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Forero SA, Liu S, Shetty N, Ophir AG. Re-wiring of the bonded brain: Gene expression among pair bonded female prairie voles changes as they transition to motherhood. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2024; 23:e12906. [PMID: 38861664 PMCID: PMC11166254 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Motherhood is a costly life-history transition accompanied by behavioral and neural plasticity necessary for offspring care. Motherhood in the monogamous prairie vole is associated with decreased pair bond strength, suggesting a trade-off between parental investment and pair bond maintenance. Neural mechanisms governing pair bonds and maternal bonds overlap, creating possible competition between the two. We measured mRNA expression of genes encoding receptors for oxytocin (oxtr), dopamine (d1r and d2r), mu-opioids (oprm1a), and kappa-opioids (oprk1a) within three brain areas processing salience of sociosensory cues (anterior cingulate cortex; ACC), pair bonding (nucleus accumbens; NAc), and maternal care (medial preoptic area; MPOA). We compared gene expression differences between pair bonded prairie voles that were never pregnant, pregnant (~day 16 of pregnancy), and recent mothers (day 3 of lactation). We found greater gene expression in the NAc (oxtr, d2r, oprm1a, and oprk1a) and MPOA (oxtr, d1r, d2r, oprm1a, and oprk1a) following the transition to motherhood. Expression for all five genes in the ACC was greatest for females that had been bonded for longer. Gene expression within each region was highly correlated, indicating that oxytocin, dopamine, and opioids comprise a complimentary gene network for social signaling. ACC-NAc gene expression correlations indicated that being a mother (oxtr and d1r) or maintaining long-term pair bonds (oprm1a) relies on the coordination of different signaling systems within the same circuit. Our study suggests the maternal brain undergoes changes that prepare females to face the trade-off associated with increased emotional investment in offspring, while also maintaining a pair bond.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Female
- Arvicolinae/genetics
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/genetics
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/metabolism
- Pair Bond
- Maternal Behavior/physiology
- Nucleus Accumbens/metabolism
- Pregnancy
- Receptors, Oxytocin/genetics
- Receptors, Oxytocin/metabolism
- Receptors, Opioid, kappa/genetics
- Receptors, Opioid, kappa/metabolism
- Gyrus Cinguli/metabolism
- Preoptic Area/metabolism
- Receptors, Dopamine D1/genetics
- Receptors, Dopamine D1/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sydney Liu
- Department of PsychologyCornell UniversityIthacaNew YorkUSA
| | - Netra Shetty
- Department of PsychologyCornell UniversityIthacaNew YorkUSA
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2
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Kietzman HW, Trinoskey-Rice G, Seo EH, Guo J, Gourley SL. Neuronal Ensembles in the Amygdala Allow Social Information to Motivate Later Decisions. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1848232024. [PMID: 38499360 PMCID: PMC11026342 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1848-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Social experiences carry tremendous weight in our decision-making, even when social partners are not present. To determine mechanisms, we trained female mice to respond for two food reinforcers. Then, one food was paired with a novel conspecific. Mice later favored the conspecific-associated food, even in the absence of the conspecific. Chemogenetically silencing projections from the prelimbic subregion (PL) of the medial prefrontal cortex to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) obstructed this preference while leaving social discrimination intact, indicating that these projections are necessary for socially driven choice. Further, mice that performed the task had greater densities of dendritic spines on excitatory BLA neurons relative to mice that did not. We next induced chemogenetic receptors in cells active during social interactions-when mice were encoding information that impacted later behavior. BLA neurons stimulated by social experience were necessary for mice to later favor rewards associated with social conspecifics but not make other choices. This profile contrasted with that of PL neurons stimulated by social experience, which were necessary for choice behavior in social and nonsocial contexts alike. The PL may convey a generalized signal allowing mice to favor particular rewards, while units in the BLA process more specialized information, together supporting choice motivated by social information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry W Kietzman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
| | - Gracy Trinoskey-Rice
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
| | - Esther H Seo
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
| | - Jidong Guo
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
| | - Shannon L Gourley
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
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3
