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The neurobiology of social play behaviour: Past, present and future
Open accessAbstract
Social play behaviour is a highly energetic and rewarding activity that is of great importance for the development of brain and behaviour. Social play is abundant during the juvenile and early adolescent phases of life, and it occurs in most mammalian species, as well as in certain birds and reptiles. To date, the majority of research into the neural mechanisms of social play behaviour has been performed in male rats. In the present review we summarize studies on the neurobiology of social play behaviour in rats, including work on pharmacological and genetic models for autism spectrum disorders, early life manipulations and environmental factors that influence play in rats. We describe several recent developments that expand the field, and highlight outstanding questions that may guide future studies.
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“For example, treatment with psychostimulant drugs in doses that evoke hyperactivity, typically results in a reduction in social play (for reviews see Vanderschuren et al. 2016; Achterberg and Vanderschuren 2023)”
From Neurexin1α knockout in rats causes aberrant social behaviour: relevance for autism and schizophrenia (2025) · cites this paper as Achterberg and Vanderschuren 2023
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“Furthermore, locomotor hyperactivity and social play behaviour can be pharmacologically dissociated.”
From Neurexin1α knockout in rats causes aberrant social behaviour: relevance for autism and schizophrenia (2025) · cites this paper as Achterberg and Vanderschuren 2023
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Metadata
- Authors
- Achterberg, E. J. M., & Vanderschuren, L. J. M. J.
- Affiliations
- Utrecht University (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Achterberg, E.J. Marijke
- Vanderschuren, Louk J.M.J.
- Venue
- Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2023-09
- Volume
- 152
- Pages
- 105319
- ISSN
- 0149-7634 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4384283590
- Cited by
- 56
- References
- 239
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 3
- FWCI
- 2.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Keywords
- rats, pharmacological models, genetic models, early life experience, environmental enrichment, juvenile development, brain development, social behavior
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Brain, Male, Mammals, Social Behavior, Rats
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