Neural mechanisms mediating the long-term consequences of childhood social adversities
Disruptions in a child's social environment, such as instances of abuse or neglect, can significantly modify the development of the brain. This alteration serves as a potential risk factor for the emergence of later psychopathological disorders, particularly those related to social behavior within psychiatric conditions. Using different translational, clinically relevant models of early social stress (abuse, neglect), we aim to reveal alterations in maturation processes of regions implicated in emotional control and their long-term functional (behavioural) consequences, allowing the understanding of cellular mechanisms and identification of novel molecular targets.
In line with human findings, our recent research modelling child neglect showed that post-weaning social isolation until adulthood induces abnormal aggression and disturbances in social behavior in rodents, as well as structural changes in brain areas relevant for aggression control, especially the prefrontal cortex that is known for its enhanced sensitivity to environmental perturbations due to prolonged maturation processes. Recently, we observed altered network operations within the prefrontal cortex of ‘neglected’ mice and identified developmental changes in inhibitory interneuron function that contribute to behavioural abnormalities. We currently focus on plasticity-related mechanisms of specific cortical neuronal populations, using a combination of complex, deep-learning based behavioural profiling with state-of-the-art in vivo imaging of brain activity, functional neuroanatomical and molecular studies, opto-/chemogenetics and transcriptomics.