Gladys Shaw
Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology
Advisor: Dr. Gretchen Neigh
3MT 2021 Heat 2
Title:
The Enduring Consequences of Chronic Repeated Stress on Neuro-Metabolic
Function
Abstract:
While neurodegenerative disorders are becoming more
prevalent within America’s aging populations, mood disorders are steadily being
diagnosed at younger ages each year. The positive correlation between adverse
life experiences and the development of disorders including, depression,
anxiety, and Alzheimer’s disease, suggests a crucial connection between trauma
and long-lasting neurological changes. Previous focus has been on the impact of
early life stress and the subsequent changes in the brain, however little focus
has been placed on repeated trauma that begins in the highly dynamic and unique
developmental period of adolescence into early adulthood. Therefore, it is of
utmost importance to explore the relationship between these factors and
potential mechanistic differences between the sexes. Current literature
suggests trauma in male rodents alters the mitochondrial genome, axonal
transport, and myelin composition. Additionally, preliminary data suggests
altered mitochondrial respiration in whole brain synaptosomes in a sex- and
stress-specific manner. The overarching goal of this thesis is to determine the
effect of chronic repeated predation stress in the alteration of metabolic
function in hippocampal neurons, hippocampal cytoarchitecture, and hippocampal
myelin thickness in a sex- and stress-specific manner. Using male and female
C57Bl/6 mice subject to chronic repeated predation stress during adolescence
and early adulthood, this thesis aims to assess persistent hippocampal changes
following chronic trauma. Resulting data will support the claim that chronic
stress during this critical timepoint may induce persistent, sex-specific
changes subsequently increasing the risk of psychological disorders and
neurodegeneration. Understanding the link between chronic repeated trauma and
subsequent alterations in both brain and behavior in adulthood may aid in the
identification of high risk individuals, the early detection of cognitive
decline, and in the determination of the neural mechanisms to be used in the
development of novel, preventative treatments for both mood and
neurodegenerative disorders as a whole.