Maturation of social adaptation circuits from ontogeny to pathology

From birth to adulthood, the social environment is highly dynamic; an individual faces specific social situations based on its developmental needs and those of its social group. Transitioning from one stage of development to another requires adjustment of social behaviors. Our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying these behavioral changes at each developmental stage is incomplete. Yet, it is a critical information to understand how social pathology can arise, especially as many disorders marked by social deficits emerge prior to adulthood. Here, we review some of the mechanisms that have been recently highlighted based on rodent models. We also discuss how disruptions of these processes can produce pathological social trajectories. Our overall goals are to highlight the dynamic nature of social behaviors across early life, the complex mechanisms that underly these changes, and the importance of distinct developmental stages as critical steeping stones toward an adult social phenotype that enables successful navigation of the challenges of an adult life.