A critical period for social isolation in the rat
Abstract
Rats housed in social isolation show heightened levels of object-contact in an open-field and are slower than socially-housed controls to emerge from a small enclosure into an unfamiliar environment. Isolation between 25 and 45 days of age produced an irreversible effect upon object contact but had no lasting effect if between 16 and 25 days or after 45 days. In contrast to object contact, emergence was affected by isolation at any age and the effect was reversed by subsequent social housing. Thus the effects of isolation upon object contact and upon emergence apparently do not depend upon a single underlying variable.
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Early postweaning social play is important.
“This emphasizes the importance of early postweaning social play”
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The postweaning time window is a critical period for PFC maturation and behavioral development.
“consistent with earlier studies that identified this time window as a critical period for PFC maturation and behavioral development”
From Social Play Behavior Is Critical for the Development of Prefrontal Inhibitory Synapses and Cognitive Flexibility in Rats (2022) · cites this paper as Einon and Morgan, 1977
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- Authors
- Einon, D. F., & Morgan, M. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Einon, Dorothy F.
- ORCID
- Morgan, M. J.
- Venue
- Developmental Psychobiology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1977-03
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 123-132
- ISSN
- 0012-1630 (ISSN-L)
- 1098-2302
- OpenAlex
- W2130481778
- Cited by
- 342
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 7.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Developmental Psychobiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Keywords
- social isolation, critical period, emergent behavior, social housing, rat development, exploratory behavior, social deprivation
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Critical Period, Psychological, Exploratory Behavior, Female, Housing, Animal, Male, Object Attachment, Reaction Time, Sex Factors, Social Isolation, Rats
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