Social information changes the brain

Fernald, Russell D.; Maruska, Karen P.

doi:10.1073/pnas.1202552109

Cited by 125 publications

(96 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…The social structures of many species, from insects (Yan et al, 2015) and fish (Fernald and Maruska, 2012) to primates (Ghazanfar and Santos, 2004) and human beings (Hill and Dunbar, 2003), are characterized by their profound hierarchical organization. This social stratification has important implications for health and well-being, as animals and humans lower in social status are often found to have worse outcomes than those with relatively higher standing in the social hierarchy (Adler et al, 1994;Sapolsky, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neural mechanisms linking social status and inflammatory responses to social stress

Muscatell

Dedovic

Slavich

et al. 2016

Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience

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Social stratification has important implications for health and well-being, with individuals lower in standing in a hierarchy experiencing worse outcomes than those higher up the social ladder. Separate lines of past research suggest that alterations in inflammatory processes and neural responses to threat may link lower social status with poorer outcomes. This study was designed to bridge these literatures to investigate the neurocognitive mechanisms linking subjective social status and inflammation. Thirty-one participants reported their subjective social status, and underwent a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan while they were socially evaluated. Participants also provided blood samples before and after the stressor, which were analysed for changes in inflammation. Results showed that lower subjective social status was associated with greater increases in inflammation. Neuroimaging data revealed lower subjective social status was associated with greater neural activity in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) in response to negative feedback. Finally, results indicated that activation in the DMPFC in response to negative feedback mediated the relation between social status and increases in inflammatory activity. This study provides the first evidence of a neurocognitive pathway linking subjective social status and inflammation, thus furthering our understanding of how social hierarchies shape neural and physiological responses to social interactions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neural mechanisms linking social status and inflammatory responses to social stress

Muscatell

Dedovic

Slavich

et al. 2016

Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience

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“…GnRH1 neurons in males of this species exhibit dynamic morphological plasticity caused by changes in their social status (18)(19)(20)(21). Here we use transgenic dominant male A. burtoni to perform paired recordings from GnRH1 neurons, and report that they are reciprocally connected by electrical synapses.…”

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confidence: 99%

Electrical synapses connect a network of gonadotropin releasing hormone neurons in a cichlid fish

Juntti

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Initiating and regulating vertebrate reproduction requires pulsatile release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH1) from the hypothalamus. Coordinated GnRH1 release, not simply elevated absolute levels, effects the release of pituitary gonadotropins that drive steroid production in the gonads. However, the mechanisms underlying synchronization of GnRH1 neurons are unknown. Control of synchronicity by gap junctions between GnRH1 neurons has been proposed but not previously found. We recorded simultaneously from pairs of transgenically labeled GnRH1 neurons in adult male Astatotilapia burtoni cichlid fish. We report that GnRH1 neurons are strongly and uniformly interconnected by electrical synapses that can drive spiking in connected cells and can be reversibly blocked by meclofenamic acid. Our results suggest that electrical synapses could promote coordinated spike firing in a cellular assemblage of GnRH1 neurons to produce the pulsatile output necessary for activation of the pituitary and reproduction.transgenic | GnRH | gap junction | cichlid | electrophysiology

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“…Importantly, this species already has a wealth of available information on its social behaviors, reproductive physiology, steroid cycling, and communication modalities, as well as an understanding of the remarkable plasticity in behavior and physiology associated with changes in social status and reproductive state [reviewed in Fernald 2011a, 2013;Fernald and Maruska 2012)]. Further, genomic resources for A. burtoni are now available, along with those of four other African cichlid species, providing important molecular tools for understanding the mechanisms of putative steroid-induced plasticity in behavior and sensory processing in comparative and evolutionary contexts.…”

Section: Steroids and Acoustic Communication In The Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex Steroid-Dependent Modulation of Acoustic Communication Systems in Fishes

Maruska

Sisneros

2015

Animal Signals and Communication

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Acoustic communication is widespread among fishes, the largest extant group of vertebrates, and in many vocal teleost species it is essential for their reproductive and social behaviors. Recent evidence suggests that a fish's internal hormonal state can profoundly influence its ability to produce and perceive social acoustic signals. Here, we review the current knowledge of how sex steroids can influence the auditory capabilities and vocal motor production of acoustic social signals in two incipient model teleosts, the plainfin midshipman fish Porichthys notatus and the African cichlid Astatotilapia burtoni. Studies of these model systems show that steroid-mediated improvements in vocal-acoustic processing are typically associated with reproductive readiness. This especially holds true for species that rely heavily on acoustic signaling during seasonal breeding such as the midshipman fish, as well as non-seasonally breeding species like cichlids that appear to use sound production as one component of a more complex multimodal courtship repertoire. Evidence for reproductive-state dependent plasticity in midshipman and cichlids is supported by changes in gonadal state, circulating sexsteroids (testosterone, 11-ketotestosterone, and estradiol), and steroid receptor expression in peripheral and central auditory structures that are concurrent with changes in auditory sensitivity and vocal motor production. This form of steroiddependent vocal-acoustic plasticity is proposed to be an evolutionary labile solution for enhancing the detection and production of social acoustic signals. The abundance and diversity of vocal fish present unique future opportunities to explore how this solution may have shaped sexual selection and the evolution of acoustic communication systems in fishes.

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Social information changes the brain

Cited by 125 publications

References 44 publications

Neural mechanisms linking social status and inflammatory responses to social stress

Neural mechanisms linking social status and inflammatory responses to social stress

Electrical synapses connect a network of gonadotropin releasing hormone neurons in a cichlid fish

Sex Steroid-Dependent Modulation of Acoustic Communication Systems in Fishes

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