
24/02/2025
Early Life Stress Rewires Brain Circuits Linked to Social Motivation
Early life stress alters brain circuits responsible for social motivation, leading to long-term behavioral changes.
Researchers found that mice exposed to stress during early development showed reduced dopamine signaling between the ventral tegmental area and the basolateral amygdala.
This disruption made the mice less likely to seek social interaction, preferring isolation or inanimate objects instead.
Using neural activation techniques, scientists were able to restore social behaviors in stressed mice by stimulating dopamine neurons.
Conversely, turning off these neurons in socially engaged mice induced avoidance behaviors, demonstrating the direct role of this pathway.
These findings highlight how early experiences shape brain function and could inform treatments for social difficulties linked to childhood trauma.
https://neurosciencenews.com/early-stress-social-motivation-28428/