Gossman Kyle R, Dykstra Benjamin, García Byron H, Swopes Arielle P, Kimbrough Adam, Smith Adam S
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States.
Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States.
Front Neurosci. 2021 Oct 15;15:748431. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2021.748431. eCollection 2021.
Complex social behaviors are governed by a neural network theorized to be the social decision-making network (SDMN). However, this theoretical network is not tested on functional grounds. Here, we assess the organization of regions in the SDMN using c-Fos, to generate functional connectivity models during specific social interactions in a socially monogamous rodent, the prairie voles (). Male voles displayed robust selective affiliation toward a female partner, while exhibiting increased threatening, vigilant, and physically aggressive behaviors toward novel males and females. These social interactions increased c-Fos levels in eight of the thirteen brain regions of the SDMN. Each social encounter generated a distinct correlation pattern between individual brain regions. Thus, hierarchical clustering was used to characterize interrelated regions with similar c-Fos activity resulting in discrete network modules. Functional connectivity maps were constructed to emulate the network dynamics resulting from each social encounter. Our partner functional connectivity network presents similarities to the theoretical SDMN model, along with connections in the network that have been implicated in partner-directed affiliation. However, both stranger female and male networks exhibited distinct architecture from one another and the SDMN. Further, the stranger-evoked networks demonstrated connections associated with threat, physical aggression, and other aversive behaviors. Together, this indicates that distinct patterns of functional connectivity in the SDMN can be detected during select social encounters.
复杂的社会行为受一个理论上被认为是社会决策网络（SDMN）的神经网络控制。然而，这个理论网络尚未在功能层面得到验证。在此，我们使用c-Fos评估SDMN中各区域的组织情况，以生成在社会性一夫一妻制啮齿动物草原田鼠特定社会互动过程中的功能连接模型。雄性田鼠对雌性伴侣表现出强烈的选择性依恋，同时对陌生的雄性和雌性表现出更多的威胁、警惕和身体攻击行为。这些社会互动使SDMN的13个脑区中的8个脑区的c-Fos水平升高。每次社会接触在各个脑区之间产生了独特的相关模式。因此，我们使用层次聚类来表征具有相似c-Fos活性的相互关联区域，从而形成离散的网络模块。构建功能连接图谱以模拟每次社会接触所产生的网络动态。我们的伴侣功能连接网络与理论SDMN模型存在相似之处，同时该网络中的连接与针对伴侣的依恋有关。然而，陌生雌性和雄性网络彼此之间以及与SDMN均呈现出不同的结构。此外，陌生引发的网络显示出与威胁、身体攻击和其他厌恶行为相关的连接。总之，这表明在特定的社会接触过程中可以检测到SDMN中不同的功能连接模式。
