Comparing the ontogeny, neurobiology, and function of social play in hamsters and rats.
Neurosci Biobehav Rev
; 147: 105102, 2023 04.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36804399
ABSTRACT
Syrian hamsters show complex social play behavior and provide a valuable animal model for delineating the neurobiological mechanisms and functions of social play. In this review, we compare social play behavior of hamsters and rats and underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Juvenile rats play by competing for opportunities to pin one another and attack their partner's neck. A broad set of cortical, limbic, and striatal regions regulate the display of social play in rats. In hamsters, social play is characterized by attacks to the head in early puberty, which gradually transitions to the flanks in late puberty. The transition from juvenile social play to adult hamster aggression corresponds with engagement of neural ensembles controlling aggression. Play deprivation in rats and hamsters alters dendritic morphology in mPFC neurons and impairs flexible, context-dependent behavior in adulthood, which suggests these animals may have converged on a similar function for social play. Overall, dissecting the neurobiology of social play in hamsters and rats can provide a valuable comparative approach for evaluating the function of social play.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Sexual Maturation
/
Aggression
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
Neurosci Biobehav Rev
Year:
2023
Document type:
Article