Time Course Effects of Repetitive Social Defeat Stress on a Prefrontal Cortex-Dependent Cognitive Flexibility Task

Hannah, Shaffer (2019) Time Course Effects of Repetitive Social Defeat Stress on a Prefrontal Cortex-Dependent Cognitive Flexibility Task. Undergraduate thesis, under the direction of Alberto Jose Del Arco Gonzalez from Exercise Science, University of Mississippi.

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Abstract

Stress is known to change the structure and function of the brain in animals and humans as well as their behavior. It has a high correlation with the development of psychiatric disorders as well. We looked to investigate how repetitive intermittent social defeat stress using the resident-intruder paradigm in rats affected a cognitive flexibility task. The task used was a set-shifting protocol known to be associated with the function of the prefrontal cortex. Measurements on the task were taken intermittently between social stress sessions to determine short-term effects and 10 days after the last social stress session to measure long term effects. The rats also underwent testing on an elevated plus maze following the social stress protocol to evaluate anxiety-related behavior. Stressed rats were not impaired in the cognitive flexibility task, but their behavioral performance changed in the short and long term. In the short term, we found a decreased motivation to perform the task. In the long term, we found changes in risk- taking behavior and the processing of salient stimuli. These results suggest that repeated stress alters the neurobiological substrates that regulate the function of the brain reward system.

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