EARLY LIFE STRESS MAY CONTRIBUTE TO DRUG ADDICTION

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Stress early in life may increase the risk
of drug abuse later on, according to results of a study in rats.
Animals who underwent the stress of being isolated from their mothers
and siblings showed an increased readiness to use cocaine, suggesting
that humans who experience early childhood stress may be more
vulnerable to drug addiction.

In the study, researchers looked at eight rat pups that were separated
from their mothers and siblings for 1 hour per day for their first
week of life. About 3 months later, the rats were given daily access
to increasing doses of cocaine. Their behavior was compared with six
rat pups that had not been isolated from their mothers. The findings
are published in the October issue of Brain Research.

The investigators found that both groups of animals helped themselves
to the cocaine. However, the group that had been deprived as babies
was much quicker to partake in the activity, according to lead author
Therese A. Kosten of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut and
colleagues.

``The data from the present study suggest that...stress increases
vulnerability to cocaine addiction. Further, these results are
consistent with reports that early life stress is common among drug
addicts,'' the authors write.

``Given that 1.8 million Americans are currently using cocaine, such
information will be valuable in directing investigations toward
potential interventions for children with early stress experiences in
order to reduce the risk of developing drug addiction as adults, ``
Kosten's team concludes.

SOURCE - Brain Research 2000;875:20-31.