Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Influence Of Daily Electrical Stimulation Of Periaqueductal Grey On Vocalization And Depressive-Like Behavior During Separation In Guinea Pigs, Jennifer Dazey

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Maternal separation has been shown to promote the onset of depression. This early life stressor produces a biphasic response marked by an active "protest" phase followed by a passive "despair" phase in humans as well as several other species. In infant guinea pigs, active phase behaviors include increased locomotion and species-typical distress vocalizations, whereas the passive phase is marked by depressive-like behaviors including a crouched stance, eye-closure and extensive piloerection. The mechanism underlying the transition from one phase to the next is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine if daily stimulation of the neural pathway initiating …