Effects of short-term isolation on social behaviors in prairie voles

Abstract

Social isolation affects the brain and behavior in a variety of animals, including humans. Studies in traditional laboratory rodents, including mice and rats, have supported the idea that short-term social isolation promotes affiliative social behaviors, while long-term isolation promotes anti-social behaviors, including increased aggression. Whether the effects of isolation on the social behaviors of mice and rats generalize to other rodents remains understudied. In the current study, we characterized the effects of short-term (3-days) social isolation on the social behaviors of adult prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) during same-sex and opposite-sex social interactions. Our experiments revealed that short-term isolation did not affect rates of ultrasonic vocalizations or time spent in non-aggressive social behaviors and huddling during same-sex and opposite-sex interactions. Unexpectedly, although short-term isolation also did not affect time spent in resident-initiated and mutually-initiated aggressive behavior, we found that short-term isolation increased time spent in visitor-initiated aggression during male-male interactions. Our findings highlight the importance of comparative work across species and the consideration of social context to understand the diverse ways in which social isolation can impact social behavior.