OXYTOCIN AND SOCIAL ATTACHMENT

尽管相当多的研究都集中在神经系统上， 社会分离的基质，相对而言知之甚少 的 社会依恋的神经生物学 该提案侧重于一个 一妻 啮齿动物，草原田鼠（Microtus ochrogaster）， 杰出 通过形成选择性的、持久的社会依恋或配对 债券 有几条证据表明中枢催产素（OT）通路 在 草原田鼠的配对结合 OT增加和选择性OT 拮抗剂降低了雌性草原中交配诱导的配对结合 田鼠 通过对伴侣偏好的发展来衡量。 我们提出 四 新的研究调查OT促进的机制 社会 附件. 第一项研究扩展了早期关于 的 草原田鼠配对结合的影响， 的 在草原田鼠大脑中的OT通路上交配。 本实验 将 比较一夫一妻制的草原田鼠和非一夫一妻制的山地田鼠 （M. montanus），它们表现出类似的交配行为模式，但 到 形成持久的、有选择性的社会依恋。 第二项研究将 扩展了早期用OT阻断成键的结果 通过使用OT拮抗剂的位点特异性注射， 将对社会依恋至关重要的途径定位在 一妻 草原田鼠 第三项研究将调查认知机制 通过 哪些OT有助于形成合作伙伴偏好，包括 研究 记忆，新恐惧症，和强化 最后，第四项研究 探讨 OT受体表达差异的分子机制 一夫一妻制和非一夫一妻制的田鼠，使用转基因方法。 采取 这些研究应提供一个全面的 了解 在社会过程中的中央OT途径的作用 附件. 通过 通过比较，这些研究不仅可以揭示 一 交配和OT促进配对结合的近端机制， 但 也表明了一个特定的神经内分泌系统是如何适应 为 在相近物种中有着截然不同的行为功能。 的 这项工作的最终目标是提供一个基本的理解， 的 依恋的神经生物学，希望这些知识 告知 临床疾病的治疗方法， 附件， 包括自闭症和精神分裂症。

Although a considerable body of research has focused on the neural substrates of social separation, relatively little is known about the neurobiology of social attachment. This proposal focuses on a monogamous rodent, the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), which is distinguished by the formation of selective, enduring social attachments or pair bonds. Several lines of evidence implicate central oxytocin (OT) pathways in prairie vole pair bond formation. OT increases and a selective OT antagonist decreases mating-induced pair bonding in female prairie voles as measured by the development of a partner preference. We propose four new studies to investigate the mechanisms by which OT facilitates social attachment. The first study extends earlier work on the importance of mating for prairie vole pair bonding by investigating the effects of mating on OT pathways in the prairie vole brain. This experiment will compare monogamous prairie voles with non-monogamous montane voles (M. montanus), which show similar patterns of mating behavior but fail to form enduring, selective social attachments. The second study will extend earlier results of the blockade of pair bonding with an OT antagonist by using site-specific injections of an OT antagonist to localize the pathways critical for social attachment in the monogamous prairie vole. A third study will investigate cognitive mechanisms by which OT facilitates partner preference formation, including studies of memory, neophobia, and reinforcement. Finally, a fourth study explores molecular mechanisms for differences in OT receptor expression in monogamous and non-monogamous voles, using a transgenic approach. Taken together, these studies should provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of central OT pathways in the process of social attachment. By adopting a comparative approach, these studies may reveal not only a proximate mechanism by which mating and OT facilitate pair bonding, but also suggest how a specific neuroendocrine system has been adapted for quite different behavioral functions in closely related species. The ultimate goal of this work is to provide a basic understanding of the neurobiology of attachment with the hope that this knowledge will inform approaches to clinical disorders characterized by deficits in attachment, including autism and schizophrenia.