Invited Speaker Abstracts

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) theory hypothesizes that environmental exposures during early life (particularly the in-utero period) can permanently influence health and vulnerability to diseases later in life.Adult-onset diseases may be linked to early life environmental conditions.The brain regions involved have not yet been identified but, among other areas, the hippocampus is likely to be permanently modulated by early life stress.This structure is involved in the regulation of the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the primary component of stress response.A growing body of evidence suggests that perinatal stress exposure leads to diseases in adult life associated to a hyperactivation of the HPA axis, possibly through an epigenetic programming of the hippocampus, a key structure in the coordination of the hormonal stress response.The persistent hyperactivation of the HPA axis has several consequences also on wake-sleep bahavior, since its mediators acts as wake-promoting molecules.There is a bidirectional relationship between stress and sleep: stress inducing factors may alter sleepwake architecture and sleep impairment may deeply impact several biological pathways, including stress responses and, eventually, quality of life.However, a new aspect is emerging: the moment of life in which stress is acting should be considered as a relevant factor in mediating the effects of this bidirectional relationship.Here, data from animal studies are collected and presented in order to demonstrate that perinatal stress exposure has long-term effects on sleep phenotype during adulthood.Moreover, the hypothesis that maternal sleep loss during pregnancy can be considered as a prenatal stress factors with the potential to program wake-sleep behaviour, leading to sleep disturbances in adulthood, will be considered.Animal studies produce compelling evidence that: (1) perinatal stress may lead, possibly through epigenetic mechanisms, to health problems in adults, including sleep derangements; (2) sleep loss during pregnancy may be responsible for long-term negative outcomes, including wake-sleep disorders.In conclusion, stress exposure during pregnancy should be considered a big issue not only for mothers but also for children's health in the long-term.Thus, preserving mothers' mental health during pregnancy should be a worldwide priority.