Essential role of ovarian hormones in susceptibility to the consequences of witnessing social defeat in female rats

Women are at greater risk of developing depression and comorbid disorders such as cardiovascular disease compared with men. This enhanced risk begins at puberty and ends following menopause, suggesting a role for ovarian hormones in this sensitivity. Here, we used a model of psychosocial witness stress for the first time in female rats to determine the stress-induced neurobiological adaptations that underlie stress susceptibility in an ovarian hormone dependent manner.

Source: Biological Psychiatry - February 3, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Julie E. Finnell, Brandon L. Muniz, Akhila R. Padi, Calliandra M. Lombard, Casey M. Moffitt, Christopher S. Wood, L. Britt Wilson, Lawrence P. Reagan, Marlene A. Wilson, Susan K. Wood Tags: Archival Report Source Type: research