Sex Differences in the Neural Control of Social Behavior; Supplement

项目总结 该项目旨在了解性别差异在神经控制社会行为中的作用 关注男性比女性大脑中更高水平的加压素表达。这是最多的 在脊椎动物之间一直发现性别差异，在功能方面了解最多的是 成年动物。这项拨款将研究后叶加压素神经支配的性别差异是否有助于 性别差异在社会行为的表现和控制中的作用。我们将利用新的强大的 基因方法，使我们能够针对血管加压素细胞。第一个目标是测试 同时摘除终纹床核中的性二型加压素细胞 杏仁内侧核对社会行为的影响在男性和女性中是不同的。第二个目标 是测试这些细胞的抑制或兴奋是否会以不同的方式改变男性和 女性。第三个目标是识别这些细胞的输入和输出，开始了解神经 在男性和女性中，加压素影响社会行为的回路不同。理解 与许多行为障碍一样，男性和女性的大脑控制社会行为的方式也不同 在发病率上表现出显著的性别差异。大脑的性别分化可能是导致这些问题的原因 不同之处。尽管最近在理解神经基础方面取得了重大进展 成年期的社会行为，这种行为在男性和女性中是如何被不同地控制的 巨大的，未知的。这笔赠款将解决这些问题。

PROJECT SUMMARY 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 concurrent 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 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.