Selective breeding for 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalization emission produces alterations in the ontogeny and regulation of rough-and-tumble play
Abstract
Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are emitted by rodents and can signal either negative or positive affective states in social and nonsocial contexts. Our recent work has utilized selective breeding based upon the emission of 50 kHz USVs in response to standard cross species hand play-namely experimenters 'tickling' rats. Previous work has shown that high-tickle responsive animals (i.e., rats emitting abundant 50 kHz USVs) are gregarious and express enhanced positive emotional behaviors relative to animals exhibiting low 50 kHz USVs. The present study extends this work by examining the developmental profile of play behavior and the suppression of play behavior by predator (cat) odor in juvenile high-line and low-line animals. Results support dissociations in key play measures between these groups, with high-line animals emitting more dorsal contacts during play and low-line animals emitting more pinning behavior. For cat-odor induced play suppression, we found that high-line animals exhibit elevated suppression of play for a prolonged period compared to low-line rats. In contrast, low-line animals returned to normal levels of play just 1 day post-predator odor experience. These findings support the idea that emotional arousal may differ between these selectively bred groups, and extends previous work by demonstrating a possible influence of altered emotional learning and conditioning in these phenotypically different animals. One possibility is that high-line animals exhibit en…
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Only two studies have investigated whether conspecific social play is related to vocalizations induced by tickling.
“While studies have reported that the same positive vocalizations produced during play (and sex) are also emitted during tickling (Burgdorf et al., 2008), only two studies have investigated whether conspecific social play (Rough-and-Tumble play) is related to vocalizations induced by tickling (Panksepp & Burgdorf, 1999;Webber et al., 2012).”
From Play in Rats: Association across Contexts and Types, and Analysis of Structure (2014) · cites this paper as Webber et al., 2012
Webber et al. (2012) found that rats selectively bred for higher vocalization rates during tickling showed lower durations of pinning behavior during play.
“Webber et al. (2012) found that while rats selectively bred for higher vocalization rates during tickling showed more initiations of play, compared with rats selected for lower vocalization rates, they showed lower durations of 'pinning' behavior during play.”
From Play in Rats: Association across Contexts and Types, and Analysis of Structure (2014) · cites this paper as Webber et al. (2012)
Webber et al. (2012) found that rats selectively bred for higher vocalization rates during tickling showed more initiations of play compared with rats selected for lower vocalization rates.
“Webber et al. (2012) found that while rats selectively bred for higher vocalization rates during tickling showed more initiations of play, compared with rats selected for lower vocalization rates, they showed lower durations of 'pinning' behavior during play.”
From Play in Rats: Association across Contexts and Types, and Analysis of Structure (2014) · cites this paper as Webber et al. (2012)
Individual consistency of play across conspecific and heterospecific contexts has been scarcely investigated in rats.
“While studies have reported that the same positive vocalizations produced during play (and sex) are also emitted during tickling (Burgdorf et al., 2008), only two studies have investigated whether conspecific social play (Rough-and-Tumble play) is related to vocalizations induced by tickling (Panksepp & Burgdorf, 1999;Webber et al., 2012).”
From Play in Rats: Association across Contexts and Types, and Analysis of Structure (2014) · cites this paper as Webber et al., 2012
Our finding contrasts with Webber et al. (2012), who found some indications that different play behaviors were associated with animals selected for high and low levels of positive vocalizations during tickling.
“However, our finding contrasts with Webber et al. (2012), who found some indications that different play behaviors were associated with animals selected for high and low levels of positive vocalizations during tickling (i.e., high responders performed more dorsal contacts while low responders performed more pinning behaviors on some testing days).”
From Play in Rats: Association across Contexts and Types, and Analysis of Structure (2014) · cites this paper as Webber et al. (2012)
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Dimensional overlap: cognitive basis for stimulus-response compatibility-a model and taxonomy
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The psychobiology of play: Theoretical and methodological perspectives
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Self-citationRat 22kHz ultrasonic vocalizations as alarm cries
Litvin, Y., Blanchard, D. C., & Blanchard, R. J. (2007) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2006.11.038 · Cited by 242 · see citing works
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Himmler, B. T., Kisko, T. M., Euston, D. R., Kolb, B., & Pellis, S. M. (2014) · Behavioural Processes · doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2014.04.014 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Play in Rats: Association across Contexts and Types, and Analysis of Structure
Melotti, L., Bailoo, J., Murphy, E., Burman, O., & Wurbel, H. (2014) · Animal Behavior and Cognition · doi:10.12966/abc.11.06.2014 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
“, 2008), only two studies have investigated whether conspecific social play (Rough-and-Tumble play) is related to vocalizations induced by tickling (Panksepp & Burgdorf, 1999; Webber et al., 2012).”
BackgroundPinning in the Play Fighting of Rats: A Comparative Perspective With Methodological Recommendations
Himmler, S. M., Himmler, B. T., Stryjek, R., Modlińska, K., Pisula, W., & Pellis, S. M. (2016) · International Journal of Comparative Psychology · doi:10.46867/ijcp.2016.29.00.06 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Social behavior in prepubertal neurexin 1α deficient rats: A model of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Kight, K. E., Argue, K. J., Bumgardner, J. G., Bardhi, K., Waddell, J., & McCarthy, M. M. (2021) · Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.1037/bne0000482 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
- Authors
- Webber, E. S., Harmon, K. M., Beckwith, T. J., Peña, S., Burgdorf, J., Panksepp, J., & Cromwell, H. C.
- Affiliations
- Bowling Green State University (US)
- Northwestern University (US)
- Washington State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Webber, E.S.
- Venue
- Behavioural Brain Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2012-04
- Volume
- 229
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 138-144
- ISSN
- 0166-4328 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2038241401
- Cited by
- 39
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 3
- FWCI
- 5.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Behavioural Brain Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Bowling Green State University
- Hope for Depression Research Foundation (9-002)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Developmental Biology › Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Keywords
- 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations, rough-and-tumble play, selective breeding, rats, tickling, predator odor, positive affective states, emotional arousal, emotional learning, contextual conditioning
- MeSH terms
- Age Factors, Animals, Animals, Newborn, Breeding, Cats, Emotions, Extinction, Psychological, Female, Inhibition, Psychological, Male, Play and Playthings, Social Behavior, Ultrasonics, Video Recording, Vocalization, Animal, Statistics, Nonparametric, Rats, Long-Evans, Rats
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