A meta-analytic study of the effects of early maternal separation on cognitive flexibility in rodent offspring

• Published in: Developmental cognitive neuroscience Vol. 56; p. 101126
• Main Authors: Ou-Yang, Bo, Hu, Yue, Fei, Xin-Yuan, Cheng, Sha-Te, Hang, Ying, Yang, Chen, Cheng, Liang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2022; Elsevier
• Subjects: Cognitive flexibility; Maternal separation; Meta-analysis; Original Research; Rodents; Strain; Task characteristics; Cognitive flexibility; Maternal separation; Task characteristics; Rodents; Meta-analysis; Strain
• ISSN: 1878-9293; 1878-9307
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101126

Adverse early life experiences, such as maternal separation, are associated with an increased risk for several mental health problems. Symptoms induced by maternal separation that mirror clinically relevant aspects of mental problems, such as cognitive inflexibility, open the possibility of testing putative therapeutics prior to clinical development. Although several animal (e.g., rodent) studies have evaluated the effects of early maternal separation on cognitive flexibility, no consistent conclusions have been drawn. To clarify this issue, in this study, a meta-analysis method was used to systematically explore the relationship between early maternal separation and cognitive flexibility in rodent offspring. Results indicate that early maternal separation could significantly impair cognitive flexibility in rodent offspring. Moderator analyses further showed that the relationship between early maternal separation and cognitive flexibility was not consistent in any case, but was moderated by variations in the experimental procedures, such as the deprivation levels, task characteristics, and rodent strains. These clarify the inconsistent effects of maternal separation on cognitive flexibility in rodents and help us better understand the association between early life adversity and cognitive development. •Meta-analysis method was used to discuss the inconsistent effects of maternal separation on cognitive flexibility in rodent.•Maternal separation was found to necessarily impair the cognitive flexibility in rodent.•Variations in the experimental procedures moderated the relationship between maternal separation and cognitive flexibility.•Further studies on environment-cognition associations in rodents should take experimental procedural factors into account.