Behavioural effects of ancestral stress and postnatal environment

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dc.contributor.authorErickson, Zachary T.
dc.contributor.supervisorMetz, Gerlinde A. S.
dc.contributor.supervisorGruber, Aaron J.
dc.date.accessioned2014-10-03T21:22:11Z
dc.date.available2014-10-03T21:22:11Z
dc.date.issued2014
dc.degree.levelMastersen_US
dc.degree.levelMasters
dc.description.abstractThis thesis examines the effects of both ancestral stress and postnatal environment on behaviour in male Long Evans rats. We investigated the consequences of maternal exposure to prenatal stress across generations (transgenerational prenatal stress), as well the effects of multiple consecutive generations exposed to prenatal stress that may be seen within a hostile natural environment (multigenerational prenatal stress). In addition, we tested the influence of postnatal environment on ancestral stress-induced behavioural changes using consumption of artificial food dye and environmental enrichment via complex housing. Our results suggest that multiple consecutive generations of stress serve as a more consistent environment in which to “calibrate” the developing brain. In addition, our findings suggest that EE is beneficial to all male rats, independent of the experience of ancestral stress. Our results provide evidence that working to improve developmental environments is a worthwhile endeavour, and may reduce risk for mental illness in affected populations.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10133/3517
dc.language.isoen_CAen_US
dc.proquest.subject0317 0620 0347en_US
dc.proquestyesYesen_US
dc.publisherLethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Neuroscienceen_US
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Neuroscienceen_US
dc.publisher.facultyArts and Scienceen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesThesis (University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science)en_US
dc.subjectancestral stressen_US
dc.subjectbehaviouren_US
dc.subjectmale Long Evans ratsen_US
dc.subjectpostnatal environmnenten_US
dc.titleBehavioural effects of ancestral stress and postnatal environmenten_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
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