Caregiver maltreatment, including neglect and abuse, is incurred by 10–15% of the population in the United States (Jud et al., 2016; Kessler et al., 1997). Thus, studying its implications and attempting to develop interventions to help individuals with a maltreatment history is an important avenue of research. Numerous rodent models involving maternal resource deprivation have been utilized to explore the implications of maltreatment on the brain and behavior (Walker et al., 2017). In our lab, we use a model of maternal maltreatment that capitalizes on resource deprivation. Pups are exposed to a dam that has limited nesting resources and consequently performs aversive behaviors toward the pups including stepping on, dropping, dragging, and roughly handling them. This manipulation is performed for 30 minutes daily for the first postnatal week of life. We employ a within litter design whereby 1/3 of the litter is exposed to the maltreatment condition, 1/3 of the litter remains in the home cage with the biological dam, and the remaining 1/3 of the litter is cross-fostered to a nurturing, non-biological dam. Using this model, our lab has
