Behavioral and physiological effects of an infant-neglect manipulation in a bi-parental, twinning primate
Impact is dependent on familial factors
METADATA ONLY
Author / Creator
Date
2007
Publication Type
Journal Article
ETH Bibliography
yes
Citations
Altmetric
METADATA ONLY
Data
Rights / License
Abstract
Experimental animal studies and epidemiological and clinical human studies demonstrate that atypical infant-caregiving can exert short- and long-term effects on offspring phenotype, including increased long-term risk of affective disorders. Whilst the early environment is therefore a major determinant of behavioral, physiological and neurobiological phenotypes, the effects of early adversity exhibit individual variation, presumably due to differences in environment-genotype interactions. Twin studies provide a powerful model with which to study such interactions. However, human twin studies rarely include analysis of genotype-environment interactions or of individuals exposed to extreme environments, and rat studies have rarely attempted to utilize littermates (i.e. dizygotic twins) to investigate environment-genotype interactions. Here, we report on the effects of repeated deprivation of caregiving in the common marmoset, a primate that exhibits dizygotic twinning and bi-parental care. Breeding pairs each contributed early deprived (ED) twins and control (CON) twins, thereby allowing for the study of effects of ED, parentage and ED-parentage interaction. Significant ED×parentage interaction effects were obtained for basal urinary, plasma and cerebrospinal-fluid cortisol titers (infancy-adolescence), and basal levels of social and maintenance behaviors (juveniles); basal urinary cortisol titers during a 2-week period of repeated psychosocial challenge (juveniles), and social and exploratory behavior during psychosocial challenge (juveniles). Significant main effects of ED were obtained for: basal levels of time spent in contact with parents (ED>CON; juveniles) and in locomotor activity (EDCON; juveniles); time spent in locomotor activity (EDCON) during psychosocial challenge (juveniles). This study provides evidence for long-term effects of early environment on bio-behavioral traits and states in marmosets specifically, and the importance of including parental factors in developmental studies in mammals generally. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Permanent link
Publication status
published
Editor
Book title
Journal / series
Volume
32 (4)
Pages / Article No.
331 - 349
Publisher
Elsevier
Event
Edition / version
Methods
Geographic location
Date collected
Date created
Subject
Primate; Neglect; Stress; Social behavior; Cardiophysiology; HPA system
Organisational unit
03418 - Feldon, Joram (emeritus)
Notes
Received 25 August 2006, Received in revised form 9 January 2007, Accepted 9 January 2007, Available online 23 March 2007.