The behavioral life of a young mammal begins within a uterine environment, and makes an abrupt transition (via birth) to a markedly different postnatal environment. We propose a program of research designed to elucidate sensory experience in the rat during late fetal and early postnatal environment - the perinatal period (El5-P5) - as a key to the origins of behavioral organization. The proposed experiments test hypotheses of sensory development derived from adaptive problems faced by the fetus in the uterine environment, and from corresponding adaptational challenges encountered by the newborn in the postnatal neonatal niche, immediately after parturition. From this perspective, we propose to determine onsets of function for the tactile, chemical, vestibular, and thermal senses. Sensory function will be measured by heartrate and behavioral responses. Based on analyses of ontogenetic adaptations to their developmental niches, we hypothesize and test predicted patterns of inter-modal development of sensitivity, and intra-modal maturation in different body regions. Novel studies of behavior of pregnant and lactating rats will help identify kinds and amounts of stimulation to which offspring are normally exposed. These experiments should establish a theoretically-framed database on the psychobiology of fetal and neonatal life that will support additional studies of early behavioral structure and learning. The proposed research can make significant contributions to our basic understanding of neurobiological development, and to applied issues concerning care and management of premature and at-risk human infants.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01MH046485-02
Application #
3386306
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (SRCM)
Project Start
1990-06-15
Project End
1993-05-31
Budget Start
1991-06-01
Budget End
1992-05-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1991
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Indiana University Bloomington
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
006046700
City
Bloomington
State
IN
Country
United States
Zip Code
47401
Ronca, April E; Abel, Regina A; Alberts, Jeffrey R (2007) Maternal anesthesia via isoflurane or ether differentially affects pre-and postnatal behavior in rat offspring. Dev Psychobiol 49:675-84
Ronca, April E; Abel, Regina A; Ronan, Patrick J et al. (2006) Effects of labor contractions on catecholamine release and breathing frequency in newborn rats. Behav Neurosci 120:1308-14
Alberts, Jeffrey R; Ronca, April E (2005) Development as adaptation: a paradigm for gravitational and space biology. Adv Space Biol Med 10:175-207
Ronca, April E; Baer, Lisa A; Everett, Erin M et al. (2004) Effects of 2 G hypergravity exposure on Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). J Gravit Physiol 11:P241-2
Ronca, A E (2001) Altered gravity effects on mothers and offspring: the importance of maternal behavior. J Gravit Physiol 8:P133-6
Ronca, A E; Baer, L A; Daunton, N G et al. (2001) Maternal reproductive experience enhances early postnatal outcome following gestation and birth of rats in hypergravity. Biol Reprod 65:805-13
Ronca, A E; Alberts, J R (2000) Effects of prenatal spaceflight on vestibular responses in neonatal rats. J Appl Physiol 89:2318-24
Ronca, A E; Alberts, J R (2000) Physiology of a microgravity environment selected contribution: effects of spaceflight during pregnancy on labor and birth at 1 G. J Appl Physiol 89:849-54; discussion 848
Abel, R A; Ronca, A E; Alberts, J R (1998) Perinatal stimulation facilitates suckling onset in newborn rats. Dev Psychobiol 32:91-9
Ronca, A E; Abel, R A; Alberts, J R (1996) Perinatal stimulation and adaptation of the neonate. Acta Paediatr Suppl 416:8-15

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