There is a paucity of data on the effects of hyperoxia-induced brain damage on learning and such psychosocial phenomenon as anxiety. Preterm infants encounter hyperoxia within a relatively early stage of life (leaving the intrauterine environment earlier than was expected) and are exposed to high-level hyperoxic stress due to the insufficiency of their antioxidant defense mechanisms. In an experimental rat model, we investigated the effects of early postnatal hyperoxia on learning, anxiety, and depression in the early adulthood period. Rat nestlings (n = 7) were exposed to about 80% oxygen for the first 5 days after birth to create a rat model of hyperoxia, and these nestlings and those of the control group (n = 7) were subjected to behavioral tests (Morris water tank, open-field test, elevated plus maze, and Porsolt test) at 30 days old. Video recordings of the tests were captured, and indices of the tests in the experimental groups were compared with the Mann–Whitney U-test. In the Morris water navigation task, the latency and distance required to locate the platform were greater (P = 0.018 and 0.025, respectively) in the hyperoxia group than in the control group, suggesting that exposure to hyperoxia during the development of the brain can exert a negative effect on the learning function. There was no difference in the time spent in the open center area of the open-field test (anxiety), while the rats in the hyperoxia group spent more time in the enclosed area in the elevated plus maze test, suggesting a higher level of anxiety (P = 0.048). In the Porsolt test, rats in the hyperoxia group moved faster (P = 0.013) and travelled a longer distance (P = 0.048). Although this finding suggests less depressive behavior in the mentioned group, which was contrary to the expectations, this may also explain the tendency of preterm infants to hyperactivity at later ages. Thus, it has been demonstrated experimentally that exposure of neonates to oxygen exceeding physiological needs may cause behavioral problems, such as impaired learning, anxiety, and hyperactivity.
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Dilek, M., Orallar, H., Cetinkaya, A. et al. Can Excessive Oxygen Cause Hyperactive Behavior Disorder in Preterm Children? Cognitive Effects of Hyperoxia in the Preterm Brain of Rats. Neurophysiology 51, 259–265 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11062-019-09819-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11062-019-09819-3