临床研究发现,早期创伤性经历是导致成年抑郁症易感性增加的高风险因素之一。但早期应激通过何种途径对抑郁发病产生长期的影响,目前尚不清楚。本文综述了近年来有关的实验动物研究,从早期应激的动物模型建立、早期应激对成年动物抑郁相关行为及神经内分泌反应的长期影响等方面进行了系统论述和分析,进而提出了早期应激并不影响动物的本能行为,但早期应激影响与行为动机和应激应对等认知相关的行为的观点,进一步论证了早期应激是通过增加个体潜在的易患病素质对抑郁症发病产生影响。
Clinical studies indicate early traumatic experiences are high risk factors in the development of depression in adulthood. The pathways that mediate the long-term effects of early-life stress on pathophysiology of depression are still unclear. This article reviewed laboratory animal studies in which the early-life stress models and the stress-induced chronic behavioral and neurobiological changes associated with depression were examined. It is concluded that early-life stress influenced behavior implicated in motivation for reward and stress coping, but it didn't influence intrinsic behavior. These findings further demonstrated that early-life stress affected the development of depression by increasing individual predisposition to depression.