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Wallace KJ, Dupeyron S, Li M, Kelly AM. Early life social complexity shapes adult neural processing in the communal spiny mouse Acomys cahirinus. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023:10.1007/s00213-023-06513-5. [PMID: 38055059 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06513-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Early life social rearing has profound consequences on offspring behavior and resilience. Yet, most studies examining early life development in rodents use species whose young are born immobile and do not produce complex social behavior until later in development. Furthermore, models of rearing under increased social complexity, rather than deprivation, are needed to provide alternative insight into the development of social neural circuitry. OBJECTIVES To understand precocial offspring social development, we manipulated early life social complexity in the communal spiny mouse Acomys cahirinus and assessed long-term consequences on offspring social behavior, exploration, and neural responses to novel social stimuli. METHODS Spiny mouse pups were raised in the presence or absence of a non-kin breeding group. Upon adulthood, subjects underwent social interaction tests, an open field test, and a novel object test. Subjects were then exposed to a novel conspecific and novel group and neural responses were quantified via immunohistochemical staining in brain regions associated with social behavior. RESULTS Early life social experience did not influence behavior in the test battery, but it did influence social processing. In animals exposed to non-kin during development, adult lateral septal neural responses toward a novel conspecific were weaker and hypothalamic neural responses toward a mixed-sex group were stronger. CONCLUSIONS Communal species may exhibit robust behavioral resilience to the early life social environment. But the early life environment can affect how novel social information is processed in the brain during adulthood, with long-term consequences that are likely to shape their behavioral trajectory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mutian Li
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
| | - Aubrey M Kelly
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
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4
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Berendzen KM, Bales KL, Manoli DS. Attachment across the lifespan: Examining the intersection of pair bonding neurobiology and healthy aging. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105339. [PMID: 37536581 PMCID: PMC11073483 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that intact social bonds are protective against age-related morbidity, while bond disruption and social isolation increase the risk for multiple age-related diseases. Social attachments, the enduring, selective bonds formed between individuals, are thus essential to human health. Socially monogamous species like the prairie vole (M. ochrogaster) form long-term pair bonds, allowing us to investigate the mechanisms underlying attachment and the poorly understood connection between social bonds and health. In this review, we explore several potential areas of focus emerging from data in humans and other species associating attachment and healthy aging, and evidence from prairie voles that may clarify this link. We examine gaps in our understanding of social cognition and pair bond behavior. Finally, we discuss physiologic pathways related to pair bonding that promote resilience to the processes of aging and age-related disease. Advances in the development of molecular genetic tools in monogamous species will allow us to bridge the mechanistic gaps presented and identify conserved research and therapeutic targets relevant to human health and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen M. Berendzen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
| | - Karen L. Bales
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis; Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis; Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Devanand S. Manoli
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
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5
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Prior NH, Haakenson CM, Clough S, Ball GF, Sandkam BA. Varied impacts of social relationships on neuroendocrine state. Horm Behav 2023; 155:105403. [PMID: 37678093 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Social relationships, affiliative social attachments, are important for many species. The best studied types of relationships are monogamous pair bonds. However, it remains unclear how generalizable models of pair bonding are across types of social attachments. Zebra finches are a fascinating system to explore the neurobiology of social relationships because they form various adult bonds with both same- and opposite-sex partners. To test whether different bonds are supported by a single brain network, we quantified individuals' neuroendocrine state after either 24 h or 2 weeks of co-housing with a novel same- or opposite-sex partner. We defined neuroendocrine state by the expression of 22 genes related to 4 major signaling pathways (dopamine, steroid, nonapeptide, and opioid) in six brain regions associated with affiliation or communication [nucleus accumbens (NAc), nucleus taeniae of the amygdala (TnA), medial preoptic area (POM), and periaqueductal gray (PAG), ventral tegmental area, and auditory cortex]. Overall, we found dissociable effects of social contexts (same- or opposite-sex partnerships) and duration of co-housing. Social bonding impacted the neuroendocrine state of four regions in males (NAc, TnA, POM, and PAG) and three regions in females (NAc, TnA, and POM). Monogamous pair bonding specifically appeared to impact male NAc. However, the patterns of gene expression in zebra finches were different than has previously been reported in mammals. Together, our results support the view that there are numerous mechanisms regulating social relationships and highlight the need to further our understanding of how social interactions shape social bonds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora H Prior
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America.
