Effects of Stress and Adrenal Functioning on Cognition

描述(申请人提供)：肾上腺激素(糖皮质激素) 调节身体对压力的反应，但也影响认知。 糖皮质激素可以改善或损害记忆的形成和恢复， 这取决于压力的严重程度和持续时间。尽管对…进行了广泛的研究 这些激素对实验室啮齿动物认知的影响很小 已知糖皮质激素如何影响生物相关学习 自然环境中的动物。这些信息具有临床应用价值，因为 高水平的糖皮质激素与抑郁症、阿尔茨海默氏症有关 疾病和成瘾行为，因为合成的糖皮质激素 通常是为关节炎或肾上腺功能障碍的人开的。知识 糖皮质激素的长期变化如何影响学习和记忆 协助开发这类患者的药物治疗方法。这个 拟议的研究将这一研究机构扩展到学习和 自由生活的动物模型贝尔丁地鼠(Sperinophilus)的记忆 Beldingi)。特别是，这些研究将侧重于 糖皮质激素对反捕食者发育的促进或抑制作用 行为，以及发育早期糖皮质激素的变异是否有 对成人行为的长期影响。许多研究将使用非侵入性 通过粪便激素检测来监测肾上腺功能。这项研究将加强 我们对认知的潜在机制以及 影响它的生态和发展因素。此外， 物种典型行为的发展，特别是那些对 生存，一直是一个相对未被探索的学习和记忆领域，而且 这项研究将提供一个罕见的例子，说明肾上腺功能如何影响 对自由行为、远交配的动物的认知。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Adrenal hormones (glucocorticoids) regulate the body's responses to stress, but also influence cognition. Glucocorticoids can either improve or impair memory formation and retrieval, depending on the severity and length of stress. Despite extensive research on the effects of these hormones on cognition in laboratory rodents, little is known about how glucocorticoids influence biologically relevant learning by animals in natural contexts. This information has clinical applications because high levels of glucocorticoids are associated with depression, Alzheimer's disease and addiction behaviors, and because synthetic glucocorticoids are often prescribed for people with arthritis or adrenal dysfunctioning. Knowledge how long-term changes in glucocorticoids influence learning and memory would aid in the development of pharmacological treatments for such patients. The proposed studies extend this body of research to investigations of learning and memory in a free-living animal model, Belding's ground squirrels (Sperinophilus beldingi). In particular, these studies will focus on the role of glucocorticoids in enhancing or impairing the development of antipredator behavior, and whether variation in glucocorticoids early in development has long-term effects on adult behaviors. Many of the studies will use non-invasive fecal hormone assays to monitor adrenal functioning. This research will enhance our understanding of both the mechanisms underlying cognition as well as the ecological and developmental factors that influence it. In addition, the development of species-typical behaviors, especially those critical to survival, has been a relatively unexplored area of learning and memory, and this research will provide a rare example of how adrenal functioning affects cognition in freely behaving, outbred animals.