Affiliative behaviours regulate allostasis development and shape biobehavioural trajectories in horses

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Animal Behaviour
• Developmental Biology

Background:

• Social interactions significantly influence offspring development, with early adversity linked to negative outcomes.
• The specific impact of affiliative behaviors on long-term offspring development is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how prolonged maternal presence affects brain maturation and behavioral development in domestic horses (Equus caballus).

Main Methods:

• Utilized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and longitudinal biobehavioral assessments.
• Employed advanced multivariate statistical modeling to analyze data.

Main Results:

• Prolonged maternal presence correlated with enhanced maturation of brain regions associated with social behavior (anterior cingulate cortex, retrosplenial cortex) and physiological regulation (hypothalamus, amygdala).
• Offspring with extended maternal contact exhibited increased default mode network connectivity, superior social and feeding behaviors, and higher circulating lipid levels (triglyceride, cholesterol).

Conclusions:

• Early social interactions, specifically prolonged maternal presence, play a vital role in the development of allostatic regulation in offspring.
• Findings in horses provide insights into the neurobiological underpinnings of social development and its long-term consequences.