| | - Chelsea M Haakenson
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Savannah Clough
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Gregory F Ball
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Benjamin A Sandkam
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
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6
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Sheppard PAS, Chandramohan D, Lumsden A, Vellone D, Denley MCS, Srivastava DP, Choleris E. Social memory in female mice is rapidly modulated by 17β-estradiol through ERK and Akt modulation of synapse formation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2300191120. [PMID: 37490537 PMCID: PMC10400940 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2300191120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Social memory is essential to the functioning of a social animal within a group. Estrogens can affect social memory too quickly for classical genomic mechanisms. Previously, 17β-estradiol (E2) rapidly facilitated short-term social memory and increased nascent synapse formation, these synapses being potentiated following neuronal activity. However, what mechanisms underlie and coordinate the rapid facilitation of social memory and synaptogenesis are unclear. Here, the necessity of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling for rapid facilitation of short-term social memory and synaptogenesis was tested. Mice performed a short-term social memory task or were used as task-naïve controls. ERK and PI3K pathway inhibitors were infused intradorsal hippocampally 5 min before E2 infusion. Forty minutes following intrahippocampal E2 or vehicle administration, tissues were collected for quantification of glutamatergic synapse number in the CA1. Dorsal hippocampal E2 rapid facilitation of short-term social memory depended upon ERK and PI3K pathways. E2 increased glutamatergic synapse number (bassoon puncta positive for GluA1) in task-performing mice but decreased synapse number in task-naïve mice. Critically, ERK signaling was required for synapse formation/elimination in task-performing and task-naïve mice, whereas PI3K inhibition blocked synapse formation only in task-performing mice. While ERK and PI3K are both required for E2 facilitation of short-term social memory and synapse formation, only ERK is required for synapse elimination. This demonstrates previously unknown, bidirectional, rapid actions of E2 on brain and behavior and underscores the importance of estrogen signaling in the brain to social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A. S. Sheppard
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ONN1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Deepthi Chandramohan
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King’s College London, LondonWC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, LondonWC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| | - Alanna Lumsden
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ONN1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Daniella Vellone
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ONN1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Matthew C. S. Denley
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King’s College London, LondonWC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, LondonWC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| | - Deepak P. Srivastava
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King’s College London, LondonWC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, LondonWC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ONN1G 2W1, Canada
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7
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Wallace KJ, Chun EK, Manns JR, Ophir AG, Kelly AM. A test of the social behavior network reveals differential patterns of neural responses to social novelty in bonded, but not non-bonded, male prairie voles. Horm Behav 2023; 152:105362. [PMID: 37086574 PMCID: PMC10291480 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
The social behavior network (SBN) has provided a framework for understanding the neural control of social behavior. The original SBN hypothesis proposed this network modulates social behavior and should exhibit distinct patterns of neural activity across nodes, which correspond to distinct social contexts. Despite its tremendous impact on the field of social neuroscience, no study has directly tested this hypothesis. Thus, we assessed Fos responses across the SBN of male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Virgin/non-bonded and pair bonded subjects were exposed to a sibling cagemate or pair bonded partner, novel female, novel male, novel meadow vole, novel object, or no stimulus. Inconsistent with the original SBN hypothesis, we did not find profoundly different patterns of neural responses across the SBN for different contexts, but instead found that the SBN generated significantly different patterns of activity in response to social novelty in pair bonded, but not non-bonded males. These findings suggest that non-bonded male prairie voles may perceive social novelty differently from pair bonded males or that SBN functionality undergoes substantial changes after pair bonding. This study reveals novel information about bond-dependent, context-specific neural responsivity in male prairie voles and suggests that the SBN may be particularly important for processing social salience. Further, our study suggests there is a need to reconceptualize the framework of how the SBN modulates social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly J Wallace
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Eileen K Chun
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Joseph R Manns
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | | | - Aubrey M Kelly
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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8
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Montandon ML, Rodriguez C, Herrmann FR, Eytan A, Pegna AJ, Haller S, Giannakopoulos P. Patterns of multiple brain network activation in dot perspective task. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6793. [PMID: 37100844 PMCID: PMC10133244 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33427-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In this functional MRI (fMRI) study on 82 healthy adults using the dot perspective task, inconsistency of perspectives was associated with a significant increase of the mean reaction time and number of errors both in Self and Other conditions. Unlike the Arrow (non-mentalizing), the Avatar (mentalizing) paradigm was characterized by the recruitment of parts of the mentalizing and salience networks. These data provide experimental evidence supporting the fMRI distinction between mentalizing and non-mentalizing stimuli. A widespread activation of classical theory of mind (ToM) areas but also of salience network and decision making areas was observed in the Other compared to Self-conditions. Compared to Self-Consistent, Self-Inconsistent trials were related to increased activation in the lateral occipital cortex, right supramarginal and angular gyrus as well as inferior, superior and middle frontal gyri. Compared to the Other-Consistent, Other-Inconsistent trials yielded strong activation in the lateral occipital cortex, precuneus and superior parietal lobule, middle and superior precentral gyri and left frontal pole. These findings reveal that altercentric interference relies on areas involved in self-other distinction, self-updating and central executive functions. In contrast, egocentric interference needs the activation of the mirror neuron system and deductive reasoning, much less related to pure ToM abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Louise Montandon
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Cristelle Rodriguez
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Division of Institutional Measures, Medical Direction, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - François R Herrmann
- Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ariel Eytan
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Division of Institutional Measures, Medical Direction, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Alan J Pegna
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sven Haller
- CIMC - Centre d'Imagerie Médicale de Cornavin, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Radiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Panteleimon Giannakopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Division of Institutional Measures, Medical Direction, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
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9
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Christianson JP. An Insula-Enriched Regulator of Retinoic Acid Marks a New Intersection in the Neural Circuitry of Mouse Social Behavior. Am J Psychiatry 2023; 180:262-264. [PMID: 37002691 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20230110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
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10
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Kietzman HW, Gourley SL. How social information impacts action in rodents and humans: the role of the prefrontal cortex and its connections. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105075. [PMID: 36736847 PMCID: PMC10026261 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Day-to-day choices often involve social information and can be influenced by prior social experience. When making a decision in a social context, a subject might need to: 1) recognize the other individual or individuals, 2) infer their intentions and emotions, and 3) weigh the values of all outcomes, social and non-social, prior to selecting an action. These elements of social information processing all rely, to some extent, on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Patients with neuropsychiatric disorders often have disruptions in prefrontal cortical function, likely contributing to deficits in social reasoning and decision making. To better understand these deficits, researchers have turned to rodents, which have revealed prefrontal cortical mechanisms for contending with the complex information processing demands inherent to making decisions in social contexts. Here, we first review literature regarding social decision making, and the information processing underlying it, in humans and patient populations. We then turn to research in rodents, discussing current procedures for studying social decision making, and underlying neural correlates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry W Kietzman
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta GA 30329, USA.
