Maternal separation altered maternal care behavior but produced only minor changes in adult offspring brain opioid peptide levels and behavior, suggesting resilience mechanisms partially compensate for early life adversity.
Key findingMaternal separation significantly altered maternal care patterns but produced only subtle changes in adult offspring brain opioid peptides and behavio
What the researchers found
Maternal separation significantly altered maternal care patterns but produced only subtle changes in adult offspring brain opioid peptides and behavior, suggesting compensatory mechanisms partially buffer against early-life adversity effects.
Why it matters
Relevant for opioid-peptides, anxiety-mood, addiction, neuropeptides.
How the study worked
animal-study study on opioid-peptides, anxiety-mood.
What this study cannot tell us
See abstract.
How to read the evidence
preliminary evidence.
When this study was published
Published in 2004.
The bigger picture
Advances peptide research.
Questions still open
- Further research needed.
- Clinical translation to evaluate.
Common questions
What was studied?
What was found?
Read the original research
Maternal separation alters maternal care, but has minor effects on behavior and brain opioid peptides in adult offspring.
Developmental psychobiology, 45(3), 140-52
Citation
Marmendal, Maarit; Roman, Erika; Eriksson, C J Peter; Nylander, Ingrid; Fahlke, Claudia. (2004). Maternal separation alters maternal care, but has minor effects on behavior and brain opioid peptides in adult offspring.. Developmental psychobiology, 45(3), 140-52.