COMPARATIVE RESPONSES TO CHRONIC STRESS IN MONKEYS

重要性慢性社会和心理应激源，普遍存在 在现代社会中，健康和福利是重要的决定因素。 这项研究调查了高度社会化的灵长类动物的后果 挑战修复的社会和环境扰动 动态平衡并导致长时间的 垂体-肾上腺调节。目标：这是一个新的项目 一项旨在评估认知、免疫学、 以及产生慢性应激源的神经生物学后果 新发现的垂体-肾上腺活动的升高和慢性降低 世界上的猴子。结果在免疫学和神经生物学方面， 对慢性应激的研究依赖于药物操纵 糖皮质激素水平。这项研究的假设是， 应激诱导的糖皮质激素水平升高与健康有关 与压力相关的风险，很少被直接测试。我们的 研究将利用对社会问题的广泛理解 新大陆猴子的相互作用及其变化的证据 这些猴子的社会环境提供了自然主义的模型 慢性压力。我们已经确定了两种简单的社会操纵 这会导致长期的脑垂体-肾上腺调节功能紊乱。 蒂蒂猴的配偶分离产生了长期的海拔高度 皮质醇；松鼠猴子的群体形成会产生长期的 皮质醇的减少。对这两个物种的比较提供了一个 独一无二的机会来问慢性压力是否包含了 不同的症状，每一种都与自己的症状和风险相关。 未来的方向我们将开始详细的认知比较 性能(使用计算机辅助行为测试)和 慢性高血压病动物的免疫功能 糖皮质激素减少..计划还包括比较 受试动物的海马区结构和功能 对于长期的压力。

Significance Chronic social and psychological stressors, prevalent in modern society, are important determinants of health and welfare. This research investigates, in highly social primates the consequences of social and environmental perturbations that challenge restoration of homeostasis and lead to lengthy periods of altered pituitary-adrenal regulation. Objectives This is a new program of research that is designed to evaluate the cognitive, immunological, and neurobiological consequences of stressors that produce chronic elevations and chronic reductions in pituitary-adrenal activity in New World monkeys. Results Much of the immunological and neurobiological research in chronic stress has relied on pharmacological manipulation of glucorticoid levels. The assumption of this research, that it is stress-induced elevations in glucocorticoids that account for health risks associated with stress, has rarely been tested directly. Our research will capitalize on a broad-based understanding of the social interactions of New World monkeys and the evidence that alterations in the social situations of these monkeys provides naturalistic models of chronic stress. We have identified two simple social manipulations that result in long-term disruption of pituitary-adrenal regulation. Mate separation in titi monkeys produces long-term elevations in cortisol; group formation in squirrel monkeys produces long-term reductions in cortisol. Comparison of the two species affords a unique opportunity to ask whether chronic stress subsumes multiple distinct syndromes, each associated with its own symptoms and risks. Future Directions We will begin detailed comparison of cognitive performance (using computer-assisted behavioral testing) and immunological competence in animals with chronically elevated or reduced glucocorticoids.. Plans also include comparison of hippocampal structure and function in animals that have been subjected to chronic stress.