| | - Shannon L Gourley
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta GA 30329, USA; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, USA.
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11
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Lanooij SD, Eisel ULM, Drinkenburg WHIM, van der Zee EA, Kas MJH. Influencing cognitive performance via social interactions: a novel therapeutic approach for brain disorders based on neuroanatomical mapping? Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:28-33. [PMID: 35858991 PMCID: PMC9812764 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01698-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Many psychiatric and neurological disorders present deficits in both the social and cognitive domain. In this perspectives article, we provide an overview and the potential of the existence of an extensive neurobiological substrate underlying the close relationship between these two domains. By mapping the rodent brain regions involved in the social and/or cognitive domain, we show that the vast majority of brain regions involved in the cognitive domain are also involved in the social domain. The identified neuroanatomical overlap has an evolutionary basis, as complex social behavior requires cognitive skills, and aligns with the reported functional interactions of processes underlying cognitive and social performance. Based on the neuroanatomical mapping, recent (pre-)clinical findings, and the evolutionary perspective, we emphasize that the social domain requires more focus as an important treatment target and/or biomarker, especially considering the presently limited treatment strategies for these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne D. Lanooij
- grid.4830.f0000 0004 0407 1981Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ulrich L. M. Eisel
- grid.4830.f0000 0004 0407 1981Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wilhelmus H. I. M. Drinkenburg
- grid.4830.f0000 0004 0407 1981Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands ,grid.419619.20000 0004 0623 0341Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research & Development, a Division of Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, B-2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Eddy A. van der Zee
- grid.4830.f0000 0004 0407 1981Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martien J. H. Kas
- grid.4830.f0000 0004 0407 1981Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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12
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Sailer LL, Park AH, Galvez A, Ophir AG. Lateral septum DREADD activation alters male prairie vole prosocial and antisocial behaviors, not partner preferences. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1299. [PMID: 36435943 PMCID: PMC9701193 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04274-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Although much has been written on the topic of social behavior, many terms referring to different aspects of social behavior have become inappropriately conflated and the specific mechanisms governing them remains unclear. It is therefore critical that we disentangle the prosocial and antisocial elements associated with different forms of social behavior to fully understand the social brain. The lateral septum (LS) mediates social behaviors, emotional processes, and stress responses necessary for individuals to navigate day-to-day social interactions. The LS is particularly important in general and selective prosocial behavior (monogamy) but its role in how these two behavioral domains intersect is unclear. Here, we investigate the effects of chemogenetic-mediated LS activation on social responses in male prairie voles when they are 1) sex-naïve and generally affiliative and 2) after they become pair-bonded and display selective aggression. Amplifying neural activity in the LS augments same-sex social approach behaviors. Despite partner preference formation remaining unaltered, LS activation in pair-bonded males leads to reduced selective aggression while increasing social affiliative behaviors. These results suggest that LS activation alters behavior within certain social contexts, by increasing sex-naïve affiliative behaviors and reducing pair bonding-induced selective aggression with same-sex conspecifics, but not altering bonding with opposite-sex individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay L. Sailer
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Ashley H. Park
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Abigail Galvez
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Alexander G. Ophir
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
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13
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Djerdjaj A, Ng AJ, Rieger NS, Christianson JP. The basolateral amygdala to posterior insular cortex tract is necessary for social interaction with stressed juvenile rats. Behav Brain Res 2022; 435:114050. [PMID: 35973470 PMCID: PMC10440830 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Vocalizations, chemosignals, and behaviors are influenced by one's internal affective state and are used by others to shape social behaviors. A network of interconnected brain structures, often called the social behavior network or social decision-making network, integrates these stimuli and coordinates social behaviors, and in-network connectivity deficits underlie several psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. Here, we investigated the role of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and its projections to the posterior insular cortex, regions independently implicated in a range of sociocognitive processes, in a social affective preference (SAP) test. Viral vectors containing the gene coding for inhibitory chemogenetic receptors (AAV5-hSyn-hM4Di-mCherry) were injected into the BLA. SAP tests, which allow for the observation of unconditioned behavioral responses to the affective states of others, were conducted after inhibition of the BLA by systemic administration of the hM4Di agonist clozapine-n-oxide (CNO), or inhibition of BLA-insula terminals by direct infusion of CNO to the insula. After vehicle infusions, rats displayed preference for interactions with stressed juvenile conspecifics. However, CNO treatment eliminated preference behavior. The current results suggest that social decision making involves the transfer of emotional information from the BLA to the insula which represents a previously unrecognized anatomical substrate for social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Djerdjaj
- Boston College, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA.
