Involvement of orexin/hypocretin in the expression of social play behaviour in juvenile rats

Social play is a highly rewarding and motivated behaviour displayed by juveniles of many mammalian species. We hypothesized that the orexin/hypocretin (ORX) system is involved in the expression of juvenile social play behaviour because this system is interconnected with brain regions that comprise the social behaviour and mesocorticolimbic reward networks. We found that exposure to social play increased recruitment of ORX-A neurons in juvenile rats. Furthermore, central administration of ORX-A decreased social play duration, while central blockade of ORX-1 receptors differentially altered social play duration in juvenile rats with low versus high baseline levels of social play (increasing social play in low baseline social play individuals and decreasing social play in high baseline social play individuals). Together, our results provided the first evidence of a role for the ORX system in the modulation of juvenile social play behaviour.

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Do juvenile rats use specific ultrasonic calls to coordinate their social play?

Animal Behaviour ◽

10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.03.019 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 140 ◽

pp. 81-92 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Candace J. Burke ◽

Theresa M. Kisko ◽

David R. Euston ◽

Sergio M. Pellis

Keyword(s):

Social Play ◽

Juvenile Rats ◽

Ultrasonic Calls

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Swinxsbee: A Shared Interactive Play Object to Stimulate Children’s Social Play Behaviour and Physical Exercise

Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering - Intelligent Technologies for Interactive Entertainment ◽

10.1007/978-3-642-02315-6_9 ◽

2009 ◽

pp. 90-101 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Martijn Jansen ◽

Tilde Bekker

Keyword(s):

Physical Exercise ◽

Social Play ◽

Play Behaviour ◽

Interactive Play

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Effect of Morphine Administration on Social and Non-Social Play Behaviour in Calves

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani9020056 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 56 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mhairi Sutherland ◽

Gemma Worth ◽

Catherine Cameron ◽

Else Verbeek

Keyword(s):

Intravenous Injection ◽

Affective State ◽

Social Play ◽

Play Behaviour ◽

Morphine Administration ◽

Positive Affective State ◽

Arena Test

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of morphine on social and non‐socialplay behaviour in calves. Twelve calves experienced four treatments in a cross over 2 × 2 factorialdesign: Calves received an intravenous injection of morphine or saline 10 min prior to being testedindividually or in pairs in an arena for 20 min. Play behaviour was continuously recorded in thearena test. Lying times were recorded in the home pen. Cortisol concentrations were measuredbefore and after testing. In the arena test, calves given morphine tended to perform more social playevents than calves given saline, however, morphine administration had no effect on locomotor play.Calves given morphine spent less time lying than calves given saline during the first 4 h afterreturning to the home pen. Cortisol concentrations were suppressed in calves given morphine.Administration of morphine appeared to increase social play but had no effect on locomotor playin calves. This study highlights the importance of investigating different aspects of play behaviourin animals as some may be more indicative of a positive affective state than others. More studiesinvestigating the effects of morphine on play are needed to confirm the results found in this study.

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Predatory Behaviour and Social Play in Kittens

Behaviour ◽

10.1163/156853981x00013 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 76 (1-2) ◽

pp. 1-24 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

T.M. Caro

Keyword(s):

Time Course ◽

Social Play ◽

Agonistic Behaviour ◽

Motor Patterns ◽

Predatory Behaviour ◽

Play Behaviour ◽

Before And After ◽

The Relationship

AbstractThis study relates changes in social play of kittens to the development of predatory behaviour. Firstly, it documents the development of predatory motor patterns in young cats between the age of 4 and 12 weeks. Correlations between measures of predatory behaviour were found to break down in the 8 to 12 week period of development. Secondly, it examines the development of social play over the same time course. Correlations between some measures of play were also found to break down between 8 and 12 weeks of age. Finally, measures of social play were correlated with measures of predatory behaviour before and after 8 weeks of age. Some measures of play were found to show increased correlations with predatory behaviour as kittens grew older, others were found to show less association with age. It is concluded that these changes in association between measures of play and predation probably reflect a reorganization of play behaviour. Different play patterns appeared to progressively come under separate types of control as kittens developed. Some patterns were becoming controlled by the same factors as those controlling predatory behaviour, others by those factors that control agonistic behaviour. In addition, the relationship between the timing of the onset of social play and predatory behaviour is examined.

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