Sex Differences in the Neural Control of Social Behavior

本项目旨在了解性别差异在社会行为神经控制中的作用， 聚焦于男性与女性大脑中更高水平的血管加压素表达。这是最 一直发现脊椎动物之间的性别差异，最好的理解是在功能方面， 成年动物这项拨款将研究加压素神经支配的性别差异是否有助于 社会行为的展示和控制的性别差异。我们将利用新的强大的 遗传学方法使我们能够特异性地靶向加压素细胞。第一个目标是测试 去除终纹床核和内侧核内的性二型加压素细胞 杏仁核对男女性社会行为的影响不同。第二个目标是测试 这些细胞的抑制或兴奋是否会改变男性和女性不同的社会行为。的 第三个目标是识别这些细胞的输入和输出，通过以下方式开始理解神经回路： 后叶加压素对男性和女性的社会行为的影响不同。理解大脑如何 正如许多行为障碍所显示的那样， 发病率的显著性别差异。大脑的性别分化可能有助于这些 差异虽然最近在理解神经基础方面取得了重大进展， 成年后的社会行为，这种行为在男性和女性中是如何不同地控制的， 大，未知。这笔赠款将解决这些问题。

This project aims to understand the function of sex differences in neural control of social behavior by focusing on the higher level of vasopressin expression in male versus female brains. This is the most consistently found sex difference among vertebrates, and the best understood in terms of function in adult animals. This grant will study whether the sex difference in vasopressin innervation contributes to sex differences in the display and control of social behavior. We will take advantage of new powerful genetic approaches that allows us to target vasopressin cells specifically. The first aim is to test whether removal of the sexually dimorphic vasopressin cells in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and medial amygdaloid nucleus affects social behavior differently in males and females. The second aim is to test whether inhibition or excitation of these cells alters social behavior differently in males and females. The third aim is to identify the in- and outputs of these cells, to begin to understand the neural circuitry via which vasopressin affects social behavior differently in males and females. Understanding how the brain controls social behavior differently in males and females is important as many behavioral disorders show striking sex differences in morbidity. Sexual differentiation of the brain likely contributes to these differences. Although recently major advances have been made in understanding the neural basis of social behavior in adulthood, how such behavior is controlled differently in males and females is, by and large, unknown. This grant will address these issues.