| | - Alexandra J Ng
- Boston College, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Nathaniel S Rieger
- Boston College, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - John P Christianson
- Boston College, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
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14
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Kietzman HW, Trinoskey-Rice G, Blumenthal SA, Guo JD, Gourley SL. Social incentivization of instrumental choice in mice requires amygdala-prelimbic cortex-nucleus accumbens connectivity. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4768. [PMID: 35970891 PMCID: PMC9378688 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32388-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Social experiences influence decision making, including decision making lacking explicit social content, yet mechanistic factors are unclear. We developed a new procedure, social incentivization of future choice (SIFC). Female mice are trained to nose poke for equally-preferred foods, then one food is paired with a novel conspecific, and the other with a novel object. Mice later respond more for the conspecific-associated food. Thus, prior social experience incentivizes later instrumental choice. SIFC is pervasive, occurring following multiple types of social experiences, and is not attributable to warmth or olfactory cues alone. SIFC requires the prelimbic prefrontal cortex (PL), but not the neighboring orbitofrontal cortex. Further, inputs from the basolateral amygdala to the PL and outputs to the nucleus accumbens are necessary for SIFC, but not memory for a conspecific. Basolateral amygdala→PL connections may signal the salience of social information, leading to the prioritization of coincident rewards via PL→nucleus accumbens outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry W Kietzman
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Gracy Trinoskey-Rice
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sarah A Blumenthal
- Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jidong D Guo
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Shannon L Gourley
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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15
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Sailer LL, Patel PP, Park AH, Moon J, Hanadari-Levy A, Ophir AG. Synergistic consequences of early-life social isolation and chronic stress impact coping and neural mechanisms underlying male prairie vole susceptibility and resilience. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:931549. [PMID: 35957922 PMCID: PMC9358287 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.931549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress can be challenging, lead to maladaptive coping strategies, and cause negative mental and physical health outcomes. Early-life adversity exposes developing young to physical or psychological experiences that risks surpassing their capacity to effectively cope, thereby impacting their lifetime physical and mental wellbeing. Sensitivity to stressful events, like social isolation, has the potential to magnify stress-coping. Chronic stress through social defeat is an established paradigm that models adverse early-life experiences and can trigger enduring alterations in behavioral and neural phenotypes. To assess the degree to which stress resilience and sensitivity stemming from early-life chronic stress impact sociability, we exposed male prairie voles to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) during adolescence. We simultaneously exposed subjects to either social isolation (CSDS+Isol) or group housing (CSDS+Soc) during this crucial time of development. On PND41, all subjects underwent a social approach test to examine the immediate impact of isolation, CSDS, or their combined effects on sociability. Unlike the CSDS+Isol group which primarily displayed social avoidance, the CSDS+Soc group was split by individuals exhibiting susceptible or resilient stress phenotypes. Notably, the Control+Soc and CSDS+Soc animals and their cage-mates significantly gained body weight between PND31 and PND40, whereas the Control+Isol and CSDS+Isol animals did not. These results suggest that the effects of early-life stress may be mitigated by having access to social support. Vasopressin, oxytocin, and opioids and their receptors (avpr1a, oxtr, oprk1, oprm1, and oprd1) are known to modulate social and stress-coping behaviors in the lateral septum (LS). Therefore, we did an mRNA expression analysis with RT-qPCR of the avpr1a, oxtr, oprk1, oprm1, and oprd1 genes to show that isolation and CSDS, or their collective influence, can potentially differentially bias sensitivity of the LS to early-life stressors. Collectively, our study supports the impact and dimensionality of early-life adversity because the type (isolation vs. CSDS), duration (acute vs. chronic), and combination (isolation + CSDS) of stressors can dynamically alter behavioral and neural outcomes.
