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For neuroscience, social history matters

Neuropsychopharmacology volume 48, pages 979–980 (2023)Cite this article

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Humans and many animal models used in neuroscience are social species. For these species, social experience across the lifespan has lasting impacts on the brain and behavior. However, behavioral neuroscientists not studying social behavior rarely consider their subjects’ social history. Factors such as social rank, history of isolation, and early care environment can have profound implications for neural and behavioral data interpretation. We argue this social history-informed approach may be critical for reconciling disparate findings across behavioral neuroscience research.

Group-living species, including humans, readily establish and maintain social dominance hierarchies. These social hierarchies are adaptive for community survival, allowing for resource allocation, supporting offspring survival, and reducing energy expenditure. Hierarchies are formed naturally in the wild for many species and can be modeled in the lab [1]. Studies across species have shown that at the individual level, social rank is a major determinant of long-term outcomes on nearly every level of neurobehavioral analysis, including hormones, brain structure, and social decision-making [1, 2]. As such, these baseline social rankings are a key consideration in interpreting experimental results.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Anne George & Maya Opendak

  2. Evelyn F. & William McKnight Brain Institute and Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA

    Nancy Padilla-Coreano

  3. Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Maya Opendak

Authors
  1. Anne George
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  2. Nancy Padilla-Coreano
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  3. Maya Opendak
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AG, NPC, and MO wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Maya Opendak.

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George, A., Padilla-Coreano, N. & Opendak, M. For neuroscience, social history matters. Neuropsychopharmacol. 48, 979–980 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-023-01566-8

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