Stress amplifies memory for social hierarchy: Neurobiological mechanisms

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Stress amplifies memory for social hierarchy: Neurobiological mechanisms Carmen Sandi1*, Marjan Timmer1 and Isabel M. Cordero1 1 Brain Mind Institute,EPFL, Brain Mind Institute, Switzerland Individuals differ in their social status and societies in the extent of social status differences among their members. I will show how stress affects the development of social hierarchies in rats by influencing the rank achieved and by facilitating a long-term memory for the specific hierarchy, and will address key molecular mechanisms mediating such effects. We have shown that given equal opportunities to become either dominant or submissive, stress experienced by one of the individuals during their first encounter determines the long-term establishment of a social hierarchy by acting as a two-stage rocket: (1) by influencing the rank achieved after the social encounter; and (ii) by having a long-term impact on the subsequent status of the individual in future encounters with either the same (by promoting a long-term memory for the specific hierarchy) or with other (winner-loser effects) individual/s. For the investigation of the neurobiological mechanisms implicated in the long-term influences of social hierarchy by stress, we are exploring the regulation of selected genes (OTR, V1aR, GR, AR, MAO-A, NCAM) in brain areas implicated in the regulation of stress, social behaviors and/or memory formation. In the stressed subordinate rats, we found time-specific down-regulations in oxytocin receptor (OTR) mRNA and vasopressin receptor (V1aR) in the medial amygdala (MeA) and the lateral septum, respectively. Pharmacological experiments applying a specific V1aR antagonist in the medial amygdala immediately after, but not before, a first social encounter were able to mimic the long-term memory potentiation induced by stress suggesting that the observed V1aR down-regulation might underlie the enhancement of the memory for the hierarchy induced by stress. These results will be discussed within a broader context implying stress as a strong modulator of social interactions and, particularly, on the induction of social imbalance. Conference: 41st European Brain and Behaviour Society Meeting, Rhodes Island, Greece, 13 Sep - 18 Sep, 2009. Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Topic: Symposia lectures Citation: Sandi C, Timmer M and Cordero IM (2009). Stress amplifies memory for social hierarchy: Neurobiological mechanisms. Conference Abstract: 41st European Brain and Behaviour Society Meeting. doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.08.2009.09.051 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 05 Jun 2009; Published Online: 05 Jun 2009. * Correspondence: Carmen Sandi, Brain Mind Institute,EPFL, Brain Mind Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland, carmen.sandi@epfl.ch Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Carmen Sandi Marjan Timmer Isabel M Cordero Google Carmen Sandi Marjan Timmer Isabel M Cordero Google Scholar Carmen Sandi Marjan Timmer Isabel M Cordero PubMed Carmen Sandi Marjan Timmer Isabel M Cordero Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.