Objective
An adverse early familial environment, especially disruption of the mother-infant relationship, during critical periods of development can permanently affect stress reactivity (i.e. hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity) and susceptibility to develop stress-related disorders. During the stress hyporesponsive period (SHRP) (postnatal days (PND) 4-14), rat neonates display low basal and stress-induced corticosterone (CORT) levels in response to mild stressors. A single, 24-hour maternal separation (MS) during the SHRP was shown to cause neonates to prematurely emerge from the SHRP and display elevated basal and stress-induced levels of CORT, characteristics that endure into adulthood.
Although a number of immediate changes in gene expression within specific HPA axis-related areas have been observed in response to MS in early life, little is known about how these alterations might translate or persist into long-lasting effects on stress reactivity in adulthood. We hypothesize that early-life adverse events, and concomitant changes in stress-responsive gene networks, translate into persistent effects via permanent structural alterations in the HPA axis-related neurocircuitry. To address this hypothesis, we propose to examine HPA axis-related areas for evidence of differential wiring and connectivity immediately, and several months following MS.
For this purpose, we combine state-of-the-art tract-tracing, immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, and electrophysiological techniques. The results of these experiments will represent one of the first, and more elaborate attempts, to investigate whether and how structural anatomical alterations in stress circuitry may underlie HPA axis dysfunction and susceptibility to develop stress-related disorders in adulthood.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP6-2002-MOBILITY-7
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Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
IIF - Marie Curie actions-Incoming International Fellowships
Coordinator
LEIDEN
Netherlands
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