COBRE: UMMC: NEUROBEHAV EFFECTS OF EARLY EXPOSURE TO PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC AGENTS

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. This research is focused on the effects of early exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants on brain development and behavior. SSRIs are the pharmacotherapy of choice for pregnant and nursing mothers and recent studies have demonstrated that the fetus and nursing infant are exposed to drug concentrations similar to those of the mother. Little is known about the long-term neurobiological effects of early SSRI exposure however, recent studies indicate that such exposure may have lasting increases in irritability and impairment of fine motor behavior and pain sensitivity in humans. In rodent models of early antidepressant exposure, lasting impairment of male sexual behavior and aggressive response has been noted. We have recently demonstrated that the behavioral effects of early antidepressant exposure are also produced by highly selective SSRIs. Moreover, such exposure results in permanent reductions in the expression of tryptophan hydroxylase and the serotonin transporter which are critical proteins regulating serotonergic circuits