"Stress In Childhood May Put You At A Greater Risk Of Depression Later In Life" - Alexandra Thompson
Stress In Childhood May Put You At A Greater Risk Of Depression Later In Life - Alexandra Thompson Mice exposed to stressful situations as newborns are more likely to show signs of depression when faced with another challenging scenario when fully grown, a study found. Researchers believe stress in early life may increase our lifelong risk of suffering from the mental health disorder by altering the DNA that is related to moods and depression. Lead author, Catherine Peña, postdoctoral fellow of neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai said, from "Our work identifies a molecular basis for stress during a sensitive developmental window that programs a mouse's response to stress in adulthood." Researchers from Mount Sinai hospital exposed 10-to-20 day old mice to stress by increasing and decreasing their levels of a protein, known as Otx2. This protein regulates a gene that is involved in the development of the brain, eyes, ears, tongue, skin and nose. Although levels of the gene returned to normal once the mice were fully grown, other parts of their DNA that are associated with stress were permanently altered. The ultimate goal of the research is to aid treatment discoveries relevant to individuals who experienced childhood stress and trauma.
- Catherine Peña, Postdoctoral Fellow, Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Eric Nestler, MD, PhD, Professor, Neuroscience, Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Psychiatry, Chair, Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine, Director, Friedman Brain Institute
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