Effects of Social Isolation and Resocialization on Post-weaning Development in Mice
Purpose: Participation in social interactions throughout childhood leads to the development of social cognition and social skills essential for daily life. Abnormal social experiences during adolescence have been shown to have long-term effects on brain function and structure, and a critical period for social behavior may exist. This study investigated the effects of periods of social isolation during development and of subsequent resocialization on the sociability of mice after adulthood. Through this experiment, we attempted to identify the developmental period associated with the critical period of social behavior. Method: Social isolation was carried out for one or two weeks during the developmental period, starting from the third week of life. Thereafter, the mice were housed in groups (resocialization) until they were 9 weeks old. The social behavior of the mice was examined after nine weeks of age. Finding: Social isolation during the third week of life did not reduce social novelty in the mice while isolation during the fourth and fifth weeks of life resulted in a decline in social novelty that could not be recovered by subsequent resocialization. Conclusion: This study suggests that a critical period for sociality in mice may exist at approximately 3 weeks after birth. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of early psychological interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy.
