Monogamy and the Prairie Vole Flashcards
The proposed mechanism for bonding includes 3 Neurotransmitters
OT, AVP & DA
Three Aspects of Social Behavior
Motivation (for social contact, e.g. mating, parental behavior).
Recognition, or memory, of the individual
Bonding, a relatively permanent increase in preference for contact with a particular individual – AKA attachment.
motivation depends on
gonadalhormones
recognition depends on
OT and AVP
pairbonding depends on
OT AVP DA
Induced estrus. Explain how exposure to a strange male induces estrus in the female prairie vole. That is, describe the neural and endocrine responses triggered by this exposure. What is “estrous behavior”? Which of these endocrine responses directly induces estrous behavior?
ovulation and estrous behavior are induced by the presence of a male.
This depends on odors in the male’s urine.
Since these odors induce a stereotyped neuroendocrine response, they are pheromones.
Odors brain pituitary ovaries estrogen brain sexual receptivity (behavioral estrus)
The vomeronasal organ is specialized to respond to pheromones, particularly non-volatile pheromones.
However, it’s not the exclusive route through which pheromones act on the brain.
The main olfactory system, with its receptors in the nasal mucosa, also responds to pheromones.
What’s the evidence for DA’s role in bonding?
DA released into NAcc during mating.
DA antagonists block pair bond formation.
What is monogamy or pair-bonding? Name 3 behavioral components of monogamy in voles that have been studied in the laboratory.
preference for staying with the one other animal
How is partner preference measured in the laboratory?
measuring the amount of time spend together
if they are together or in separate places
What stimuli cause oxytocin release?
Somatosensory stimuli release OT, i.e.
during breast-feeding
breast & vaginal stimulation during sexual behavior
vagino-cervical stimulation during labor promotes uterine contractions by releasing OT.
What is the evidence that oxytocin plays a role in pair-bond formation in prairie voles?
OT injected icv facilitates partner-preference.
Females given OT and placed with a male for 6 hours, without mating, later showed a preference for that male.
OT antagonist injected icv prior to mating reduced partner preference.
What is the evidence that AVP plays a role in pair-bond formation in prairie voles?
icv injection of peptide
cohabitation with opposite sex for 1 hour
followed immediately by a 3 hr PP test
Results: dose-dependent increase in PP for both sexes and both peptides.
Brattelboro rat - naturally occuring AVP deficient mutuant displays disruption of social recognition - social memory can be restored by infusing AVP into the lateral septum
