The neural mechanisms underlying reduced sociability

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26282155
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Mitani Akira 京都大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (50200043)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 松林 潤 京都大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (00452269) ; 中井 隆介 中部大学, 公私立大学の部局等, 助教 (10576234)
• Research Collaborator: MINAMI Chihiro ; SHIMIZU Tomoko
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: リハビリテーション / 神経科学 / 社会性 / 内側前頭前皮質

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Reduced sociability is a central symptom of various neuropsychiatric disorders, and yet the neural mechanisms underlying reduced sociability remain unclear. We recorded multiunit activity in the prelimbic cortex (PL) and infralimbic cortex (IL) of pairs of freely moving rats during social interaction. In group-reared rats, PL neurons increased firing when the rat showed approaching behavior and also contact behavior, especially when the rat attacked the partner. IL neurons increased firing when the rat exhibited leaving behavior, especially when the partner left on its own accord. Isolation-reared rats showed an increased frequency and decreased duration of contact behavior. The increased firing of PL neurons was preserved in isolation-reared rats, whereas the increased firing of IL neurons was suppressed in isolation-reared rats. The differential influence of isolation rearing on neural activity in the PL and IL may be one of the neural bases of isolation rearing-induced behavior.

Free Research Field

リハビリテーション神経科学