Exposure to stress during critical periods in development can have severe long-term
consequences, increasing overall risk on psychopathology. One of the key stress response …

Glucocorticoid action on target tissues is determined by the density of “nuclear” receptors
and intracellular metabolism by the two isozymes of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase …

Prenatal stress (PS) has been linked to abnormal cognitive, behavioral and psychosocial
outcomes in both animals and humans. Animal studies have clearly demonstrated PS effects …

Women appear to be more vulnerable to the depressogenic effects of inflammation than
men. Chronic stress, one of the most pertinent risk factors of depression and anxiety, is …

Adversity experienced during gestation is a predictor of lifetime neuropsychiatric disease
susceptibility. Specifically, maternal stress during pregnancy predisposes offspring to sex …

Animal studies confirm earlier anecdotal observations in humans to indicate that early life
experience has a profound impact on adult behavior, years after the original experience has …

There is a growing appreciation that adult hippocampal neurogenesis plays a role in
emotional and cognitive processes related to psychiatric disorders. Although many studies …

Rationale The birth of neurons, their migration to appropriate positions in the brain, and their
establishment of the proper synaptic contacts happen predominately during the prenatal …

Background During development, the placenta can be said to be the most important organ,
however, the most poorly researched. There is currently a broader understanding of how …

Glucocorticoids have profound effects on brain development and adult CNS function. Excess
or insufficient glucocorticoids cause myriad abnormalities from development to ageing. The …