A specific protein mediating dysregulation of brain’s HPA axis can induce disorder in some casesPostpartum depression strikes nearly one in five novel mothers,who may experience anxiety, severe fatigue, and inability to bond with their children and suicidal thoughts. Such depression has also been associated with infants’ developmental difficulties. Although stress has been identified as a significant risk factor for postpartum depression,this complex disorder is still poorly understood. Now neuroscientists at Tufts University School of Medicine absorb generated a novel preclinical model of postpartum depression and demonstrated involvement of the neuroendocrine system that mediates physiological response to stress.
Source: tufts.edu