Smirnov Kirill, Starkov Ilya, Sysoeva Olga, Midzyanovskaya Inna
Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
Faculty of Computer Science, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia.
Front Behav Neurosci. 2024 Dec 18;18:1519486. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1519486. eCollection 2024.
Behavioral copying is a key process in group actions, but it is challenging for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We investigated behavioral contagion, or instinctual replication of behaviors, in Krushinky-Molodkina (KM) rats ( = 16), a new potential rodent model for ASD, compared to control Wistar rats ( = 15). A randomly chosen healthy Wistar male ("demonstrator rat") was introduced to the homecage of experimental rats ("observers") 10-14 days before the experiments to become a member of the group. For the implementation of the behavioral contagion experiment, we used the IntelliCage system, where rats can live in a group of 5-6 rats and their water visits can be automatically scored. During the experiment, the demonstrator was taken out of IntelliCage for a pre-test water deprivation and then placed back for the behavioral contagion test. As a result, a drinking behavior of the water-deprived demonstrator rat prompted water-seeking and drinking behaviors in the whole group. Unlike the Wistar controls, KM observers showed fewer visits to the drinking bottles, particularly lacking inspection visits (i.e., visits without drinking). The control group, in contrast, exhibited a dynamic, cascade-like visiting of the water corners. The proportion of activated observers in KM rats was significantly lower, as compared to Wistar ones, and they did not mimic other observer rats. KM rats, therefore, displayed an attenuated pattern of behavioral contagion, highlighting social deficits in this strain. This study suggests that measuring group dynamics of behavioral contagion in an automated, non-invasive setup offers valuable insights into social behavior in rodents.
行为模仿是群体行为中的一个关键过程，但对于自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）患者来说具有挑战性。我们研究了克鲁申斯基-莫洛迪纳（KM）大鼠（n = 16）与对照Wistar大鼠（n = 15）相比的行为传染，即行为的本能复制，KM大鼠是一种新的潜在ASD啮齿动物模型。在实验前10 - 14天，将一只随机选择的健康Wistar雄性大鼠（“示范大鼠”）引入实验大鼠（“观察者”）的饲养笼中，使其成为群体的一员。为了进行行为传染实验，我们使用了智能笼系统，在该系统中，大鼠可以以5 - 6只一组的形式生活，并且它们的饮水访问可以自动计分。在实验过程中，将示范大鼠从智能笼中取出进行预测试水剥夺，然后放回进行行为传染测试。结果，缺水的示范大鼠的饮水行为引发了整个群体的觅水和饮水行为。与Wistar对照组不同，KM观察者对饮水瓶的访问较少，尤其缺乏检查性访问（即不饮水的访问）。相比之下，对照组表现出对水角的动态、级联式访问。与Wistar大鼠相比,KM大鼠中被激活的观察者比例显著较低，并且它们不会模仿其他观察者大鼠。因此，KM大鼠表现出行为传染减弱的模式，突出了该品系的社交缺陷。这项研究表明，在自动化、非侵入性设置中测量行为传染的群体动态，为了解啮齿动物的社会行为提供了有价值的见解。
