DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Possible Neural Mechanisms for Steroidal Control of Aggressive Behavior in Adult Individuals

成人的大脑具有变化能力（可塑性），其结构的改变可能导致所表现行为的变化：结构-功能假说。然而，尽管神经可塑性是神经科学的一个重要主题，但其在动物行为研究中的结合受到限制。这项建议的目的是评估睾丸激素依赖的大脑结构变化是否决定神经活动和由此产生的攻击行为。所采用的方法包括分期攻击遭遇，改变和测量激素水平，测量大脑区域，以及使用免疫细胞化学方法标记和识别在攻击遭遇中被激活的大脑区域。这项研究的可行性很高，因为所有这些方法都是在研究者的实验室建立的。证明神经结构对攻击性的影响将使科学界受益，从而使后续研究能够识别和操纵激素引起的确切神经改变。然后，研究人员可以应用这种方法，将激素引起的行为变化与其他神经结构的变化联系起来。该提案的影响包括应用于管理和保护计划，其中社会和环境变量可能影响激素水平。这种方法也可用于评估环境中人为变化对激素水平、神经结构和行为的影响。研究结果将在主要会议上发表和展示。

The adult brain is capable of change (plasticity) and alterations in its structure may lead to changes in exhibited behavior: The Structure-Function Hypothesis. However, although neural plasticity is an important theme in neuroscience, its incorporation within animal behavior research has been limited. The goal of this proposal is to assess whether testosterone-dependent changes in brain structure determine neural activity and resultant aggressive behavior. Methods employed involve staging aggressive encounters, altering and measuring hormone levels, measuring brain regions, and using immunocytochemical methods to tag and identification brain regions that are activated during aggressive encounters. The feasibility of this research is high as all of these methods are established in the investigator's laboratory. Demonstrating effects of neural structure on aggression would benefit the scientific community by allowing subsequent research both identifying and manipulating the exact neural alterations induced by hormones. Researchers could then apply such an approach to relating hormone-induced changes in behavior with changes in other neural structures. Impacts of this proposal include applications to management and conservation programs, where social and environmental variables may affect hormone levels. This approach can also be used when assessing impacts of anthropogenic change in the environment on hormone level, neural structure, and behavior. Results will be published and presented at major conferences.