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16
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Yang Y, Li Q, Wang J, Liu Y, Xiao M, Luo L, Yi H, Yan Q, Li W, Chen H. The powerful brain: Neural correlates of sense of power and hope. Neuropsychologia 2022; 174:108317. [PMID: 35810881 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
A sense of power refers to the perception that one can control and influence others' states by providing or withholding valued resources in an asymmetrical way, and which has been associated with greater hope. However, little is known about the neural bases underlying this association. The present study aimed to examine these phenomena in 261 healthy adolescent students by assessing resting-state brain activity (i.e., the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations, ALFF) and connectivity (i.e., resting-state functional connectivity, RSFC). Whole-brain correlation analyses revealed that higher levels of perceived power were linked with reduced ALFF in the left thalamus and increased RSFC between the left thalamus and left superior temporal gyrus. Mediation analyses further showed that perceived power mediated the influence of the left thalamus activity on hope. Our results remained significant even after controlling for the head motion, age, and gender. Our findings contribute to the neurobiological basis of a sense of power and the neural mechanism underlying the relationship between a sense of power and hope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Yang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Qingqing Li
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Junjie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Yong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Mingyue Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Lin Luo
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Haijing Yi
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Qiaoling Yan
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Wei Li
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Hong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
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17
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Kashash Y, Smarsh G, Zilkha N, Yovel Y, Kimchi T. Alone, in the dark: The extraordinary neuroethology of the solitary blind mole rat. eLife 2022; 11:78295. [PMID: 35674717 PMCID: PMC9177142 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
On the social scale, the blind mole rat (BMR; Spalax ehrenbergi) is an extreme. It is exceedingly solitary, territorial, and aggressive. BMRs reside underground, in self-excavated tunnels that they rarely leave. They possess specialized sensory systems for social communication and navigation, which allow them to cope with the harsh environmental conditions underground. This review aims to present the blind mole rat as an ideal, novel neuroethological model for studying aggressive and solitary behaviors. We discuss the BMR's unique behavioral phenotype, particularly in the context of 'anti-social' behaviors, and review the available literature regarding its specialized sensory adaptations to the social and physical habitat. To date, the neurobiology of the blind mole rat remains mostly unknown and holds a promising avenue for scientific discovery. Unraveling the neural basis of the BMR's behavior, in comparison to that of social rodents, can shed important light on the underlying mechanisms of psychiatric disorders in humans, in which similar behaviors are displayed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Kashash
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Grace Smarsh
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.,School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Noga Zilkha
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yossi Yovel
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tali Kimchi
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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18
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Müller V. Neural Synchrony and Network Dynamics in Social Interaction: A Hyper-Brain Cell Assembly Hypothesis. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:848026. [PMID: 35572007 PMCID: PMC9101304 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.848026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mounting neurophysiological evidence suggests that interpersonal interaction relies on continual communication between cell assemblies within interacting brains and continual adjustments of these neuronal dynamic states between the brains. In this Hypothesis and Theory article, a Hyper-Brain Cell Assembly Hypothesis is suggested on the basis of a conceptual review of neural synchrony and network dynamics and their roles in emerging cell assemblies within the interacting brains. The proposed hypothesis states that such cell assemblies can emerge not only within, but also between the interacting brains. More precisely, the hyper-brain cell assembly encompasses and integrates oscillatory activity within and between brains, and represents a common hyper-brain unit, which has a certain relation to social behavior and interaction. Hyper-brain modules or communities, comprising nodes across two or several brains, are considered as one of the possible representations of the hypothesized hyper-brain cell assemblies, which can also have a multidimensional or multilayer structure. It is concluded that the neuronal dynamics during interpersonal interaction is brain-wide, i.e., it is based on common neuronal activity of several brains or, more generally, of the coupled physiological systems including brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor Müller
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
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19
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Forero SA, Ophir AG. Multi-Level Effects Driving Cognitive and Behavioral Variability among Prairie Voles: Insights into Reproductive Decision-Making from Biological Levels of Organization. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2022; 97:225-240. [PMID: 35051922 PMCID: PMC9256755 DOI: 10.1159/000522109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral phenotypes play an active role in maximizing fitness and shaping the evolutionary trajectory of species by offsetting the ecological and social environmental factors individuals experience. How these phenotypes evolve and how they are expressed is still a major question in ethology today. In recent years, an increased focus on the mechanisms that regulate the interactions between an individual and its environment has offered novel insights into the expression of alternative phenotypes. In this review, we explore the proximate mechanisms driving the expression of alternative reproductive phenotypes in the male prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) as one example of how the interaction of an individual's social context and internal milieu has the potential to alter behavior, cognition, and reproductive decision-making. Ultimately, integrating the physiological and psychological mechanisms of behavior advances understanding into how variation in behavior arises. We take a "levels of biological organization" approach, with prime focus placed on the level of the organism to discuss how cognitive processes emerge as traits, and how they can be studied as important mechanisms driving the expression of behavior.
