Psychosomatic and physical abnormalities caused by altered neural circuits due to childhood stress

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K07481
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Animal physiology/Animal behavior
• Research Institution: Asahikawa Medical College
• Principal Investigator: MIYAZONO Sadaharu 旭川医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (50618379)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: ストレス / 幼少 / 母仔分離 / 扁桃体 / 神経活性 / 恐怖 / ネグレクト / オキシトシン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Experience of excessive stress such as abuse or neglect in childhood could induce increases in incidence of physical diseases such as heart disease as well as increases in the incidence of mental disorders such as anxiety disorders in the future. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the mechanism underlying the neural circuits altered by childhood stress using mice subjected to stressful mother-pup separation. The childhood stress could induce abnormalities in neural circuits in the amygdala and nucleus accumbens, resulting in reducing of aversive emotions. Also, oxytocin signaling was suggested to contribute to the reduction of aversive emotion.

Free Research Field

動物生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

現代社会では、核家族化による周囲からの孤立や経済的困窮などの様々な背景から虐待やネグレクトが容易に起こり得る。その過剰なストレスによる心身の異常を理解し、その原因を解明するためには、神経回路の変容機序の正確な理解が求められる。本研究成果は、神経回路から誘発されるヒトを含めた動物の行動・内分泌・自律神経性の反応という体全体の生理学の解明、そして、心身疾患に対する新たな予防・治療法の開発に繋がると期待される。