Advisor(s)
Phillip Zoladz
Confirmation
1
Document Type
Poster
Location
ONU McIntosh Center; Activities Room
Start Date
24-4-2026 10:00 AM
End Date
24-4-2026 10:50 AM
Abstract
Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) do not always begin immediately following stress exposure. Instead, these symptoms can manifest after an incubation period, during which PTSD-related sequelae progressively develop over time. Understanding the delayed effects of acute stress is critical, as it could generate improved interventions to prevent or reverse PTSD-related symptomatology. Preclinical work has shown that, in male rats, acute immobilization stress induces a delayed increase in anxiety-like behavior and dendritic arborization in the amygdala. Although women exhibit greater vulnerability to PTSD, few studies have investigated whether acute stress can provoke a delayed onset of PTSD-related symptoms in females. This study aimed to fill this gap in the literature. On day one, adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were immobilized in plastic DecapiCones for two hours. Rats in the control group remained in their home cages for the duration of the stress procedure. Ten days later, all rats underwent a 5-minute trial on the elevated plus maze (EPM) to assess anxiety-like behavior. The next day, the rats underwent an assessment of their acoustic startle response (ASR), which measures hyperarousal. Immobilized males exhibited greater anxiety-like behavior, as reflected by reduced time spent in the open arms and intersection of the EPM. This effect was not observed in immobilized females. No significant effect of immobilization stress was observed for the ASR in males or females. These findings suggest that the delayed manifestation of PTSD-related symptoms may be sex-dependent. Future studies should examine the neurochemical mechanisms that could underlie such differences.
Recommended Citation
Gottron, Colin J.; Molnar, Noelle M.; Schneider, Evelynn J.; Parker, Joe; Regan, Stephanie M.; Lambdin, Solomon M.; King, Kylie M.; Savini, Marisa J.; Straub, Savannah E.; Welker, Troy R.; Williams, Kaitlyn E.; Bach, Allison M.; and Zoladz, Phillip R., "Delayed anxiogenic effects of acute immobilization stress depend on sex" (2026). ONU Student Research Colloquium. 13.
https://digitalcommons.onu.edu/student_research_colloquium/2026/Posters/13
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Delayed anxiogenic effects of acute immobilization stress depend on sex
ONU McIntosh Center; Activities Room
Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) do not always begin immediately following stress exposure. Instead, these symptoms can manifest after an incubation period, during which PTSD-related sequelae progressively develop over time. Understanding the delayed effects of acute stress is critical, as it could generate improved interventions to prevent or reverse PTSD-related symptomatology. Preclinical work has shown that, in male rats, acute immobilization stress induces a delayed increase in anxiety-like behavior and dendritic arborization in the amygdala. Although women exhibit greater vulnerability to PTSD, few studies have investigated whether acute stress can provoke a delayed onset of PTSD-related symptoms in females. This study aimed to fill this gap in the literature. On day one, adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were immobilized in plastic DecapiCones for two hours. Rats in the control group remained in their home cages for the duration of the stress procedure. Ten days later, all rats underwent a 5-minute trial on the elevated plus maze (EPM) to assess anxiety-like behavior. The next day, the rats underwent an assessment of their acoustic startle response (ASR), which measures hyperarousal. Immobilized males exhibited greater anxiety-like behavior, as reflected by reduced time spent in the open arms and intersection of the EPM. This effect was not observed in immobilized females. No significant effect of immobilization stress was observed for the ASR in males or females. These findings suggest that the delayed manifestation of PTSD-related symptoms may be sex-dependent. Future studies should examine the neurochemical mechanisms that could underlie such differences.