title: Octodon degus. A useful animal model for social-affective neuroscience research: basic description of separation distress, social attachments and play.
abstract: A challenge for social-affective neuroscience programs is to identify simple and yet valid animal models for studying the expression of basic social emotions and their role during different developmental windows, from infancy to adulthood. For example, although laboratory rats are useful for studying juvenile social interactions, they are not ideal for studying infant attachment bonds. Here, we evaluate current understanding of the social behavior of Octodon degus, a diurnal precocial rodent, to elucidate the value of this species as a model for social-affective neuroscience research. After a synopsis of species-specific characteristics and brain susceptibility to changes of social environment, our behavioral findings on degu social proclivities are summarized. We then discuss why this pre-clinical model provides a valuable addition to the commonly available animal models for the study of human psychopathology.
authors.affiliation: Center for the Study of Animal Well-being, Department of Veterinary & Comparative Anatomy, Pharmacology and Physiology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6520, USA. vcolonnello@vetmed.wsu.edu
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Colonnello
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Iacobucci
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Ruth C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Newberry
authors.forename: Jaak
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Panksepp
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D001010:Anxiety, Separation / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D009488:Neurosciences / Q000379:methods*; D009769:Object Attachment; D046329:Octodon / Q000502:physiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D010988:Play and Playthings / Q000523:psychology*; D011610:Psychosocial Deprivation; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology