A cross-species socio-emotional behaviour development revealed by a multivariate analysis

Sci Rep. 2013:3:2630. doi: 10.1038/srep02630.

Abstract

Recent progress in affective neuroscience and social neurobiology has been propelled by neuro-imaging technology and epigenetic approach in neurobiology of animal behaviour. However, quantitative measurements of socio-emotional development remains lacking, though sensory-motor development has been extensively studied in terms of digitised imaging analysis. Here, we developed a method for socio-emotional behaviour measurement that is based on the video recordings under well-defined social context using animal models with variously social sensory interaction during development. The behaviour features digitized from the video recordings were visualised in a multivariate statistic space using principal component analysis. The clustering of the behaviour parameters suggested the existence of species- and stage-specific as well as cross-species behaviour modules. These modules were used to characterise the behaviour of children with or without autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). We found that socio-emotional behaviour is highly dependent on social context and the cross-species behaviour modules may predict neurobiological basis of ASDs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Affect
  • Animal Communication
  • Animals
  • Callithrix
  • Chickens
  • Child
  • Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / psychology
  • Emotions*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Male
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Principal Component Analysis
  • Social Behavior*