摘要: Early experience is associated with long-term behavioral, neuroendocrinological, cognitive, and central nervous system (CNS) changes in rodents, guinea pigs, and primates. The specific effects of positive or negative stimuli during the neonatal period are believed to be dependent on the genetic background of the individual, developmental status of the CNS at the time of exposure, duration of the stimulus, type and severity of the experience, and other factors such as the availability of social support. A number of research laboratories have employed the paradigms of neonatal handling and neonatal maternal deprivation as probes of CNS plasticity during the postpartum period. In general, these paradigms exert opposite influences, with maternal deprivation being associated with long-term increases in anxiety-like behavior, HPA axis responsiveness to stressors, and changes in the functional characteristics of the …