"Adolescent Stress: Impact on Adult Behavior through Brain Gene Alterations"

A study reveals that excessive stress during adolescence can lead to long-lasting changes in gene expression in the brain, particularly those related to bioenergy functions, which may disrupt cell respiration and contribute to behavioral issues and psychiatric disorders in adulthood. Using a rat model, the study showed that stressed adolescent rats exhibited anxiety, reduced sociability, and cognitive impairments, linked to changes in genes controlling mitochondrial function in the prefrontal cortex. These findings underscore the critical impact of adolescent stress on adult brain function and behavior.