Behavioral Stress Response Testing
Objective: Assessment of behavioral responses to stress in animals exposed to maternal separation and environmental enrichment, measuring HPA axis reactivity and behavioral stress responses
Protocol Steps
Maternal Separation Exposure
Animals were exposed to postnatal maternal separation to induce stress reactivity
Note: This treatment increases hypothalamic CRF gene expression and HPA responses to stress
View evidence from paper
“Postnatal maternal separation increases hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) gene expression and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and behavioral responses to stress”
Environmental Enrichment During Peripubertal Period
Animals received environmental enrichment during the peripubertal period
Note: Environmental enrichment completely reversed the effects of maternal separation on both HPA and behavioral responses to stress
View evidence from paper
“environmental enrichment during the peripubertal period completely reverses the effects of maternal separation on both HPA and behavioral responses to stress”
Stress Response Assessment
Behavioral and HPA responses to stress were measured in animals
Note: Assessment included both behavioral and HPA axis measurements
View evidence from paper
“behavioral responses to stress in animals exposed to maternal separation and environmental enrichment”
CRF mRNA Expression Analysis
Hypothalamic CRF mRNA expression was measured
Note: Environmental enrichment had no effect on CRF mRNA expression despite reversing behavioral and HPA responses
View evidence from paper
“with no effect on CRF mRNA expression”