Juvenile social isolation in Sprague Dawley rats does not have a lasting impact on social behavior in adulthood

Adolescent social interactions are essential for shaping adult behavior in humans. While rodent studies have highlighted the impact of social isolation on behavior, many extend isolation into adulthood, making it challenging to pinpoint the long-term consequences of juvenile isolation. To address these challenges, we examined the effects of social isolation using two independent protocols with male and female Sprague Dawley rats. In both prfotocols, rats were isolated during the juvenile stage; however, in one protocol, rats were re-socialized following isolation and tested in adulthood, while in the other, rats were tested immediately after isolation. This approach allowed us to determine whether social deficits emerged following adolescent isolation and if they could be reversed by re-socialization before adulthood. We found that juvenile isolation had no lasting effects but increased motivation for social interaction immediately after isolation. These findings underscore the need to account for housing conditions and isolation protocols when assessing the effects of social isolation.