Mind the fish: zebrafish as a model in cognitive social neuroscience

Abstract

Understanding how the brain implements social behavior on one hand, and how social processes feedback on the brain to promote fine-tuning of behavioral output according to changes in the social environment is a major challenge in contemporary neuroscience. A critical step to take this challenge successfully is finding the appropriate level of analysis when relating social to biological phenomena. Given the enormous complexity of both the neural networks of the brain and social systems, the use of a cognitive level of analysis (in an information processing perspective) is proposed here as an explanatory interface between brain and behavior. A conceptual framework for a cognitive approach to comparative social neuroscience is proposed, consisting of the following steps to be taken across different species with varying social systems: (1) identification of the functional building blocks of social skills; (2) identification of the cognitive mechanisms underlying the previously identified social skills; and (3) mapping these information processing mechanisms onto the brain. Teleost fish are presented here as a group of choice to develop this approach, given the diversity of social systems present in closely related species that allows for planned phylogenetic comparisons, and the availability of neurogenetic tools that allows the visualization and manipulation of selected neural circuits in model species such as the zebrafish. Finally, the state-of-the art of zebrafish social cognition and of the tools available to map social cognitive abilities to neural circuits in zebrafish are reviewed.

Social interactions elicit rapid shifts in functional connectivity in the social decision-making network of zebrafish

“…For this purpose, we characterized the expression of two immediate early genes (c-fos and egr-1), as transient markers of neuronal activity [20,21], across selected nodes of the SDM network in male zebrafish in relation to the outcome of agonistic interactions. Zebrafish were used as a study model given their relevance as potential model organisms in social neuroscience [22]. Adult zebrafish are highly social, expressing a strong preference for shoaling with conspecifics [23 -25].…”

The Integration of Sociality, Monoamines, and Stress Neuroendocrinology in Fish Models: Applications in the Neurosciences

“…For example, social behaviour in humans, although a lot more sophisticated and complex than in zebrafish, may share common mechanisms with social behaviour in fish (Oliveira, 2013). For one to model a human disorder with abnormal social behaviour, one first needs to understand unaltered "normal" social behaviour in the chosen model organism.…”

“…As a result, fish behaviour -especially stress-related and social behaviour -is increasingly being recognized as a tool in the neurosciences Maximino et al, 2015;Stewart et al, 2015;Soares et al, 2017). A picture is emerging in which complex relationships between fish social behaviour and stress are becoming prominent, and special attention now is given to the applications of these relationships (Oliveira, 2013;Soares et al, 2017). …”

The Integration of Sociality, Monoamines, and Stress Neuroendocrinology in Fish Models: Applications in the Neurosciences

“…Breaking through this conundrum, similar to what is described in the novel Catch 22 by Joseph Heller, is not an easy task. One way to start the process is to focus on phenotypical features (face validity of the model), and subsequently test For example, social behaviour in humans, although a lot more sophisticated and complex than in zebrafish, may share common mechanisms with social behaviour in fish (Oliveira, 2013). For one to model a human disorder with abnormal social behaviour, one first needs to understand unaltered "normal" social behaviour in the chosen model organism.…”

“…As a result, fish behaviour -especially stress-related and social behaviour -is increasingly being recognized as a tool in the neurosciences (Gerlai, 2014;Maximino et al, 2015;Stewart et al, 2015;Soares et al, 2017). A picture is emerging in which complex relationships between fish social behaviour and stress are becoming prominent, and special attention now is given to the applications of these relationships (Oliveira, 2013;Soares et al, 2017). …”