Long-Term Behavioral Programming Induced by Peripuberty Stress in Rats Is Accompanied by GABAergic-Related Alterations in the Amygdala

Stress during childhood and adolescence is a risk factor for psychopathology. Alterations in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, have been found following stress exposure and fear experiences and are often implicated in anxiety and mood disorders. Abnormal amygdala functioning has also been detected following stress exposure and is also implicated in anxiety and social disorders. However, the amygdala is not a unitary structure; it includes several nuclei with different functions and little is known on the potential differences the impact of early life stress may have on this system within different amygdaloid nuclei. We aimed here to evaluate pote…