Mu opioid receptor stimulation in the nucleus accumbens increases vocal-social interactions in flocking european starlings, sturnus vulgaris MOR in NAc increases vocal-social interactions in flocks

9Citations
Citations of this article
12Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

Social connections in gregarious species are vital for safety and survival. For these reasons, many bird species form large flocks outside the breeding season. It has been proposed that such large 29 social groups may be maintained via reward induced by positive interactions with conspecifics and via the reduction of a negative affective state caused by social separation. Moreover, within a flock optimal social spacing between conspecifics is important, indicating that individuals may optimize spacing to be close but not too close to conspecifics. Mu opioid receptors (MORs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) are well known for their role in both reward and the reduction of negative affective states, suggesting that MOR stimulation in NAc may play a critical role in flock cohesion. To begin to test this hypothesis, social and non-social behaviors were examined in male and female European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) in non-breeding flocks after intra-NAc infusion of saline and three doses of the selective MOR agonist D-Ala2, N-Me-Phe4, glycinol5-ENK (DAMGO). DAMGO in NAc dose-dependently increased singing behavior and facilitated social approaches while at the same time promoting displacements potentially used to maintain social spacing. These findings support the hypothesis that MORs in NAc promote social interactions important for group cohesion in non-sexual contexts and suggest the possibility that MOR in the NAc play a role in optimizing the pull of joining a flock with the push of potential agonistic encounters.

References Powered by Scopus

Revised Nomenclature for Avian Telencephalon and Some Related Brainstem Nuclei

985Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Photoperiodic control of seasonality in birds

825Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

'Liking' and 'wanting' food rewards: Brain substrates and roles in eating disorders

807Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Cited by Powered by Scopus

Birdsong and the Neural Regulation of Positive Emotion

6Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Using seasonality and birdsong to understand mechanisms underlying context-appropriate shifts in social motivation and reward

6Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Immunolabeling Provides Evidence for Subregions in the Songbird Nucleus Accumbens and Suggests a Context-Dependent Role in Song in Male European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)

6Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Maksimoski, A. N., Polzin, B. J., Stevenson, S. A., Zhao, C., & Riters, L. V. (2021). Mu opioid receptor stimulation in the nucleus accumbens increases vocal-social interactions in flocking european starlings, sturnus vulgaris MOR in NAc increases vocal-social interactions in flocks. ENeuro, 8(5). https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0219-21.2021

Readers over time

‘21‘22‘23‘24036912

Readers' Seniority

Tooltip

PhD / Post grad / Masters / Doc 3

60%

Researcher 2

40%

Readers' Discipline

Tooltip

Agricultural and Biological Sciences 3

43%

Neuroscience 2

29%

Arts and Humanities 1

14%

Psychology 1

14%

Article Metrics

Tooltip
Social Media
Shares, Likes & Comments: 50

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free
0