Sex-specific behavioral outcomes of early-life adversity and emerging microglia-dependent mechanisms
Early-life adversity (ELA) is known to alter brain circuit maturation as well as increase vulnerability to cognitive and emotional disorders. However, the importance of examining sex as a biological variable when researching the effects of ELA has not been considered until recently. This perspective...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1013865/full |
| _version_ | 1817980385894596608 |
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| author | Madison M. Garvin Jessica L. Bolton |
| author_facet | Madison M. Garvin Jessica L. Bolton |
| author_sort | Madison M. Garvin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Early-life adversity (ELA) is known to alter brain circuit maturation as well as increase vulnerability to cognitive and emotional disorders. However, the importance of examining sex as a biological variable when researching the effects of ELA has not been considered until recently. This perspective discusses the sex-specific behavioral outcomes of ELA in both humans and animal models, then proposes microglia-mediated mechanisms as a potential underlying cause. Recent work in rodent models suggests that ELA provokes cognitive deficits, anhedonia, and alcohol abuse primarily in males, whereas females exhibit greater risk-taking and opioid addiction-related behaviors. In addition, emerging evidence identifies microglia as a key target of ELA. For example, we have recently shown that ELA inhibits microglial synapse engulfment and process dynamics in male mice, leading to an increase in excitatory synapse number onto corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH)-expressing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and aberrant stress responses later in life. However, ELA-induced synaptic rewiring of neural circuits differs in females during development, resulting in divergent behavioral outcomes. Thus, examining the role of microglia in the sex-specific mechanisms underlying ELA-induced neuropsychiatric disorders is an important topic for future research. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T22:53:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bd99926aee2941e09184a6bcdbf70897 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5153 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T22:53:18Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-bd99926aee2941e09184a6bcdbf708972022-12-22T02:26:07ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience1662-51532022-10-011610.3389/fnbeh.2022.10138651013865Sex-specific behavioral outcomes of early-life adversity and emerging microglia-dependent mechanismsMadison M. GarvinJessica L. BoltonEarly-life adversity (ELA) is known to alter brain circuit maturation as well as increase vulnerability to cognitive and emotional disorders. However, the importance of examining sex as a biological variable when researching the effects of ELA has not been considered until recently. This perspective discusses the sex-specific behavioral outcomes of ELA in both humans and animal models, then proposes microglia-mediated mechanisms as a potential underlying cause. Recent work in rodent models suggests that ELA provokes cognitive deficits, anhedonia, and alcohol abuse primarily in males, whereas females exhibit greater risk-taking and opioid addiction-related behaviors. In addition, emerging evidence identifies microglia as a key target of ELA. For example, we have recently shown that ELA inhibits microglial synapse engulfment and process dynamics in male mice, leading to an increase in excitatory synapse number onto corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH)-expressing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and aberrant stress responses later in life. However, ELA-induced synaptic rewiring of neural circuits differs in females during development, resulting in divergent behavioral outcomes. Thus, examining the role of microglia in the sex-specific mechanisms underlying ELA-induced neuropsychiatric disorders is an important topic for future research.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1013865/fullearly-life adversitysex differencescognitive deficitsdepressionsubstance abusemicroglia |
| spellingShingle | Madison M. Garvin Jessica L. Bolton Sex-specific behavioral outcomes of early-life adversity and emerging microglia-dependent mechanisms Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience early-life adversity sex differences cognitive deficits depression substance abuse microglia |
| title | Sex-specific behavioral outcomes of early-life adversity and emerging microglia-dependent mechanisms |
| title_full | Sex-specific behavioral outcomes of early-life adversity and emerging microglia-dependent mechanisms |
| title_fullStr | Sex-specific behavioral outcomes of early-life adversity and emerging microglia-dependent mechanisms |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sex-specific behavioral outcomes of early-life adversity and emerging microglia-dependent mechanisms |
| title_short | Sex-specific behavioral outcomes of early-life adversity and emerging microglia-dependent mechanisms |
| title_sort | sex specific behavioral outcomes of early life adversity and emerging microglia dependent mechanisms |
| topic | early-life adversity sex differences cognitive deficits depression substance abuse microglia |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1013865/full |
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