stress levels were determined three times during pregnancy by means of questionnaires and measurements of cortisol levels. The handedness of 110 6-y-old children (48 boys) was determined by independent observers. Mixed handedness was defined as using the opposite hand for one or more of the tested activities. Logistic regression analysis showed that more maternal daily hassles in late pregnancy and maternal mixed-handedness increased the chance of mixed-handedness in the offspring. In contrast, more pregnancyrelated fear in late pregnancy and a longer duration of gestation were associated with a smaller chance of being mixed-handed. Prenatal stress measured during the first two periods of pregnancy or determined by cortisol was not related to mixed-handedness in the offspring. In conclusion, reported and physiologic measures of prenatal stress in a moderately stressed pregnant population were only partly related to offspring mixed-handedness. A ccording to the fetal programming hypothesis, the environment in utero can alter the development of the fetus during particular sensitive periods, with a permanent effect on the set point of physiologic systems and the phenotype in later years (1).Maternal prenatal stress has been shown to affect postnatal physical, behavioral, emotional, temperamental, and physiologic outcome of the offspring (2). In animals, maternal prenatal stress has also been linked with atypical laterality in the offspring (3-5). In humans, reduced brain asymmetry and less right-handedness have been proposed as indicators of disturbances in normal brain development and to be related to psychopathology (6). Atypical lateralization, as indicated by mixed-handedness, has been associated with autism (7), dyslexia (8), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (9), and schizophrenia (10). Two recent studies investigated the possible association between maternal prenatal distress (11) and anxiety (12) and offspring mixed-handedness. Obel and colleagues (11) reported that the 3-y-old children of mothers who had experienced more distress and stressful life events during the third trimester of pregnancy had a three-to fourfold higher prevalence of mixed-handedness. Glover et al. (12) reported a significant association between prenatal anxiety measured at 18 wk of pregnancy and mixed-handedness of the 42-mo-old offspring. Furthermore, the authors found a positive relationship between maternal mixed-handedness and offspring mixed-handedness.The two studies measured handedness through parental reports, and although both found maternal prenatal stress to be associated with mixed-handedness, their results differed with respect to the period in pregnancy in which stress exerted this effec...

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Motor Lateralization, Behavioral Despair and Dopaminergic Brain Asymmetry After Prenatal Stress

Cited by 59 publications

References 42 publications

Prenatal Stress Alters Progestogens to Mediate Susceptibility to Sex-Typical, Stress-Sensitive Disorders, such as Drug Abuse: A Review

Prenatal Stress Alters Progestogens to Mediate Susceptibility to Sex-Typical, Stress-Sensitive Disorders, such as Drug Abuse: A Review

Ontogenetic Expression of Dopamine-Related Transcription Factors and Tyrosine Hydroxylase in Prenatally Stressed Rats

Prenatal Stress and Mixed-Handedness

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