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Updated: Apr 11, 2026
07:34
Culture of Neurospheres Derived from the Neurogenic Niches in Adult Prairie Voles
Published on: June 10, 2020
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Pair bonding sex-specifically improves object recognition memory in monogamous prairie vole
Hana Iwai1, Chisato Otsuki1, Yume Kobayashi2
1Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22 Showa, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8514, Japan.
Physiology & Behavior
|April 9, 2026
Summary
Social bonding enhances object recognition memory in prairie voles. Pair bonding alters neural circuit activity in a sex-dependent manner, particularly in frontal brain regions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Biology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Intimate social relationships are increasingly recognized for their ability to modulate cognitive functions.
- The precise mechanisms by which social bonding influences cognition, especially memory and neural circuit activity, remain largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of pair bonding on cognitive functions, specifically object recognition memory.
- To examine the sex-dependent effects of social bonding on neural circuit activity in the prairie vole model.
Main Methods:
- Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) were studied in pair-bonded and same-sex cohabitation conditions.
- Cognitive function was assessed using novel object recognition and novel location recognition tests.
- Neural activity was quantified by measuring c-Fos expression in 14 brain regions and analyzing interregional correlations.
Main Results:
- Pair bonding enhanced object recognition memory, with females showing a significant preference index above chance.
- No significant differences in absolute c-Fos-positive cell counts were observed between groups.
- Pair bonding modulated interregional correlations in c-Fos expression, with distinct sex-dependent patterns and a shared frontal cortex correlation pattern.
Conclusions:
- Pair bonding positively influences object recognition memory in prairie voles.
- Social bonding induces sex-specific alterations in neural circuit activity underlying cognitive functions.
- Frontal brain regions show coordinated activity changes associated with pair bonding in both sexes.
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