Effects of Stress and Adrenal Functioning on Cognition

压力和肾上腺功能对认知的影响

• 批准号: 6874537
• 负责人: JILL M MATEO
• 金额: $ 13.89万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2002
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2002-04-01 至 2007-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6874537
• 关键词: adrenal glands; animal developmental psychology; animal ecology; animal population study; avoidance behavior; behavior test; behavioral /social science research tag; blood tests; cognition; environmental stressor; ethology; feces analysis; glucocorticoids; hormone regulation /control mechanism; learning; memory; metyrapone; predation; secretion; squirrel; stimulus /response; stress; vocalization

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.

描述（由申请人提供）：肾上腺激素（糖皮质激素） 调节身体对压力的反应，还会影响认知。 糖皮质激素可以改善或损害记忆形成和检索， 取决于压力的严重程度和持续时间。尽管广泛的研究 这些激素对实验室啮齿类动物认知的影响，目前所知甚少 了解糖皮质激素如何影响生物学相关的学习 自然环境中的动物。该信息具有临床应用，因为 高水平的糖皮质激素与抑郁症、阿尔茨海默病有关 疾病和成瘾行为，并且因为合成糖皮质激素 通常用于患有关节炎或肾上腺功能障碍的人。知识 糖皮质激素的长期变化如何影响学习和记忆 帮助开发针对此类患者的药物治疗方法。这 拟议的研究将这一研究领域扩展到对学习和 自由生活的动物模型——贝尔丁地松鼠（Sperinophilus）的记忆 贝尔丁吉）。特别是，这些研究将重点关注 糖皮质激素增强或损害抗捕食者的发育 行为，以及发育早期糖皮质激素的变化是否会影响 对成人行为的长期影响。许多研究将使用非侵入性 粪便激素测定以监测肾上腺功能。这项研究将增强 我们对认知背后的机制以及 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，一直是学习和记忆的一个相对未被探索的领域，并且 这项研究将提供一个罕见的例子来说明肾上腺功能如何影响 自由行为的近亲繁殖动物的认知。