Differential ultrasonic indices of separation distress in the presence and absence of maternal cues in infant rats bred for high and low positive social affect.

Objective: Preclinical models of human mood disorders commonly focus on the study of negative affectivity, without comparably stressing the role of positive affects and their ability to promote resilient coping styles. We evaluated the role of background constitutional affect of rats by studying the separation and reunion responses of infants from low and high positive affect genetic lines (i.e.

Octodon degus. A useful animal model for social-affective neuroscience research: basic description of separation distress, social attachments and play.

A challenge for social-affective neuroscience programs is to identify simple and yet valid animal models for studying the expression of basic social emotions and their role during different developmental windows, from infancy to adulthood. For example, although laboratory rats are useful for studying juvenile social interactions, they are not ideal for studying infant attachment bonds. Here, we evaluate current understanding of the social behavior of Octodon degus, a diurnal precocial rodent, to elucidate the value of this species as a model for social-affective neuroscience research.

Brief periods of positive peer interactions mitigate the effects of total social isolation in young Octodon degus.

We investigated whether positive daily peer-interactions counteract the effects of isolation in Octodon degus. Twenty-five-day-old degus were either isolated (ISO), socially housed (SOCIAL), or isolated and allowed 1-hr daily peer interaction (PARTIAL-ISO). The animals were observed over 4 weeks.

Analysis of the disruption of maternal social bonds in Octodon degus: separation distress in restricted reunion tests.

Octodon degus is a social caviomorph species that exhibits strong social bonds and robust distress responses to maternal separation. To understand the impact of early social isolation on social motivation, we investigated how social isolation during infancy, associated with repeated restricted interactions with mother and siblings, altered social motivation in young degus. In Experiment 1, three treatments were compared: complete isolation (ISOLATED group), nearly complete isolation, with daily half hour partition-restricted reunions with the mother and siblings (RESTRICTED group), and social-housing with the mother and siblings (FAMILY group).

Infant-mother recognition in a social rodent (Octodon degus).

Octodon degus (degu), a biparental species with precocious offspring is a potential model for the study of social attachment and related affective disorders such as depression. This study investigates the nature of the social bond between young degus and their mothers with a special emphasis on infant-mother recognition. We tested young degus in a potentiation paradigm to determine if social contact, particularly with the mother, can modulate an infant's vocal response to isolation.

Vocal and locomotor responses of piglets to social isolation and reunion.

Potentiation of infant isolation calls following a brief reunion with the mother is considered an index of filial bonding in altricial rodents. We investigated potentiation of isolation and reunion responses in 15-day-old unweaned domestic piglets (Sus scrofa domesticus). When piglets were re-isolated following a brief, comforting reunion with their mother and littermates in their home pen, they displayed a persistence (relative potentiation) of calling and jumping.