The study about molecular basis of alteration in social-reward responses

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K18378
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Neurochemistry/Neuropharmacology
• Research Institution: Okayama University of Science (2018); National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (2016-2017); Musashino University (2015)
• Principal Investigator: Chiba Shuichi 岡山理科大学, 獣医学部, 助教 (00510380)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 社会性行動 / 報酬 / 条件付け場所嗜好 / 遺伝子発現 / cDNAマイクロアレイ / リアルタイムPCR / 学習 / 不安

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Social reward is the reward derived from social interaction and may be motivation to increase or continue the amicable social behaviors. The social reward can be involved in social withdrawal that is frequently seen in the major depression or the typical pattern of social interaction that found in the children with autistic spectrum disorders. Previously, I found the reduced social reward response in 12, but not in 3 week old rats using conditioned place preference paradigm. I used the Barnes maze and elevated-plus maze tests, and found the difficulties to prove a hypothesis of the interaction of leaning, memory and anxiety-like behaviors with the changes in social reward response. In addition, I identified tens of genes that may be involved in the changes in social reward response, by comparing the gene expression in the frontal lobe of rats of both ages.

Free Research Field

行動薬理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

社会報酬を用いる場合、条件づけ場所嗜好試験の結果は不安様行動が関与することはマウスで分かっていた。本研究で、幼弱および成熟ラットにおいても高いレベルで不安様行動を示すラットは、社会報酬反応も強いという相関が見られた。これは社会報酬が発生するメカニズムを明らかにする上で重要な知見であると考えられた。また、社会行動を司ると考えられている前頭野で、社会報酬反応の発生に伴い変化する遺伝子が同定出来たが、これらはうつ病や自閉症スペクトラムの治療法開発ターゲットとなる可能性がある。