Early Attachment Disruption Increases Central Sensitivity of Depressive-Like Behavior to Stimulation by PGE-2.

Early disruption of filial attachment appears to sensitize underlying threat-related processes to produce vulnerability for developing depression when encountering stressors later in life. Evidence indicates neuroinflammatory signaling mediates this effect, though exact mechanisms are poorly understood. In a guinea pig model, early periods of isolation from the mother produce depressive-like behavior and fever, which sensitize with repeated isolation.