Date of Presentation
5-6-2021 12:00 AM
College
School of Osteopathic Medicine
Poster Abstract
Social behavior is inextricably linked to human health, shaping both our susceptibility and resilience to disease and stress. Positive interactions as simple as maternal contact or friendships among children and adults can protect against emotional distress and improve treatment outcomes, whereas negative interactions such as abuse, social isolation, or bullying can increase aggression and precipitate mood disorders. Discovering the structure and function of neural circuits underlying social behavior is critical to understanding the link between social interaction and health. The neuropeptide vasopressin has been implicated in the regulation of multiple social interactions including social memory, aggression, mating, pair-bonding, and parental care. Vasopressin producing neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and medial amygdala (MeA), in particular, are predicted to be involved in social behavior. While the innervation targets of BNST and MeA vasopressin neurons and patterns of vasopressin receptor binding have been well-documented in multiple species, the identity and functional characteristics of neurons targeted by vasopressin innervation are less well understood.
Keywords
social behavior, vasopressins, dorsale raphe, AVP pathways, mouse
Disciplines
Animals | Medical Cell Biology | Medicine and Health Sciences | Neurosciences | Other Social and Behavioral Sciences | Physiological Processes
Document Type
Poster
Included in
Animals Commons, Medical Cell Biology Commons, Neurosciences Commons, Other Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons, Physiological Processes Commons
Affiliative Social Interactions Activate Vasopressin-Responsive Neurons in the Mouse Dorsal Raphe
Social behavior is inextricably linked to human health, shaping both our susceptibility and resilience to disease and stress. Positive interactions as simple as maternal contact or friendships among children and adults can protect against emotional distress and improve treatment outcomes, whereas negative interactions such as abuse, social isolation, or bullying can increase aggression and precipitate mood disorders. Discovering the structure and function of neural circuits underlying social behavior is critical to understanding the link between social interaction and health. The neuropeptide vasopressin has been implicated in the regulation of multiple social interactions including social memory, aggression, mating, pair-bonding, and parental care. Vasopressin producing neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and medial amygdala (MeA), in particular, are predicted to be involved in social behavior. While the innervation targets of BNST and MeA vasopressin neurons and patterns of vasopressin receptor binding have been well-documented in multiple species, the identity and functional characteristics of neurons targeted by vasopressin innervation are less well understood.