Maternal deprivation leads to reduced levels of mood regulating neurotransmitters

Maternal nurturing determines the levels of serotonin. Peer-reared monkeys separated from their mothers in laboratory experiments have lower lifelong levels of serotonin than do monkeys brought up by their mothers. In adolescence these same monkeys are more aggressive and are far more likely to consume alcohol in excess.7 We see similar effects with other neurotransmitters that are essential in regulating mood and behavior, such as norepinephrine. Even slight imbalances in the availability of these neurotransmitters are manifested in aberrant behaviors such as fearfulness and hyperactivity, characteristic of adhd, and increases the individual’s sensitivity to stressors for a lifetime. In turn, such acquired traits increase the risk of addiction.

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References

• Mate, Gabor. (2010). In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts Chapter 18. Trauma, Stress, and the Biology of Addiction (p. 243). Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.

7. J. D. Higley and M. Linnoila, “Low Central Nervous System Serotonergic Activity Is Traitlike and Correlates with Impulsive Behavior,” Annals of the New York Academy of Science 836 (December 29, 1997): 39.

8. A. S. Clarke et al., “Rearing Experience and Biogenic Amine Activity in Infant Rhesus Monkeys,” Biological Psychiatry 40(5) (September 1, 1996): 338–52; see also J. D. Higley et al., “Nonhuman Primate Model of Alcohol Abuse: Effects of Early Experience, Personality, and Stress on Alcohol Consumption,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 88 (August 1991): 7261–65.

Metadata

Type:🔴 Tags: Biology / Neuroscience / Developmental Neurology Status:⛅️