Stress during development alters anxiety-like behavior and hippocampal neurotransmission in male and female rats.

Epidemiological data indicate that early stress increases vulnerability to psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and depression. In the present study we sought to investigate the long-term behavioral and neurochemical consequences of increased and sustained corticosterone levels induced by a 24 h bout of maternal deprivation (DEP) imposed on postnatal day 11 (DEP11). As adults, animals were exposed to the elevated plus maze for assessment of anxiety-like behavior and corticosterone response to this challenge, or decapitated for determination of monoamines and amino acid neurotransmitters content in the hippocampus by HPLC method.

Anxiolytic-like effect of sweet orange aroma in Wistar rats.

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils as an alternative treatment for medical purposes. Despite the lack of sufficient scientific proof, it is considered a holistic complementary therapy employed to enhance comfort and decrease distress. Citrus fragrances have been particularly used by aromatherapists for the treatment of anxiety symptoms.

Disruptions of the mother-infant relationship and stress-related behaviours: altered corticosterone secretion does not explain everything.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is the main neuroendocrine system of response to stress, and an imbalance of this system's activity is believed to be at the core of numerous psychiatric pathologies. During the neonatal period, the glucocorticoid response to stress is maintained at low levels by specific maternal behaviours, which is essential for proper brain development. Effective evaluation of the impact of increased secretion of corticosterone during an essentially anabolic developmental period on adulthood behaviour involved separation of the neonate from its mother for periods ranging from 3 to 24h.