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Recording Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalizations to Evaluate Social Communication
Published on: June 5, 2016
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Ultrasound Communications Reveal Social Aversion in Rats With Contact Motivation Deficits but not Anhedonia
Anastasiya A Rebik1, Nadezda D Broshevitskaya2, Vyacheslav D Riga3
1Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Human Higher Nervous Activity, 117865 Moscow, Russia.
Alpha Psychiatry
|July 9, 2025
Summary
Krushinsky-Molodkina (KM) rats, models for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with epilepsy, display social aversion through increased ultrasonic vocalizations. This social avoidance is not linked to anhedonia, suggesting a specific emotional response in these rats.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Animal Models
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Animal models are crucial for understanding human diseases.
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by social deficits and often co-occurs with epilepsy.
- Krushinsky-Molodkina (KM) rats exhibit latent epilepsy and autistic-like behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate social deficits in KM rats.
- Analyze ultrasonic vocalizations during social interaction.
- Determine if social aversion in KM rats is linked to anhedonia.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the three-chamber test for social preference in KM and Wistar rats.
- Recorded and analyzed ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) during social interaction.
- Assessed sucrose preference to evaluate anhedonia in a separate cohort.
Main Results:
- KM rats emitted significantly longer durations of aversive USVs during sociability tests.
- Aversive USVs correlated positively with freezing behavior, indicating distress.
- KM rats did not show reduced sucrose preference; they exhibited increased daytime consumption.
Conclusions:
- KM rats experience negative emotional states during social interactions, shown by vocalizations and avoidance.
- The observed social aversion in KM rats is independent of anhedonia.
- This model provides insights into the complex interplay of social deficits and epilepsy in ASD.
