Exposure to a Social Stressor Induces Translocation of Commensal Lactobacilli to the Spleen and Priming of the Innate Immune System.

Studies have shown that exposure to psychological stressors leads to inflammation throughout the body. This has been widely studied using social disruption (SDR), a social stressor that involves repeated social defeat in subordinate mice. Exposure to SDR increases serum cytokine levels, results in accumulation of spleen CD11b myeloid cells, and primes macrophages for increased cytokine and microbicidal activity.

The influence of offspring, parity, and oxytocin on cognitive flexibility during the postpartum period.

Pregnancy and the postpartum period are times of profound behavioral change including alterations in cognitive function. This has been most often studied using hippocampal-dependent tasks assessing spatial learning and memory. However, less is known about the cognitive effects of motherhood for tasks that rely on areas other than the hippocampus.

Chronic gestational stress leads to depressive-like behavior and compromises medial prefrontal cortex structure and function during the postpartum period.

Postpartum depression, which affects approximately 15% of new mothers, is associated with impaired mother-infant interactions and deficits in cognitive function. Exposure to stress during pregnancy is a major risk factor for postpartum depression. However, little is known about the neural consequences of gestational stress.