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Minocycline modulates human social decision-making: possible impact of microglia on personality-oriented social

Takahiro A Kato1, Motoki Watabe, Sho Tsuboi

  • 1Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. takahiro@npsych.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp

Plos One
|July 19, 2012
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Minocycline, a microglial inhibitor, shifted decision-making from personality to situation in healthy males. This suggests microglia influence social behavior and personality, warranting further research.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Microglia, immune cells in the brain, are implicated in psychiatric disorders and monitor neural activity.
  • Their role in healthy human social and mental functions is largely unknown.
  • Minocycline, a known microglial inhibitor, offers a potential tool to study these functions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of minocycline on social decision-making in healthy adult males.
  • To explore the underlying mechanisms involving anxiety and personality traits.
  • To clarify the role of microglia in human social behavior and personality.

Main Methods:

  • A double-blind, randomized trial involving 99 adult males.
  • Four-day administration of minocycline or placebo.
  • Assessment using a trust game (monetary decision-making experiment), anxiety, and personality measures.

Main Results:

  • Minocycline significantly reduced monetary scores in the trust game.
  • Decision-making shifted from being personality-modulated (cooperativeness) in the placebo group to anxiety and trustworthiness-modulated in the minocycline group.
  • This indicates minocycline promotes situation-oriented decision-making.

Conclusions:

  • Minocycline may suppress personality traits, leading to more situation-dependent social behavior.
  • Microglia could play a role in modulating human personality and social behaviors.
  • Further translational research is necessary to elucidate these microglial mechanisms.

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