Jules Panksepp

E-mail: jbpanksepp@wisc.edu

Research Project:

Juvenile mammals possess an extensive repertoire of social behaviors that ultimately serve to bring them within a close spatial proximity. Compared to adults, juveniles are generally more playful and less selective about their social partners. The juvenile-to-adult transition (i.e., puberty and adolescence) is accompanied by a large-scale reallocation of behavioral resources that supports new social challenges, such as reproductive opportunities, territory defense and parental care. Thus, the juvenile social brain is unique, allowing basic mechanisms underlying social approach to be studied free of the social specializations that mark adulthood.

The lab has developed a panel of behavioral tests that probe different domains of juvenile mouse sociability. We have identified differences between inbred strains that are consistent across multiple tests of social behavior. These strain-dependent differences cannot be accounted for by maternal care, the strain or gender of the ‘stimulus’ mice, locomotor activity, generalized anxiety or differences in learning. Overall, our findings point a basic social reward process that may help account for the preponderance of social approach behaviors observed among juvenile mammals. Presently, we are employing this model as the framework for activity measurements (c-fos, F18-FDG) and forward genetic studies in the juvenile social brain.

Abstracts and Publications:

• Panksepp, J.B., K.A. Jochman, J.U. Kim, J.J. Koy, E.D. Wilson, Q. Chen, C.R. Wilson, and G.P. Lahvis. 2007. Affiliative behavior, ultrasonic communication and social reward are influenced by genetic variation in adolescent mice. PLoS ONE. In press.
• Panksepp, J.B. and G.P. Lahvis. 2006. Social reward among juvenile mice. Genes Brain Behav. (Online early article)
• Panksepp, J.B. 2006. Modeling social reward in juvenile mice: behavior, genetics, and activity. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr.
• Panksepp, J.B. 2006. Social reward among juvenile mice is a heritable phenotype. 8th Annual Meeting of the Int. Beh. and Neural Soc. Abstr.
• Hernandez, P.J., M.E. Andrzejewski, K. Sadeghian, J.B. Panksepp, and A.E. Kelley. 2005. AMPA/Kainate, NMDA, and dopamine D1 receptor function in the nucleus accumbens core: A context-limited role in the encoding and consolidation of instrumental memory. Learn Mem. 12: 285-295
• Gammie, S.C., N.S. Hasen, T.A. Awad, A.P. Auger, H.M. Jessen, J.B. Panksepp, and A.M. Bronikowski. 2005. Gene array profiling of large hypothalamic CNS regions in lactating and randomly cycling virgin mice. Brain Res. Mol. Brain Res. 139: 201-211.
• Panksepp, J.B. and R. Huber. 2004. Ethological analyses of crayfish behavior: A new invertebrate system for measuring the rewarding properties of psychostimulants. Beh. Brain Res. 153: 171-180. [PDF]
• Panksepp J., C. Nocjar, J. Burgdorf, J.B. Panksepp, and R Huber. 2004. The role of emotional systems in addiction: A neuroethological perspective. In: R.A. Bevins and M.T. Bardo (editors) Motivational Factors in the Etiology of Drug Abuse. University of Nebraska Press: Lincoln, NE and London. pp. 85-126.
• Panksepp, J.B., Z. Yue, C. Drerup, and R. Huber. 2003. Amine neurochemistry and aggression in crayfish. Microscopy Res. Tech. 60: 360-368 . [PDF]
• Panksepp, J.B. 2002. Crayfish neurochemistry and behavior: A model sustem for the study of psychostimulant drugs of abuse. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr.
• Panksepp, J.B. 2002. The neuropharmacology of crayfish reward: Place conditioning with amphetamine and cocaine. 28th annual East Coast Nerve Net Conference.
• Panksepp, J.B. and R. Huber. 2002. Chronic alterations in serotonin function: Dynamic neurochemical properties in agonistic behavior of the crayfish, Orconectes rusticus. J. Neurobiol. 50: 276-290. [PDF]
• Panksepp, J., J.R. Moskal, J.B. Panksepp, and R. Kroes. 2002. Comparative approaches in evolutionary psychology: Molecular neuroscience meets the mind. Neuroendocrinol. Lett. 23: 105-115.
• Panksepp, J., C. Nocjar, J. Burgdorf, J.B. Panksepp, and R. Huber. 2002. The role of emotional systems in addiction: A neuroethological perspective. In Annual Review of the Nebraska Symposium on Motivation.
• Huber, R., A. Daws, S. Tuttle, and J.B. Panksepp. 2001. Quantitative behavioral techniques for the study of crustacean aggression. In Wiese and Schmidt (eds.) Physiology of the Crustacean Nervous System. pp. 186-201.
• Panksepp, J. and J.B. Panksepp. 2001. A continuing critique of evolutionary psychology: Seven sins for seven sinners, plus or minus two. Evolution and Cog. 7: 56-80.
• Huber, R., J.B. Panksepp, Z. Yue, A. Delago, and P. Moore. 2001. Dynamic interactions of behavior and amine neurochemistry in acquisition and maintenance of social rank in crayfish. Brain, Beh. and Evol. 57: 271-282.
• Panksepp, J.B. 2000. Long-term changes in serotonin function: A dynamic relationship between amine function and crayfish aggression. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr.
• Panksepp, J.B. 2000. Neuromodulators and aggression: Chronic modifications of crayfish CNS serotonin. 26th Annual East Coast Nerve Net Conf. Abstr.
• Panksepp, J.B. 2000. Neuromodulators and aggressive behavior: Depletion of serotonin by 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine. 109th Annual Meeting of the Ohio Academy of Sciences Abstr.
• Panksepp, J. and J.B. Panksepp. 2000. The seven sins of evolutionary psychology. Evolution and Cog. 6: 108-131. [PDF]