Authors
Olga Lopatina, Hong-Xiang Liu, Natalia A Shnayder, and Haruhiro Higashida
Summary
Social recognition is a unique form of learning and memory that utilises distinct neural regions and neurotransmission specific to social cognition1,2. Mesolimbic dopamine is involved in reinforcement and reward learning. Concurrent activation of oxytocin or vasopressin and dopamine receptors in the reward centres of the brain during mating results in a conditioned partner preference, observed as a pair bond3. Mice usually demonstrate distinct forms of social memory: one transient and the other more enduring4. The transient social memories, like those tested in current studies of investigation or maternal behaviour, are normally held for a few minutes to an hour and seem geared more toward the differentiation of conspecifics or pups over short interactions or durations and involve the ability to distinguish between olfactory or visual signatures5,6. Here, we present two behavioural tests in males and females on social behavioural responses in wild-type mice or those with gene mutations. Using these paradigms, we have demonstrated that some important social and maternal behaviours7 are significantly impaired in CD38-knockout mice as compared with wild-type controls8. Thus, assessment of behavioural traits described here could be useful when investigating mouse models of neurodevelopmental disorders associated with social deficits, such as autistic spectrum disorder9.Further details
The protocol was published on Protocol Exchange in 2007. To see the entire protocol, click on the source link.Advertisement
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