Social Behaviour Flashcards
1
Q
Vasopressin and oxytocin
A
-both synthesized in magnocellular secretory neurons in PVN and supraoptic nuclei (SON) in hypothalamus
-vasopressin called antidiuretic hormone
-retain water and contstrict blood vessels
-mediated by vasopressin released from posterior pituitary via portal circulation into anterior pituitary to stimulate ACTH secretion
Receptors involved in regulation of social and reproductive behaviour
-can substitute Epi in cardiac arrest
2
Q
Oxytocin
A
- differs by 2 AA from vasopressin
- connected to birth and lactation
- connection to central control of social and sexual behaviours and anxiety
3
Q
V and O history
A
- nonapeptide genes for oxytocin arose by duplication of a gene after radiation from cyclostomes
- vasopressin was connected with osmoregulation and oxytocin with reproductive physiology
-recently discovered that both hormones can mediate diversity of processes
4
Q
V and O actions
A
- both very similar
- differ at position 3 and 8 of chain
- peptide structure also indicates that the oral route of administration will result in degradation in digestive system
5
Q
AVP receptors
A
-in brain/periphery, kidneys, heart, vascular endothelium, renal collecting tubes
6
Q
AVP receptor knockouts
A
- AVP1aR KO mice exhibited impairment of spatial memory, reduced anxiety, impaired social recognition, abnormal circadian rhythm, increased alcohol consumption
- indication of selfishness in human reversely proportionally to length of AVP1aR gene
- AVP1bR KO mice had higher level of oxytocin receptor in anterior pituitary
- oxytocin receptor unregulated to compensate for ACTH release under conditions of AVP1b deficiency
-Brattleboro Bart’s unable to synthesize vasopressin
7
Q
Vasopressin as pro-social hormone
A
- vasopressin is a pair-binding hormone
- delivery extra AV1 receptor induces monogamous behaviour in voles
- vasopressin signalling is dominant in males, and oxytocin in females
8
Q
Vasopressin and social cognition
A
- receptors in olfactory bulb and septum involved in social memory processing
- administration of AVPR1a antagonist diminishes individual social memory
- Brattleboro rate that cannot synthesize AVP show deficit in social memory formation
- injection of vasopressin in septum improve, where AVPR1a antagonist impair social recognition in male/female rats and male mice
9
Q
Brattleboro rats
A
- have AVP deficiency
- adolescent animals (kept single) were allowed to interact for 10 min with unfamiliar sex/age rat
- rats homozygous for Brattleboro mutation show decreased social behaviour and ultrasonic focalization
- but increased huddle (passive social behaviour)
10
Q
Vasopressin receptor AVPR1a gene polymorphism
A
- prosocial behaviour correlated with length of AVP1aR gene and expression of that mRNA
- in humans there were individual differences in promoter sequence with microsatellite repeat regions RS1 and Rs3
11
Q
AVPR1a RS3 long vs short genotype
A
- long repeat associated with high allocators
- males homozygous for long repeats gave higher amount
-long repeats associated with higher AVPR1a in humans
12
Q
Vasopressin and human bonding behaviour
A
- in humans the allele of AVPR1a gene has been associated with marital problems and marital status in men
- observed perception of lower quality relationship expressed by their spouses
- effect of vasopressin in pair-bonding is more prominent in male voles vs females
13
Q
Oxytocin functions
A
- functions depends on life stage
- strong emphasis with reproduction and parenting
- some functions associated with social behaviours
- evolutionary younger than vasopressin
- therefore only 1 receptor
14
Q
Social behaviour
A
- social behaviour is any form of interaction and communication between two conspecifics
- higher level of complexity than non social
- status, health, reproduction of individual depends on ability to maintain social relations
- some disorders associated with impairment in social functions
- behaviours depend on cues
- male mouse exposed to female cues may initiate mating behaviour vs male cues which may lead to aggression
- some cues may trigger different behaviour depending on ex’s of adult mouse
15
Q
Oxytocin actions
A
- mostly stimulates sexual and maternal behaviour across species
- negative impact of oxytocin observed within nocicpetion, anxiety, memory and learning, and memory and tolerance to opiated
16
Q
Oxytocin receptor and social recognition
A
- wil type males remember previously met females
- less time investigating those females
- oxytocin receptor KO males spend equal time investigating familiar and novel females
- indicates impaired social recognition
17
Q
Oxytocin and aggression
A
- during resident intruder test/ female intruder test
- aggression associated with increased oxytocin release in males
18
Q
Oxytocin and food intake
A
- intranasal oxytocin and access to buffet
- oxytocin reduced sweet or salty snack consumption in all participants
- did not affect neurotransmission snacks
-oxytocin reduced buffet calorie intake in obese but not normal weight men
19
Q
Oxytocin and social behaviour in macaques
A
- 7-14 days old macaques nebulized with oxytocin or placebo
- oxytocin increased affliative communicative gestures
- decreased salivary cortisol
- some stress related behaviours not affected by oxytocin
20
Q
Oxytocin and alloparenting behaviour
A
- oxytocin injection or ontogenetic release from PVN increase response of virgin females to distress calls made by isolated pups
- maternal like behaviours develops slowly in 50% of control virgins but significantly increased in oxytocin group
21
Q
Oxytocin alters human behaviour
A
- some animal studies indicate that oxytocin is also important in pair bonding
- nasal injection of oxytocin was shown to increase the distance of males that are involved in a monogamous relationship between them and an attractive female by 15cm
- effect of oxytocin not observed in single males
- oxytocin May help promote faithfulness within monogamous relationships
22
Q
ASD and oxytocin receptor
A
- oxytocin receptor densities were estimated in normal and autistic human brains
- increase receptors in ASD in nucleus basalis of meynert
- decrease in ASD in ventral pallidum
Similarities
- NBM located in basal forebrain mediated visual attention
- Superior colliculus controls eye movements and shifting gaze direction
23
Q
Oxytocin and brain activity
A
- social ball tossing game
- 2ficticious partners 1 fair, 1 unfair
- goal to induce feelings of social pain
- face matching task - 2 neutral faces associated with fair players, 2 with unfair and 2 not shown during game
- nasal spray with oxytocin or placebo
- oxytocin enhanced activity of OFC (reward) in response to fair partner
- insula activation (social pain and aversion) in response to unfair partner
- oxytocin reduced amygdala and hippocampus activity only during equity talks
- oxytocin could help ASD patients in differentiating fair from unfair actions
- some studies show that oxytocin enhances memory for faces
24
Q
Oxytocin and arachnophobia
A
- behavioural approach task used as method of exposure therapy
- anxiety qualified as rating of subject sites
- oxytocin worsens all scores
- indicating that in humans oxytocin may be anxiogenic (induce anxiety)
- may need more participants
25
Ocytocin and anorexia
- intranasal oxytocin decreased salivary cortisol in response to palatable food photographs
- significantly increased milkshake consumption
-altered attentional bias in response to food stimuli
