These changes in the brain are similar to disturbances in brain structure and function that are found in people at risk for neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia.
The study was conducted in the laboratory of associate professor of psychology Christopher Lapish.
In the study, young rats were removed from their mothers for 24 hours when they were nine days old, which is a critical period of brain development.
The causes of schizophrenia and the delay in the appearance of symptoms of this lifelong disease remain a mystery.
"We have identified enduring changes in the brain and behavior that result from one type of stress in a rodent.
"Maternal deprivation induces alterations in cognitive and cortical function in adulthood" appears in Translational Psychiatry, a Nature Publishing Group journal.
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