Short and Long Term Physiological and Neurochemical Adaptations to Social Conflict

This work focuses on the short-and long-term submissive reactions at the level of behavior, endocrine and cardiovascular physiology as well as certain neurochemical systems in mice and rats that confront an aggressive opponent.

Abstract

Social conflict engenders behavioral and physiological phonemena that are relevant to the concept of stress. Attack and threat by an opponent leads to profound behavioral, physiological and neurochemical reactions, some adaptative, others maladaptative, by animals that exhibit defensive and submissive responses (Miczek et al., 1989 in press). Here, we focus on the short-and long-term submissive reactions at the level of behavior, endocrine and cardiovascular physiology as well as certain neurochemical systems in mice and rats that confront an aggressive opponent.