@article{ref1,
title="Childhood trauma and post-trauma environment affect fear memory and alcohol use differently in male and female mice",
journal="Drug and alcohol dependence",
year="2020",
author="Vaughan, Gavin and Kompanijec, Katherine and Malik, Shreyya and Bechard, Allison R.",
volume="219",
number="",
pages="e108471-e108471",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Childhood trauma is associated with the development of adult mental health and substance use disorders, with females generally being more at risk. Alcohol is commonly used for coping with trauma, and alcohol use disorder (AUD)  affects ∼14.4 million adult Americans annually. Research investigating sex  differences in the environmental modification of anxiety and alcohol use following  childhood trauma will extend our understanding of the etiology of AUD. Here, we  sought to model the interacting effects of a single-episode late childhood trauma  with post-trauma environment on adult alcohol use using male and female mice. <br><br>METHODS: C57Bl6/J mice (d22) exposed to predator odor (TMT) or water were reared in  standard environments (SE) or environmental enrichment (EE). Mice were assessed for  adolescent anxiety and conditioned fear, and for adult alcohol use in a limited  access, response non-contingent, alcohol exposure paradigm. <br><br>RESULTS: A single  exposure to predator odor was an effective stressor, inducing long-term  sex-dependent changes in conditioned fear and alcohol behaviors that interacted with  post-trauma environment. Adolescent EE females showed more conditioned freezing to  the trauma-associated context. Adult EE mice consumed less total alcohol than SE  mice. However, alcohol use across time differed for males and females. Exposure to a  childhood stressor increased alcohol use significantly in females, but not males. EE  males, but not EE females, drank less than SE counterparts. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Findings  from this model recapitulate greater vulnerability to childhood trauma in females  and support sex differences in post-trauma development of conditioned fear and  alcohol use that are modified by environment.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0376-8716",
doi="10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108471",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108471"
}