Relationship Between Neonatal Allopregnanolone and Neonatal Stress: Effects on Adolescent and Adult Behavior

The study investigated the effects of neonatal allopregnanolone (AlloP) and neonatal stress on adolescent and adult behavior. Neonatal AlloP administration and early maternal separation (EMS) were found to influence novelty-directed exploration, anxiety-like behavior, and sensory processing. EMS increased motor activity and decreased head-dipping in adolescence, effects that were mitigated by AlloP. In adulthood, EMS led to an anxiolytic-like profile and disrupted sensory processing. Additionally, neonatal AlloP and finasteride (an AlloP synthesis inhibitor) altered alcohol consumption and ventrostriatal monoamine levels, with Finas increasing alcohol intake and decreasing dopamine and serotonin levels. The study highlighted the critical role of neurosteroids in brain development and their potential link to adult alcohol use disorders.