Life Sciences Commons^™

Social Buffering By Unfamiliar Adult Males In Preweaning Guinea Pigs (Cavia Pocellus): The Effects On Hpa Activity And Fos Induction In The Medial Prefrontal Cortex, Withayapon Watanasriyakul

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Social buffering, a phenomenon in which the presence of a social partner can reduce stress responses, is often most effective between strongly attached partners. Our laboratory previously found a surprising buffering effect of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) response in preweaning guinea pigs by unfamiliar adult males. It was hypothesized that this HPA-buffering effect was driven by social interactions between the two partners and may involve an activation of the prelimbic cortex. Therefore, the current study examined these potential associations. To limit social interactions, the adult male was anesthetized in one condition compared to another condition where the adult male remained conscious. …