Premium
Early life stress and development of the endocannabinoid system: A bidirectional process in programming future coping
Author(s) -
Goldstein Ferber Sari,
Trezza Viviana,
Weller Aron
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.21944
Subject(s) - endocannabinoid system , coping (psychology) , process management , psychology , process (computing) , computer science , cognitive science , clinical psychology , engineering , medicine , programming language , receptor
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) critically regulates stress responsivity and emotional behavior throughout development. It regulates anxiety‐like behaviors in humans and animal models. In addition, it is sensitive to early life stress at the gene expression level in a sex‐dependent and region‐dependent manner, and these changes are already evident in the adolescent brain. The ECS modulates the neuroendocrine and behavioral effects of stress, and is also capable of being affected by stress exposure itself. Early life stress interferes with the development of corticolimbic circuits, a major location of endocannabinoid receptors, and increases vulnerability to adult psychopathology. Early life stress alters the ontogeny of the ECS, resulting in a sustained deficit in its function, particularly within the hippocampus. Specifically, exposure to early stress results in bidirectional changes in anandamide and 2‐AG tissue levels within the amygdala and hippocampus and reduces hippocampal endocannabinoid function at puberty. CB1 receptor densities across all brain regions are downregulated later in life following exposure to early life stress. Manipulations affecting the glucocorticoid and the endocannabinoid systems persistently adjust individual emotional responses and synaptic plasticity. This review aims to show the bidirectional trajectories of endocannabinoid modulation of emotionality in reaction to early life stress.