Blog Posts Tagged: social behavior research

Five studies showing the power of multi-modal data in behavioral research

The advantages of using multimodal data over a single modality are that it reveals deeper insights and also if one modality fails there can be enough redundancy in the data to still make sense of it.

Altruism in rats, suspiciously human

A recent study by Bartal et al drove our curiousity to write this blog about altruistic behavior in rats. This study shows how this type of behavior is neurally linkend to the social functioning of humans.

The relationship between social hierarchy and social stress

Today, Deepika Patel kindly shares her research on social structures with us. She investigated rat behavior in detail, using several test paradigms.

Antidepressants during pregnancy: effects on offspring social behavior

Many depressed women struggle with this: can I use antidepressants during pregnancy? The lab of Jocelien Olivier studies the effects of SSRI's on offspring behavior in an animal model.

Depressed with a failing reward system: social stress disrupts brain waves

Chronic social stress has a huge impact on well-being. Gamma oscillations have been found to be an electrophysiological link between social stress and reward processing.

Into the lab: how to monitor rat social behavior

Including social behavior as part of a phenotypic screen has important benefits and eventually leads to better translational value of rodent models.

A new rat model for neonatal white matter injury

Preterm birth is a major problem in neonatal healthcare. Erik van Tilborg developed a new animal model to closely mimic this clinical situation, an important step in finding new treatment options.

Knockout of Down syndrome gene in zebrafish leads to autistic-like behaviors

Knockout of Down syndrome gene in zebrafish leads to autistic-like behaviors: Though earlier knockout models in mice failed, researchers have developed a successful zebrafish model.

How fruit flies find your food (and mates!)

Those tiny flies that take over your garbage cans during the summer? They are called fruit flies for a reason! They have a fantastic sense of smell and these tiny creatures are a popular animal model for researchers.

Serotonin and social skills: how adult mice differ from juveniles

Serotonin is a busy neurotransmitter, influencing processes as memory, mood, emotion, appetite, and sexuality. A prime role for this neurotransmitter is social behavior, across a variety of species; humans, rodents, primates.

Revealing the secret social role of the CA2 hippocampus

Aggressive behavior is adaptive for most species. But how is this aggressive behavior mediated in the brain? A study indicates that the hippocampus is a crucial neural component in mediating social recognition.

Bonobos not always as tolerant as generally believed: the plot thickens…

In Planckendael Wild Animal Park (Belgium), researchers have been observing a group of bonobos and have found that the differences between chimpanzees and bonobos are not always as black and white as generally believed.