Social Interaction and Brain Connections in Female Voles
Research on prairie voles has shown that social interaction plays a significant role in boosting brain connections linked to bonding. Female prairie voles, in particular, exhibit strong pair bonds, making them an ideal subject for studying attachment.
A recent study found that even brief contact with a male alters brain structure in areas linked to reward, increasing neuron connections. This phenomenon is observed in the nucleus accumbens, a region of the brain associated with social bonding and reward processing.
Social experience and social cohabitation with mating promote spinogenesis in the nucleus accumbens of adult female prairie voles.
- Source: Social experience and social cohabitation with mating promote spinogenesis
- Related research: The Neurobiology of Love and Pair Bonding
- Prior study: A gender-specific mechanism for pair bonding: oxytocin and partner preference formation in monogamous voles (Journal: Behavioral neuroscience, Issue: Vol 109, Issue 4, Aug 1995)
Author's summary: Social interaction alters brain structure in female prairie voles.
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