WIKIMEDIA, ALEXK100Like neonates, adolescent rats are also vulnerable to childhood trauma, becoming aggressive and pathologically violent later in life, according to a study published earlier this month (January 15) in Translational Psychiatry.
The team of researchers at the Brain Mind Institute in Lausanne, Switzerland, observed adult rats that had undergone traumatic experiences as adolescents, and found evidence of altered brain activity and epigenetic changes in the pre-frontal cortex that may explain the animals’ aggressive behavior. Because the findings match those from previous studies in humans, the study offers a robust rat model to further investigate the underlying neuro-biological causes and potential treatment avenues for increased aggression resulting from childhood trauma.
“This work represents a critical advancement in our understanding of how our environment influences our behaviors and shapes our brains,” Fiona Hollis, a neuroscientist at the Brain Mind Institute, who did not participate in the study, wrote in an e-mail to The Scientist. “By demonstrating a link ...
