Neuroendocrinology of Social Cognition

社会性物种有专门的行为和认知机制。他们接近，而不是回避同类。它们通过社会识别过程和特定的接近和回避行为建立复杂的关系（如等级关系、纽带关系），并通过社会学习从同类中获取适应性信息。男性和女性在这些行为上的差异往往取决于性别。这会影响每种性别是否以及如何参与社会行为，并对理解男性和女性社会性的神经生物学具有重要意义。 我和我的实习生的研究项目是调查哺乳动物社会行为认知方面的神经生物学。到目前为止，我们已经表明，雌激素调节社会认知通过两个延迟，长期的机制，涉及基因的调节，以及最近发现的和不太了解的快速和动态的机制。我们已经确定了两个大脑区域和一些神经化学和激素系统介导这些快速的影响。 在接下来的5年里，我和我的学员们将检验一个总体假设，即许多神经化学系统都作为一个神经网络的一部分相互作用，促进社会认知的快速调节。这些系统包括膜受体激活的激酶级联和神经肽（催产素，加压素）和神经递质（乙酰胆碱，多巴胺）。我们将追求三个具体的研究目标：我们将（1）进一步阐明/确定大脑区域下的快速激素调节的社会认知;调查（2）在网络的大脑区域介导的激素调节的社会认知的神经化学机制;调查（3）性别差异的神经网络和神经化学系统参与激素调节的社会认知。 我们将在3种小鼠试验中研究这些激素/神经化学物质的相互作用，这些试验评估社会认知的概念上不同的方面：社会识别（了解他人），社会学习（向他人学习）和社会接近/回避（社交性：对社会与非社会刺激的偏好）。 我们的调查将允许识别特定的大脑网络和神经化学系统的激素调节的社会认知的男性和女性，最终阐明性别差异的社会认知。我们的综合性，多学科的方法是高度创新的，因为它将基本神经生物学系统的功能与复杂的社会认知联系起来。这项拟议中的研究将促进我们对男性和女性社会大脑的理解。重要的是，我们的研究还将为目前关于将男性和女性纳入研究的必要性的讨论提供信息。

Social species have specialized behavioral and cognitive mechanisms. They approach, not avoid, conspecifics. They establish complex relationships (e.g. hierarchies, bonds) via social recognition processes and specific approach and avoidance behaviors, and they can acquire adaptive information from conspecifics via social learning. Males and females often differ in these behaviors in a sex hormone-dependent manner. This affects whether and how each sex engages in social behavior, and has important implications for the understanding of the neurobiology of male and female sociality. My and my trainees' research program investigates the neurobiology of cognitive aspects of social behavior in mammals. So far we have shown that estrogens regulate social cognition via both delayed, long-term mechanisms that involve the regulation of genes as well as more recently discovered and less understood rapid and dynamic mechanisms. We have identified two brain regions and a few neurochemical and hormonal systems mediating these rapid effects. In the next 5 years my trainees and I will test the overarching hypothesis that a number of neurochemical systems all interact as part of a neuronal network subserving rapid hormone-regulation of social cognition. These systems include membrane receptor-activated kinase cascades and both neuropeptides (oxytocin, vasopressin) and neurotransmitters (acetylcholine, dopamine). We will pursue 3 specific research aims: we will (1) further elucidate/identify brain regions underling rapid hormonal regulation of social cognition; investigate (2) the neurochemical mechanisms in networks of brain regions mediating hormonal regulation of social cognition; investigate (3) sex differences in the neuronal networks and neurochemical systems involved in the hormonal regulation of social cognition. We will investigate these hormonal/neurochemical interactions in 3 mouse assays that assess conceptually different aspects of social cognition: Social Recognition (learning about others), Social Learning (learning from others) and Social Approach/Avoidance (sociability: the preferences for social vs non-social stimuli). Our investigations will allow the identification of specific brain networks and neurochemical systems of hormonal regulation of social cognition in males and females, ultimately elucidating sex differences in social cognition. Our integrative, multidisciplinary approach is highly innovative in that it links the functioning of basic neurobiological systems to complex social cognition. The proposed research will advance our understanding of the male and female social brain. Importantly, our research will also inform the current discussion on the need for inclusion of both males and females in research.