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20
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Been LE, Sheppard PAS, Galea LAM, Glasper ER. Hormones and neuroplasticity: A lifetime of adaptive responses. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:679-690. [PMID: 34808191 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Major life transitions often co-occur with significant fluctuations in hormones that modulate the central nervous system. These hormones enact neuroplastic mechanisms that prepare an organism to respond to novel environmental conditions and/or previously unencountered cognitive, emotional, and/or behavioral demands. In this review, we will explore several examples of how hormones mediate neuroplastic changes in order to produce adaptive responses, particularly during transitions in life stages. First, we will explore hormonal influences on social recognition in both males and females as they transition to sexual maturity. Next, we will probe the role of hormones in mediating the transitions to motherhood and fatherhood, respectively. Finally, we will survey the long-term impact of reproductive experience on neuroplasticity in females, including potential protective effects and risk factors associated with reproductive experience in mid-life and beyond. Ultimately, a more complete understanding of how hormones influence neuroplasticity throughout the lifespan, beyond development, is necessary for understanding how individuals respond to life changes in adaptive ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Been
- Department of Psychology, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA, 19041, USA.
| | - Paul A S Sheppard
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada.
| | - Liisa A M Galea
- Department of Psychology, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - Erica R Glasper
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742 USA.
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21
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Báez-Mendoza R, Vázquez Y, Mastrobattista EP, Williams ZM. Neuronal Circuits for Social Decision-Making and Their Clinical Implications. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:720294. [PMID: 34658766 PMCID: PMC8517320 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.720294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social living facilitates individual access to rewards, cognitive resources, and objects that would not be otherwise accessible. There are, however, some drawbacks to social living, particularly when competing for scarce resources. Furthermore, variability in our ability to make social decisions can be associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. The neuronal mechanisms underlying social decision-making are beginning to be understood. The momentum to study this phenomenon has been partially carried over by the study of economic decision-making. Yet, because of the similarities between these different types of decision-making, it is unclear what is a social decision. Here, we propose a definition of social decision-making as choices taken in a context where one or more conspecifics are involved in the decision or the consequences of it. Social decisions can be conceptualized as complex economic decisions since they are based on the subjective preferences between different goods. During social decisions, individuals choose based on their internal value estimate of the different alternatives. These are complex decisions given that conspecifics beliefs or actions could modify the subject's internal valuations at every choice. Here, we first review recent developments in our collective understanding of the neuronal mechanisms and circuits of social decision-making in primates. We then review literature characterizing populations with neuropsychiatric disorders showing deficits in social decision-making and the underlying neuronal circuitries associated with these deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymundo Báez-Mendoza
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Yuriria Vázquez
- Laboratory of Neural Systems, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Emma P. Mastrobattista
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ziv M. Williams
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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22
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Methods and Challenges in Investigating Sex-Specific Consequences of Social Stressors in Adolescence in Rats: Is It the Stress or the Social or the Stage of Development? Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2021; 54:23-58. [PMID: 34455576 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a time of social learning and social restructuring that is accompanied by changes in both the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The activation of these axes by puberty and stressors, respectively, shapes adolescent development. Models of social stress in rats are used to understand the consequences of perturbations of the social environment for ongoing brain development. This paper reviews the challenges in investigating the sex-specific consequences of social stressors, sex differences in the models of social stress used in rats and the sex-specific effects on behaviour and provides an overview of sex differences in HPA responding to stressors, the variability in pubertal development and in strains of rats that require consideration in conducting such research, and directions for future research.
