Program & Abstract Book - EPFL Latsis Symposium 2009

EPFL Latsis Symposium 2009: Understanding Violence
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Poster Abstracts
lo n g -t e r m e f f e c t s o f p e r i-p u b e r t y s t r e s s
o n a g g r e s s i v e b e h a v i o u r in f e m a l e r a t s
Cordero, Maria Isabel 1 ; Sandi, Carmen 1
1 Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzer-
land
Experiencing adverse events during adolescence enhances the risk of
developing different psychopathologies and violent behaviour in humans
and animals. Previously, our group has reported that repeated exposure
to stress during the peripuberty period increases pathological aggression
in male rats. However, very little is known about the effects of stress on
aggression in females. Although women are usually less violent than men,
available evidence suggests soaring levels of aggression and serious violence
among young women, and some studies have found a positive correlation
with stress events experienced during development. For example,
findings from the Rochester Youth Development Study suggest that growing
up in disorganized, violent neighbourhoods is a risk factor for gang
involvement among young women (Thornberry, 1997). In this work, we
studied the long term effects of peripubertal stress on aggressive behaviour
in female rats. For this purpose, female rats were stressed during the
peri-pubertal period and their aggressive behaviour assessed at 3-months
of age using the Resident-Intruder paradigm twice, once during diestrus
cycle and 1 week after, during estrus. Similar to previous findings in male
rats, peripuberty stressed females showed not only an increase in aggressive
behaviour compared to control rats but an ‘abnormal’ aggressive
behaviour, such as continual attacking of intruders displaying submissive
behaviour. Furthermore, the differences found during diestrus were maintained
during the estrus cycle, though female rats usually do not show
aggressive behaviour during this phase of the menstrual cycle. Our results
suggest that adolescence is a highly vulnerable period to stress induced
aggression, in females as well as in males, and strongly suggests that
social-aggression prevention campaigns should be addressed to both boys
and girls.
Thornberry, TP (1997) Membership in youth gangs and involvement in serious
and violent offending. In R. Loeber and D.P. Farrington (Eds.), Serious
and Violent Juvenile Offenders: Risk Factors and Successful Interventions
(pp.147-166). Thousand Oaks, CA:Sage Publications.
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