Abstract

A STUDY ON THE EXPERIMENTAL MODELS FOR SOCIAL BEHAVIOR EVALUATION

Sajid Hussain* and Farha Deeba

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Abstract

Social stress appear in all social species, including humans, and shape both mental health and future interactions with conspecifics. Animal models of social stress are used to unravel the precise role of the main stress system The present review aims to summarize the insights gained from highly useful and clinically relevant animal models of psychosocial stress: Social co-operation maze, Open field apparatus, The modified hole board test, den compartment test, standard opponent test, isolation induced fighting, resident intruder test, marble burying test, olfactory function, social transmission of food preference, tube test for social dominance and three-chambered social test. Moreover, these models are discussed with special attention to the neuropeptides vasopressin and oxytocin, which are important messengers in the stress system, in emotion regulation, as well as in the social behavior network. It appears that both neuropeptides balance the relative strength of the stress response, and simultaneously predispose the animal to positive or negative social interactions.

Keywords: Social Behavior, Olfactory functioning.