creators_name: Bracha, Stefan creators_name: Blanchard, D. Caroline creators_name: Llyod-Jones, Jeffrey L. creators_name: Williams, Andrew creators_name: Blanchard, Robert J. type: journalp datestamp: 2006-08-01 lastmod: 2011-03-11 08:56:32 metadata_visibility: show title: Experimental Combat-Stress Model in Rats: Histological Examination of Effects of Amelogenesis-A Possible Measure of Diminished Vagal Tone Episodes ispublished: pub subjects: neuro-physio subjects: bio-ani-behav full_text_status: public keywords: PTSD, Combat Stress, Vagal Tone, Dental Anthropology, abstract: Developmental defects of enamel-stress histomarker rings (accentuated striae) may be a potential measure of diminished vagal tone in research on extreme stress such as exposure to combat. To develop an animal model of this measure, we examined the enamel of rat incisors which erupt continuously. We examined incisors from 15 stressed-colony rats and 7 control-rats for these histomarkers using the Visible Burrow System (VBS). VBS was developed to study combat stress in rats. No stress rings were found in any of the rat incisors examined. In contrast to humans, rats have likely evolved to prioritize incisor strength during combat stress. Studies of amelogenesis during combat stress in other rodents with continuously growing incisors are warranted. Laboratory animals such as rabbits or marmosets may be especially suitable, since they less frequently use their incisors for self defense. date: 2004 date_type: published publication: Dental Anthropology volume: 17 number: 3 pagerange: 79-82 refereed: TRUE citation: Bracha, Dr. Stefan and Blanchard, Dr. D. Caroline and Llyod-Jones, Dr. Jeffrey L. and Williams, Dr. Andrew and Blanchard, Dr. Robert J. (2004) Experimental Combat-Stress Model in Rats: Histological Examination of Effects of Amelogenesis-A Possible Measure of Diminished Vagal Tone Episodes. [Journal (Paginated)] document_url: http://cogprints.org/5027/1/2004_EXPERIMENTAL_COMBAT_STRESS_IN_RATS.pdf