Neural Mechanisms of Dominance Behavior

9423846爱德华兹 大脑和行为之间的关系是一种动态的双向互动。 生物学家希望了解大脑如何产生行为，以及行为环境如何对大脑产生影响。 众所周知，社会行为会对大脑产生影响（因此也会对其他行为产生影响），但这种相互作用的机制在很大程度上是未知的。 在这项研究中，爱德华兹博士和他的同事们将研究动物的优势地位如何影响神经系统的化学物质以及随后明确定义的行为（如逃跑）的表达。 大脑中的化学物质血清素可以改变逃避行为。 爱德华兹博士的研究小组有证据表明，血清素对脑细胞介导逃避的影响在占主导地位的动物和从属动物中有着根本不同的方式。 5-羟色胺的差异效应的机制将在确定的细胞和5-羟色胺受体的特定亚型的水平上进行分析。 这项工作将为社会行为和大脑功能相互作用的途径提供新的见解。 ***

9423846 Edwards The relationship between the brain and behavior is a dynamic two-way interaction. Biologists would like to understand both how the brain generates behaviors, and also how behavioral contexts produce effects on the brain. It is well-known that social behaviors produce effects on the brain (and therefore other behaviors), but the mechanisms for such interactions is largely unknown. In this grant Dr. Edwards and his colleagues will examine how the dominance status of animals impacts the chemistry of the nervous system and the subsequent expression of well-defined behaviors such as escape. The brain chemical serotonin can modify escape behavior. Dr. Edwards group has evidence that serotonin's effects on brain cells mediating escape vary in fundamentally different ways in dominant animals versus subordinate animals. The mechanisms for serotonin's differential effects will be analyzed at the level of identified cells and specific subtypes of the serotonin receptor. This work will provide new inqights into the pathways by which social behavior and brain function interact. ***