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Ham JR, Pellis SM. Play partner preferences among groups of unfamiliar juvenile male rats. Sci Rep 2024; 14:16056. [PMID: 38992171 PMCID: PMC11239858 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66988-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Like many mammals, as juveniles, rats engage in play fighting, which in the laboratory is typically studied in dyads, and consequently, it is the researcher who determines a rat's play partner. In real-life conditions, a rat would have many partners with whom to play. In a previous study, we found that rats do prefer to play with some individuals more than others, and surprisingly, when given the choice, unfamiliar partners are preferred to familiar ones. In this study, we assessed partner choice when all the available partners are strangers. Eight groups of six unfamiliar juvenile male rats were observed for 10 min play trials. One of the six in each group was selected as the 'focal' rat and his play towards, and received by, the others were scored. Social networks revealed that five of the eight groups formed preferences, with preferred partners also engaging in more play with the focal rat. The mechanism by which these preferences were formed remains to be determined, but it seems that there are individual differences, potentially in the amount and style of play, that allow an individual to select the most suitable partner from a group of strangers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson R Ham
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Sergio M Pellis
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
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2
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Liu Q, Radchenko M, Špinka M. Disentangling developmental effects of play aspects in rat rough-and-tumble play. Biol Lett 2024; 20:20240037. [PMID: 38808945 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2024.0037] [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: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal play encompasses a variety of aspects, with kinematic and social aspects being particularly prevalent in mammalian play behaviour. While the developmental effects of play have been increasingly documented in recent decades, understanding the specific contributions of different play aspects remains crucial to understand the function and evolutionary benefit of animal play. In our study, developing male rats were exposed to rough-and-tumble play selectively reduced in either the kinematic or the social aspect. We then assessed the developmental effects of reduced play on their appraisal of standardized human-rat play ('tickling') by examining their emission of 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). Using a deep learning framework, we efficiently classified five subtypes of these USVs across six behavioural states. Our results revealed that rats lacking the kinematic aspect in play emitted fewer USVs during tactile contacts by human and generally produced fewer USVs of positive valence compared with control rats. Rats lacking the social aspect did not differ from the control and the kinematically reduced group. These results indicate aspects of play have different developmental effects, underscoring the need for researchers to further disentangle how each aspect affects animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quanxiao Liu
- Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences , Prague, Czechia
| | - Mariia Radchenko
- Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences , Prague, Czechia
| | - Marek Špinka
- Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences , Prague, Czechia
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Achterberg EJM, Vanderschuren LJMJ. The neurobiology of social play behaviour: Past, present and future. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105319. [PMID: 37454882 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Social play behaviour is a highly energetic and rewarding activity that is of great importance for the development of brain and behaviour. Social play is abundant during the juvenile and early adolescent phases of life, and it occurs in most mammalian species, as well as in certain birds and reptiles. To date, the majority of research into the neural mechanisms of social play behaviour has been performed in male rats. In the present review we summarize studies on the neurobiology of social play behaviour in rats, including work on pharmacological and genetic models for autism spectrum disorders, early life manipulations and environmental factors that influence play in rats. We describe several recent developments that expand the field, and highlight outstanding questions that may guide future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- E J Marijke Achterberg
- Dept. of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Louk J M J Vanderschuren
- Dept. of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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Parsons MH, Stryjek R, Fendt M, Kiyokawa Y, Bebas P, Blumstein DT. Making a case for the free exploratory paradigm: animal welfare-friendly assays that enhance heterozygosity and ecological validity. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1228478. [PMID: 37600759 PMCID: PMC10436217 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1228478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael H. Parsons
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Rafal Stryjek
- Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Markus Fendt
- Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Yasushi Kiyokawa
- Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Piotr Bebas
