SOMATOSENSORY CORTEX IN THE EXPRESSION OF AFFECTIVE SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

这个子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供的资源的许多研究子项目之一。子项目和调查员(PI)可能从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可能会出现在其他CRISE条目中。列出的机构是针对中心的，而不一定是针对调查员的机构。目的：通过追踪躯体感觉信息从体表到神经元区域的传递来了解社会行为的神经生物学，该区域涉及处理社会行为交互所必需的触觉信息。寻求联系和建立强有力的积极关系的倾向在南美的蒂蒂猴身上得到了极端的体现。在自然界和实验室里，这些一夫一妻制的灵长类动物每天有高达90%的时间与其家庭成员的其他成员进行身体接触。动物并排坐着，它们的侧面与另一只猴子密切接触。猕猴之间的接触还包括主动接触，如梳理或抓取。提提猴子社会交往的一个独特方面是尾巴缠绕。通常，一个家庭的所有成员(3-5个人)坐成一排，并将他们的尾巴编成一条线。使用多单位电生理记录，这项研究检查了几个涉及社会接触的躯体感觉皮质区域的作用。这项研究包括两个步骤：第一个步骤是在单个动物身上，绘制体感信息从身体表面流向新大脑皮层的区域，这些区域利用体感信息来调节社会行为。这一阶段的研究依赖于麻醉猴子的电生理记录。为了评估皮质区域参与社会行为的程度，将进行局灶性损害，并评估损害对社会动机和社会认知的影响。这些研究的独特之处在于，他们利用由躯体感觉系统直接调节的公开行为来检查皮质机制的作用。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Objective: To understand the neurobiology of social behavior by tracing transmission of somatosensory information from the body surface to neuronal regions concerned with processing tactile information essential for social behavior interactions. The propensity to seek contact and to form strong positive relationships is exemplified in the extreme by the South American titi monkey. In nature and in the laboratory, these monogamous primates spend up to 90% of their day in physical contact with other members of their family group. Animals sit side-by-side with their lateral surface in close contact with another monkey. Contact between titi monkeys also includes active contact, such as grooming or grasping. A unique aspect of social contact in titi monkeys is tail-twining. Very often all members of a family group (3-5 individuals) sit in a row and combine their tails in a single twine. Using multiunit electrophysiological recording this research examines the role of several somatosensory cortical areas involved in social contact. The research involves two steps: The first is to map, in individual animals, the flow of somatosensory information from the body surface to regions of the neocortex that utilize somatosensory information in regulation of social behavior. This phase of the research relies on electophysiological recording in anesthetized monkeys. To evaluate the extent to which cortical regions are involved in social behavior, focal lesions will be performed and the effects of the lesion on social motivation and social cognition will be evaluated. These studies are unique in that they take advantage of an overt behavior, directly mediated by the somatosensory system, to examine the role of cortical mechanisms.