Social Recognition Test
Objective: Assessment of mice ability to recognize familiar conspecifics after repeated social exposures
Protocol Steps
Initial Social Exposure
Conduct initial encounter between test mouse and conspecific to assess social recognition ability
Note: This is the critical phase where oxytocin acts in the medial amygdala to facilitate social recognition
View evidence from paper
“OT acts in the medial amygdala during the initial exposure to facilitate social recognition”
Repeated Social Exposures
Conduct repeated exposures to the same conspecific to establish familiarity
Note: Mice are expected to recognize familiar conspecifics after these repeated exposures
View evidence from paper
“Assessment of mice ability to recognize familiar conspecifics after repeated social exposures”
Social Recognition Assessment
Test whether mice recognize the familiar conspecific versus a novel conspecific
Note: Oxytocin knock-out mice fail to recognize familiar conspecifics despite normal olfactory and spatial learning abilities
View evidence from paper
“OT knock-out mice fail to recognize familiar conspecifics after repeated social exposures, despite normal olfactory and spatial learning abilities”
Oxytocin Treatment (if applicable)
Administer oxytocin treatment before initial encounter to restore social recognition in knock-out mice
Note: OT treatment given before, but not after, the initial encounter restores social recognition in OT knock-out mice
View evidence from paper
“OT given before, but not after, the initial encounter restores social recognition in OT knock-out mice”
Neuronal Activation Assessment
Measure c-Fos immunoreactivity as a marker of neuronal activation in brain regions during initial social encounter
Note: Assess activation in olfactory bulbs, piriform cortex, cortical amygdala, lateral septum, medial amygdala, somatosensory cortex, and hippocampus
View evidence from paper
“Using c-Fos immunoreactivity (Fos-IR) as a marker of neuronal activation in this initial encounter”
Site-Specific Oxytocin Injection
Perform site-specific injections of oxytocin and oxytocin antagonist into the medial amygdala
Note: Demonstrates that OT receptor activation in the medial amygdala is both necessary and sufficient for social recognition
View evidence from paper
“With site-specific injections of OT and an OT antagonist, we demonstrate that OT receptor activation in the medial amygdala is both necessary and sufficient for social recognition”