Author ' s personal copy The neurobiology of social attachment : A comparative approach to behavioral , neuroanatomical , and neurochemical studies ☆
Author ' s personal copy The neurobiology of social attachment : A comparative approach to behavioral , neuroanatomical , and neurochemical studies ☆
复制标题
DOI:
--
复制
发表时间:
2008
期刊:
影响因子:
--
通讯作者:
K. Young;Yan Liu;Zuoxin Wang
中科院分区:
文献类型:
--
作者:
K. Young;Yan Liu;Zuoxin Wang
In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t The formation and maintenance of social bonds in adulthood is an essential component of human health. However studies investigating the underlying neurobiology of such behaviors have been scarce. Microtine rodents offer a unique comparative animal model to explore the neural processes responsible for pair bonding and its associated behaviors. Studies using monogamous prairie voles and other related species have recently offered insight into the neuroanatomical, neurobiological, and neurochemical underpinnings of social attachment. In this review, we will discuss the utility of the microtine rodents in comparative studies by exploring their natural history and social behavior in the laboratory. We will then summarize the data implicating vasopressin, oxytocin, and dopamine in the regulation of pair bonding. Finally, we will discuss the ways in which these neurochemical systems may interact to mediate this complex behavior. Social behavior involves complex interactions between individuals and is displayed, in varying degrees, throughout the animal kingdom. Mating and aggression, for example, are common to species that display disparate life strategies, while the formation of strong bonds between adults and the bi-parental care of offspring are generally only displayed by species that follow monogamous life strategies. The formation of strong social bonds is essential for individual well-being, and in humans, is a critical component of mental health. As such, an inability to do so is used as a diagnostic component of various psychological disorders, including autism, social anxiety, and schizo-phrenia (Volkmar, 2001). Study of the neurobiology underlying social bonding may provide insight into the causes and treatment of such disorders. Although various animal models have been developed to study social behaviors ubiquitous to mammalian species, including mating, maternal care, and aggression (Seay et al. Trainor, 2007), the formation of strong bonds between mating pairs (pair bonding), and behaviors associated with these bonds, such as mate guarding (selective aggression) and paternal care, have been understudied, perhaps due to the lack of appropriate animal models. These behaviors are relatively uncommon in the animal kingdom, and in mammals are only displayed by the 3–5% of species that are monogamous (Kleiman, 1977). …