Neurobiology and consequences of social isolation stress in animal model—A comprehensive review
Abstract
The brain is a vital organ, susceptible to alterations under genetic influences and environmental experiences. Social isolation (SI) acts as a stressor which results in alterations in reactivity to stress, social behavior, function of neurochemical and neuroendocrine system, physiological, anatomical and behavioral changes in both animal and humans. During early stages of life, acute or chronic SIS has been proposed to show signs and symptoms of psychiatric and neurological disorders such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy and memory loss. Exposure to social isolation stress induces a variety of endocrinological changes including the activation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, culminating in the release of glucocorticoids (GCs), release of catecholamines, activation of the sympatho-adrenomedullary system, release of Oxytocin and vasopressin. In several regions of the central nervous system (CNS), SIS alters the level of neurotransmitter such as dopamine, serotonin, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate, nitrergic system and adrenaline as well as leads to alteration in receptor sensitivity of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and opioid system. A change in the function of oxidative and nitrosative stress (O&NS) mediated mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammatory factors, neurotrophins and neurotrophicfactors (NTFs), early growth response transcription factor genes (Egr) and C-Fos expression are also involved as a pathophysiological consequences of SIS whic…
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Juvenile animals were isolated for only 4 h prior to social discrimination testing because social isolation is considered a severe stressor for juvenile animals.
“we isolated the juvenile animals for only 4 h in this study, as social isolation is considered a severe stressor for juvenile animals [26].”
From Sex-specific effects of neonatal progestin receptor antagonism on juvenile social play behavior in rats (2021) · cites this paper as [26]
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- Authors
- Mumtaz, F., Khan, M. I., Zubair, M., & Dehpour, A. R.
- Affiliations
- Tehran University of Medical Sciences (IR)
- Kohat University of Science and Technology (PK)
- Nanjing Agricultural University (CN)
- Venue
- Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2018-09
- Volume
- 105
- Pages
- 1205-1222
- ISSN
- 0753-3322 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2809112603
- Cited by
- 369
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 33 · 2025: 50 · 2024: 53 · 2023: 45 · 2022: 68 · 2021: 64 · 2020: 34 · 2019: 21 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 3.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
- Keywords
- social isolation stress, chronic social isolation, neurobiology of stress, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, glucocorticoids, catecholamines, oxytocin, vasopressin, neurotransmitters, NMDA receptor, opioid system, oxidative stress, nitrosative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, neuroinflammation, neurotrophic factors, Egr transcription factors, c-fos, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy, memory loss
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Disease Models, Animal, Humans, Neurobiology, Social Isolation, Stress, Psychological
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