Drug abuse and perinatal stress

Introduction: Methamphetamine (MA) belongs to the psychostimulants with a central stimulating and anorectic effect. It has been found that MA is the most frequently abused drug of drug-addicted pregnant women. Drug abuse of mother can cause worsening maternal behavior and delayed offspring development. Prenatal application of MA can also lead to long- term changes in behavior, cognition and social interaction. It was also shown that maternal injections induce long-lasting effects on stress responsiveness in adult progeny. Stress and drug addiction are therefore closely connected. In children, perinatal stress is associated with cognitive, behavioral, physical and emotional problems as well as with autism. In adults, it is linked to depression and schizophrenia. In animals, perinatal stress reduces social play and social behavior, increases anxiety and impairs cognitive functions. Aim: The aim of this thesis was to determine the effect of perinatal factors such as prenatal MA/stress and/or early postnatal stress on sensorimotor development of pups and their mothers' behavior during lactation period, social behavior and oxytocin levels in juvenile age and subsequently on cognitive functions and behavior of exposed offspring in adulthood. For all behavioral tests of offspring, we monitor the possible..