Stress vulnerability shapes disruption of motor cortical neuroplasticity.

ABSTRACT: Chronic stress is a major cause of neuropsychiatric conditions such as depression. Stress vulnerability varies individually in mice and humans, measured by behavioral changes. In contrast to affective symptoms, motor retardation as a consequence of stress is not well understood. We repeatedly imaged dendritic spines of the motor cortex in Thy1-GFP M mice before and after chronic social defeat stress. Susceptible and resilient phenotypes were discriminated by symptom load and their motor learning abilities were assessed by a gross and fine motor task. Stress phenotypes presented individual short- and long-term changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis as well as distinct patterns of altered motor learning. Importantly, stress was generally accompanied by a marked reduction of spine

SUBMITTER: Gellner AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8897461 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature