Chronic stress early in life (ES), including neglect, abuse, loss of parent and severe poverty, affects the majority of the world's children (UNESCO report, 2004). This is of major clinical importance because chronic childhood stress is associated with cognitive (and psychiatric) disorders later in life. Because elimination of global ES is not feasible, effective therapies that can be given post hoc to prevent the effects of ES on mid- life cognitive decline are necessary. Having defined a rodent model of ES which results in enduring deficits of hippocampus-dependent cognitive function and LTP, together with dendritic atrophy, we found that post hoc blocking of the receptor (CRFR1) of the stress-activated neuropeptide, corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) immediately after the ES period, abrogated these deficits. Whereas these data are encouraging, major gaps in our knowledge require study in order to translate these experimental findings into therapies for children. In this revised continuation proposal, we propose (1) to test if pathological activation of central or of peripheral CRFR1 is responsible for ES-provoked learning and memory defects and dendritic atrophy;(2) to distinguish between the hypothesis that ES leads to enduring changes in hippocampal structure and function that are irreversible after a """"""""critical period"""""""" of development, and the possibility that ES initiates hippocampal derangements that progress throughout life. In the latter case, therapeutic interventions in young adult ES graduates will still prevent the cognitive and structural deficits;(3) Because the structural changes provoked by ES-dendritic atrophy and synapse/spine loss--underlie the cognitive deficits, the mechanisms of dendritic atrophy will be studied, focusing on the role of hippocampal CRH-CRFR1 signaling;(4) Because dendritic atrophy derives from chronic loss of dendritic spines, the mechanisms by which stress, via CRFR1 activation, provokes dendritic spine collapse will be examined. The proposed studies, spanning in vivo and in vitro systems, will provide insight into the mechanisms by which ES impacts neuronal integrity, synaptic plasticity and cognitive function long-term. Because ES affects the majority of the world's children, these studies address a problem of paramount importance, which is strikingly understudied. The proposed studies will identify a novel mechanism, CRH-CRFR1 signaling, as pivotal in the disturbances provoked by ES. Because the proposed studies will demonstrate the potential for post hoc intervention, and because compounds targeting CRFR1 are under clinical development, the results of these studies have tremendous translational potential.

Public Health Relevance

This project studies how chronic stress early in life impacts our brain. The United Nations has found that more than half of the world's young children grow up under chronic stress (e.g., hunger, war, loss of parent). It is also known that early-life stress is associated with impairments of memory and other cognitive functions subserved by the brain's hippocampus region, and that these deficits persist during adulthood and worsen with age. We plan to test the possibility that a brain-specific stress hormone (CRH) contributes in a major way to the adverse, long-lasting effects of early stress on memory during adulthood and middle-age, and find out how this happens. Our studies will identify new therapies (blocking the actions of CRH) for prevention and/or reversal of the severe impact of early stress on cognitive function- a major advancement in world health.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01NS028912-17
Application #
8205023
Study Section
Neuroendocrinology, Neuroimmunology, and Behavior Study Section (NNB)
Program Officer
Fureman, Brandy E
Project Start
1992-03-01
Project End
2014-11-30
Budget Start
2011-12-01
Budget End
2012-11-30
Support Year
17
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$326,371
Indirect Cost
$111,996
Name
University of California Irvine
Department
Pediatrics
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
046705849
City
Irvine
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92697
Gunn, Benjamin G; Sanchez, Gissell A; Lynch, Gary et al. (2018) Hyper-diversity of CRH interneurons in mouse hippocampus. Brain Struct Funct :
Singh-Taylor, A; Molet, J; Jiang, S et al. (2018) NRSF-dependent epigenetic mechanisms contribute to programming of stress-sensitive neurons by neonatal experience, promoting resilience. Mol Psychiatry 23:648-657
Sandman, Curt A; Curran, Megan M; Davis, Elysia Poggi et al. (2018) Cortical Thinning and Neuropsychiatric Outcomes in Children Exposed to Prenatal Adversity: A Role for Placental CRH? Am J Psychiatry 175:471-479
Bolton, Jessica L; Molet, Jenny; Regev, Limor et al. (2018) Anhedonia Following Early-Life Adversity Involves Aberrant Interaction of Reward and Anxiety Circuits and Is Reversed by Partial Silencing of Amygdala Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Gene. Biol Psychiatry 83:137-147
Walker, Claire-Dominique; Bath, Kevin G; Joels, Marian et al. (2017) Chronic early life stress induced by limited bedding and nesting (LBN) material in rodents: critical considerations of methodology, outcomes and translational potential. Stress 20:421-448
Gunn, B G; Baram, T Z (2017) Stress and Seizures: Space, Time and Hippocampal Circuits. Trends Neurosci 40:667-679
Curran, Megan M; Sandman, Curt A; Poggi Davis, Elysia et al. (2017) Abnormal dendritic maturation of developing cortical neurons exposed to corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH): Insights into effects of prenatal adversity? PLoS One 12:e0180311
Molet, J; Heins, K; Zhuo, X et al. (2016) Fragmentation and high entropy of neonatal experience predict adolescent emotional outcome. Transl Psychiatry 6:e702
Chen, Yuncai; Molet, Jenny; Lauterborn, Julie C et al. (2016) Converging, Synergistic Actions of Multiple Stress Hormones Mediate Enduring Memory Impairments after Acute Simultaneous Stresses. J Neurosci 36:11295-11307
Molet, Jenny; Maras, Pamela M; Kinney-Lang, Eli et al. (2016) MRI uncovers disrupted hippocampal microstructure that underlies memory impairments after early-life adversity. Hippocampus 26:1618-1632

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