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Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Quantification of Social Behavior in Adult Rats
Published on: December 14, 2014
Maternal touch moderates sex differences in juvenile social play behavior
Michelle N Edelmann1, Catherine H Demers, Anthony P Auger
1Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
Plos One
|March 6, 2013
Summary
Gentle touch in early life can shape social play behavior and brain chemistry in juvenile rodents. This study found that increased somatosensory contact reduced male social play and altered specific brain receptor levels.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Early life somatosensory contact, like maternal touch, is crucial for infant development.
- While beneficial for immediate developmental scores, the long-term effects of enhanced somatosensory contact are not fully understood.
- Maternal care in rodents has been shown to influence the programming of juvenile social play behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the lasting consequences of additional somatosensory contact on juvenile social play behavior.
- To examine the sex-dependent effects of enhanced somatosensory contact on social play.
- To explore the neurobiological underpinnings, specifically serotonin 5HT2a receptor mRNA levels in the amygdala, affected by early somatosensory stimulation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a rodent model with controlled levels of somatosensory contact simulating enhanced maternal care.
- Assessed juvenile social play behavior in offspring exposed to varying levels of somatosensory stimuli.
- Quantified serotonin 5HT2a receptor mRNA levels in the amygdala of juvenile rodents.
Main Results:
- Additional somatosensory contact led to lasting changes in juvenile social play behavior in a sex-dependent manner.
- Males exposed to increased somatosensory stimuli exhibited reduced social play behavior, while females showed no significant change.
- Males receiving additional somatosensory contact displayed higher serotonin 5HT2a receptor mRNA levels in the amygdala compared to controls, a pattern not observed in females.
Conclusions:
- Maternal touch and somatosensory stimulation can program enduring alterations in juvenile social play behavior.
- These lasting effects are sex-dependent, impacting males more significantly than females.
- Early somatosensory contact influences neurobiological pathways, such as serotonin signaling in the amygdala, which are associated with social behavior regulation.
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