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Daniel T. Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Bogdan R, Kayumova R, Schwarting RKW, Wöhr M, Kisko TM. Wildtype peers rescue social play and 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalization deficits in juvenile female Cacna1c heterozygous rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1190272. [PMID: 37600756 PMCID: PMC10435996 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1190272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Healthy brain development depends on early social practices and experiences. The risk gene CACNA1C is implicated in numerous neuropsychiatric disorders, in which key characteristics include deficits in social functioning and communication. Recently, we reported sex-dependent impairments in social behavior and ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) in juvenile heterozygous Cacna1c+/- (HET) rats. Specifically, HET females displayed increases in rough-and-tumble play that eliminated the typically observed sex difference between male and female rats. Interestingly, female wild-type Cacna1c+/+ (WT) pairs also showed a similar increase in social play when housed with HET females, suggesting their behavior may be influenced by HET cage mates. This indicates that the genetic makeup of the social environment related to Cacna1c can influence social play, yet systematic studies are lacking. Methods In the present study, we housed juvenile females in MIXED- or SAME-genotype cages and tested them in a social play paradigm with a same- and opposite-genotype partner. Results The results show that the early social environment and the genotype of the play partner influence social play and 50-kHz USV emission. Experience with a WT play partner appears necessary for HET females to show comparable levels of play and 50-kHz USV emission. Same-genotype HET pairs played less and emitted fewer 50-kHz USV than same-genotype WT or opposite-genotype pairs; however, we found that the decrease in social play and 50-kHz USV in HET pairs can be rescued by playing with a WT partner. The effect was particularly prominent when the first play partner was WT, as we found it increased play and 50-kHz USV emission in all subsequent interactions with ensuing partners. Conclusion These findings suggest that the genetic makeup related to the social environment and/or social peers influences social play in Cacna1c+/- haploinsufficient rats. Specifically, our results show that WT peers can rescue behavior and communication alterations in Cacna1c female rats. Our findings have important implications because they show that the genetic makeup of the social environment can divulge phenotypic changes in genetic rat models of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Bogdan
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Rukhshona Kayumova
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Rainer K. W. Schwarting
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Centre for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Markus Wöhr
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Centre for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Social and Affective Neuroscience Research Group, Laboratory of Biological Psychology, Research Unit Brain and Cognition, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Theresa M. Kisko
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Centre for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Social and Affective Neuroscience Research Group, Laboratory of Biological Psychology, Research Unit Brain and Cognition, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Caruana F, Palagi E, de Waal FBM. Cracking the laugh code: laughter through the lens of biology, psychology and neuroscience. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20220159. [PMID: 36126666 PMCID: PMC9489298 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Fausto Caruana
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Volturno 39/E, 43125 Parma, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Unit of Ethology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, via A. Volta 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy
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Davila-Ross M, Palagi E. Laughter, play faces and mimicry in animals: evolution and social functions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210177. [PMID: 36126662 PMCID: PMC9489294 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Human laughter and laugh faces show similarities in morphology and function with animal playful expressions. To better understand primordial uses and effects of human laughter and laugh faces, it is important to examine these positive expressions in animals from both homologous and analogous systems. Phylogenetic research on hominids provided empirical evidence on shared ancestry across these emotional expressions, including human laughter and laugh faces. In addition, playful expressions of animals, in general, arguably have a key role in the development of social cognitive skills, a role that may help explain their polyphyletic history. The present work examines the evolution and function of playful expressions in primates and other animals. As part of this effort, we also coded for muscle activations of six carnivore taxa with regard to their open-mouth faces of play; our findings provide evidence that these carnivore expressions are homologues of primate open-mouth faces of play. Furthermore, our work discusses how the expressions of animal play may communicate positive emotions to conspecifics and how the motor resonance of these expressions increases affiliation and bonding between the subjects, resembling in a number of ways the important social-emotional effects that laughter and laugh faces have in humans. This article is part of the theme issue 'Cracking the laugh code: laughter through the lens of biology, psychology and neuroscience'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Davila-Ross
- Psychology Department, King Henry Building, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK
| | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Department of Biology, Ethology Unit, University of Pisa, Via A. Volta 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy
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