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23
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Zilkha N, Sofer Y, Kashash Y, Kimchi T. The social network: Neural control of sex differences in reproductive behaviors, motivation, and response to social isolation. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 68:137-151. [PMID: 33910083 PMCID: PMC8528716 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Social animal species present a vast repertoire of social interactions when encountering conspecifics. Reproduction-related behaviors, such as mating, parental care, and aggression, are some of the most rewarding types of social interactions and are also the most sexually dimorphic ones. This review focuses on rodent species and summarizes recent advances in neuroscience research that link sexually dimorphic reproductive behaviors to sexual dimorphism in their underlying neuronal circuits. Specifically, we present a few possible mechanisms governing sexually-dimorphic behaviors, by hypothalamic and reward-related brain regions. Sex differences in the neural response to social isolation in adulthood are also discussed, as well as future directions for comparative studies with naturally solitary species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noga Zilkha
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Yizhak Sofer
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Yael Kashash
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Tali Kimchi
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
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24
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Lee W, Dowd HN, Nikain C, Dwortz MF, Yang ED, Curley JP. Effect of relative social rank within a social hierarchy on neural activation in response to familiar or unfamiliar social signals. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2864. [PMID: 33536481 PMCID: PMC7859216 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82255-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Competent social functioning of group-living species relies on the ability of individuals to detect and utilize conspecific social cues to guide behavior. Previous studies have identified numerous brain regions involved in processing these external cues, collectively referred to as the Social Decision-Making Network. However, how the brain encodes social information with respect to an individual's social status has not been thoroughly examined. In mice, cues about an individual's identity, including social status, are conveyed through urinary proteins. In this study, we assessed the neural cFos immunoreactivity in dominant and subordinate male mice exposed to familiar and unfamiliar dominant and subordinate male urine. The posteroventral medial amygdala was the only brain region that responded exclusively to dominant compared to subordinate male urine. In all other brain regions, including the VMH, PMv, and vlPAG, activity is modulated by a combination of odor familiarity and the social status of both the urine donor and the subject receiving the cue. We show that dominant subjects exhibit robust differential activity across different types of cues compared to subordinate subjects, suggesting that individuals perceive social cues differently depending on social experience. These data inform further investigation of neurobiological mechanisms underlying social-status related brain differences and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won Lee
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Hollie N Dowd
- School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Cyrus Nikain
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Eilene D Yang
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - James P Curley
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
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25
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Vega-Trejo R, Boussard A, Wallander L, Estival E, Buechel SD, Kotrschal A, Kolm N. Artificial selection for schooling behaviour and its effects on associative learning abilities. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb235093. [PMID: 33139392 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.235093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of collective behaviour has been proposed to have important effects on individual cognitive abilities. Yet, in what way they are related remains enigmatic. In this context, the 'distributed cognition' hypothesis suggests that reliance on other group members relaxes selection for individual cognitive abilities. Here, we tested how cognitive processes respond to evolutionary changes in collective motion using replicate lines of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) artificially selected for the degree of schooling behaviour (group polarization) with >15% difference in schooling propensity. We assessed associative learning in females of these selection lines in a series of cognitive assays: colour associative learning, reversal learning, social associative learning, and individual and collective spatial associative learning. We found that control females were faster than polarization-selected females at fulfilling a learning criterion only in the colour associative learning assay, but they were also less likely to reach a learning criterion in the individual spatial associative learning assay. Hence, although testing several cognitive domains, we found weak support for the distributed cognition hypothesis. We propose that any cognitive implications of selection for collective behaviour lie outside of the cognitive abilities included in food-motivated associative learning for visual and spatial cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina Vega-Trejo
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Annika Boussard
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lotta Wallander
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elisa Estival
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Séverine D Buechel
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alexander Kotrschal
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Animal Sciences: Behavioural Ecology, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 WD Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Niclas Kolm
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
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Ike KG, de Boer SF, Buwalda B, Kas MJ. Social withdrawal: An initially adaptive behavior that becomes maladaptive when expressed excessively. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 116:251-267. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Giannakopoulos P, Rodriguez C, Montandon ML, Garibotto V, Haller S, Herrmann FR. Personality Factors' Impact on the Structural Integrity of Mentalizing Network in Old Age: A Combined PET-MRI Study. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:552037. [PMID: 33312132 PMCID: PMC7704441 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.552037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The mentalizing network (MN) treats social interactions based on our understanding of other people's intentions and includes the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), temporoparietal junction (TPJ), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), precuneus (PC), and amygdala. Not all elders are equally affected by the aging-related decrease of mentalizing abilities. Personality has recently emerged as a strong determinant of functional connectivity in MN areas. However, its impact on volumetric changes across the MN in brain aging is still unknown. To address this issue, we explored the determinants of volume decrease in MN components including amyloid burden, personality, and APOE genotyping in a previously established cohort of 130 healthy elders with a mean follow-up of 54 months. Personality was assessed with the Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Personality Inventory-Revised. Regression models corrected for multiple comparisons were used to identify predictors of volume loss including time, age, sex, personality, amyloid load, presence of APOE epsilon 4 allele, and cognitive evolution. In cases with higher Agreeableness scores, there were lower volume losses in PCC, PC, and amygdala bilaterally. This was also the case for the right mPFC in elders displaying lower Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. In multiple regression models, the effect of Agreeableness was still observed in left PC and right amygdala and that of Conscientiousness was still observed in right mPFC volume loss (26.3% of variability, significant age and sex). Several Agreeableness (Modesty) and Conscientiousness (order, dutifulness, achievement striving, and self-discipline) facets were positively related to increased volume loss in cortical components of the MN. In conclusion, these data challenge the beneficial role of higher levels of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness in old age, showing that they are associated with an increased rate of volume loss within the MN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panteleimon Giannakopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Medical Direction, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Cristelle Rodriguez
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Medical Direction, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marie-Louise Montandon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Medical Direction, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Readaptation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Valentina Garibotto
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Diagnostic Department, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.,Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sven Haller
- Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,CIRD - Centre d'Imagerie Rive Droite, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Surgical Sciences, Radiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - François R Herrmann
- Department of Readaptation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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