Abstract
Utilizing a unique animal model to better understand human temperament
Turner CA, Flagel SB, Blandino P Jr, Watson SJ Jr, Akil H
Curr Opin Behav Sci. 2017; 14:108-114.
Abstract
Individual differences in temperament are associated with psychopathology in humans. Moreover, the relationship between temperament and anxiety-, depression-, PTSD- and addiction-related behaviors can be modeled in animals. This review will highlight these relationships with a focus on individual differences in the response to stressors, fear conditioning and drugs of abuse using animals that differ in their response to a novel environment. We will discuss behavioral and neurobiological commonalities amongst these behaviors with a focus on the hippocampus and, in particular, growth factors as promising novel targets for therapeutic intervention.