While mammalian adolescence is an incredibly formative time, it is also a period of increased susceptibility to the negative effects of stress exposure. In particular, cognitive deficits seen in adulthood are thought to result from stress-induced disruption of the prefrontal cortex dopamine system, which undergoes dynamic alterations during adolescence. For many adolescent mammals, a common form of stress is social aggression, but it is not known precisely how this may affect the cortical dopamine system to result in later cognitive dysfunction. This research will use a rat model to test the hypothesis that the adolescent cortical dopamine system is particularly vulnerable to social stress, by examining effects of social aggression experienced in adolescence on various markers known to regulate dopamine activity. Changes in these markers will then be related to negative alterations in cognitive function, with complimentary experiments examining whether cognitive deficits can be reversed pharmacologically. Findings will provide novel information about how an essential brain system that changes dramatically during adolescence can be negatively affected by socio-environmental factors to result in long term maladaptive behavioral expression, thus furnishing further insight into the development of mechanisms regulating prefrontal cortex dopamine activity across adolescence into adulthood.
The project will have broad educational impact. South Dakotan students from pre-college to graduate level will have the opportunity to participate in these studies, providing them with meaningful and valuable research experiences as necessary for a successful career in science. The investigators will also volunteer to present and discuss this work at regional high schools, undergraduate and tribal colleges and the greater community. This will disseminate scientific knowledge to a wider audience, highlighting the negative impacts of social stress during adolescence to relevant groups, and exposing these groups to the potentials of scientific research and teaching as a vocation that directly contributes to society.
