Researcher(s)
- Jax Kouma, Neuroscience, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Jaclyn Schwarz, Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware
Abstract
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a hormone-mediated mood disorder that can be diagnosed in women if symptoms present within 4 weeks postpartum and last up to one year or develop into a long-term condition. This condition significantly impacts the mother’s quality of life. It includes symptoms similar to major depressive disorder, such as a low mood and anhedonia. Our novel rat model assesses an analog to postpartum anhedonia, in rats, to represent postpartum depression. We evaluated a preference for 1% sucrose over water at various stages during and after gestation to establish the onset of anhedonia in our PPD “susceptible” rats. In this model, we performed a baseline 48hr sucrose preference test (SPT) before breeding. The threshold for inclusion in the study was a sucrose preference of at least 80% at baseline. 48hr SPT sessions were administered at Embryonic days 19-21 (E19-21), Postnatal days 0-2 (P0-2), and Postnatal days 7-9 (P7-9). Rats showing a sucrose preference lower than 70% on dates E19-21, P0-2, or P7-9 are considered to be “susceptible” to postpartum anhedonia. Rats that maintain a sucrose preference above 80% are considered to be “resilient” to postpartum anhedonia. The novel component of this model is the distinction between rats that are susceptible to postpartum depression and resilient to postpartum depression by the P9 period. This project is designed to establish the onset of postpartum anhedonia in susceptible rats. Further investigation includes assessing hormonal differences in serum collected throughout gestation and after parturition, as well as examining brain tissue collected at postnatal day 9 to compare neural differences between susceptible and resilient rats. This data will help further establish our novel model of postpartum anhedonia and evaluate the neurobiological underpinnings of PPD.