YOUNG rat pups that are separated from their mothers for just 24 hours suffer
an increased loss of neurons in the brain, say Lixin Zhang and Mark Smith of the
National Institute of Mental Health near Washington DC. The researchers say this
could help to explain why maternal deprivation can affect the behaviour of
animals and humans in adulthood.
The researchers took 12-day-old rats from their mothers, but kept them warm
and well fed. When they examined the young animals鈥� brains, they found that
various brain regions, including the cerebral cortex, the hippocampus, the
alveus and the corpus callosum, showed increased cell death rates鈥攗p to
twice those in controls that were not separated from their mothers.
Last week, Zhang told the meeting that this could well have a 鈥減ermanent
effect on brain structure and neuronal wiring, with long-term consequences in
the adult rat鈥�.
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