The stress level in fathers can affect the brain development in young children, according to a study from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania. The impact may, in fact, begin when children are still sperm.
The researchers examined a collection of lab mice, keeping them under constant stress for about six weeks. The stressors included sudden moves to a different cage, exposure to the scent of predators, noise, or foreign objects in their cages.
They found the offspring of these male mice had significantly blunted responses to similar stress tests. They also released lower levels of a hormone that is associated with increased stress levels.
"It didn't matter if dads were going through puberty or in adulthood when stressed before they mated. We've shown here for the first time that stress can produce long-term changes to sperm that reprogram the offspring HPA stress axis regulation," said lead researcher Tracy Bale. "These findings suggest one way in which paternal-stress exposure may be linked to such neuropsychiatric diseases."
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