Effects of prenatal stress and emotional reactivity of the mother on emotional and cognitive abilities in lambs

摘要: Consequences of prenatal stress on emotional reactivity and cognitive abilities in offspring are under-documented precocial mammals. Here, we investigated to what extent reactivity, judgment bias spatial learning lambs affected by chronic during late pregnancy their dams' reactivity. The 20 highest-responsive (HR) lowest-responsive (LR) ewes from a population 120 Romane were selected according pre-mating social isolation new environment. Over the final third pregnancy, 10 HR LR exposed daily various unpredictable aversive events such as restraint, mixing groups transport while other not. In human an object test, prenatally-stressed more fearful than control lambs, but effect was moderated mothers: with high affected. Prenatally-stressed did not perform well maze test showed pessimistic-like test. thus characterized negative affective state increased fear reactions impaired evaluation. development moods could have long-lasting consequences coping strategies response rearing conditions.