Understanding the Neurobiology of Why We Play
In order to better understand the neurobiological substrates of mammalian playfulness, current research in Steve Siviy's lab examines the play behavior of young rats (pictured above) and tries to identify those neural systems which are necessary for play to occur. We are also interested in evaluating the extent to which early social experiences (such as play, or the lack of play) can influence the structure and function of neural systems.
Current research projects are:
- Psychopharmacology of play behavior – This has been a constant focus of the lab for some time. Some of the neurochemical systems that we’ve looked at include dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, glutamate, cannabinoids, and opioids.
- Effects of fear and anxiety on play behavior –
This project developed out of some collaborative work done in Iain
McGregor’s lab at the
- Effects of early postnatal experiences on playfulness – Early postnatal experiences can have a profound effect on subsequent behavior. This project has been evaluating the role of various types of experiences (e.g., handling, isolation, maternal separation) on subsequent playfulness.
- The genetics of mammalian playfulness – This project has been assessing the play of selected inbred strains of rats that differ in their propensity to play. So far, our data suggests that playfulness in the rat has a fairly strong genetic component.
- Can a rat have a playful personality? – This is a fairly new project that developed from our work looking at inbred rats. Given the evidence for a strong genetic component to play, we’ve now begun to examine whether playfulness is related to other “personality” characteristics in the rat.
Here's a list of papers describing play research (and related projects)
from the lab at Gettysburg (undergraduate
co-authors from Gettysburg
Siviy, S.M., Love, N.J., DeCicco, B.M., Giordano, S.B., and Seifert, T.L. (2003). The relative playfulness of
juvenile Lewis and Fischer-344 rats.
Physiology and Behavior, 80,
385-394.
Muschamp,
J. W., and
Siviy, S.M. (2002). Behavioral sensitization to
amphetamine follows chronic administration of the CB1 agonist WIN
55,212 in Lewis rats. Pharmacology,
Biochemistry and Behavior, 73, 835-842.
Siviy, S.M., and Baliko,
C.N. (2000). A further characterization
of alpha-2 adrenoceptor involvement in the
rough-and-tumble play of juvenile rats. Developmental
Psychobiology, 37, 25-34.
Siviy,
S.M. (1998). Neurobiological substrates of play behavior: Glimpses into the
structure and function of mammalian playfulness. In M. Bekoff
and J. Byers (Eds.), Animal Play: Evolutionary, Comparative, and Ecological
Perspectives.
Siviy, S.M., Fleischhauer,
A.E., Kerrigan,
Siviy, S.M., Baliko,
C.N., and Bowers, K.S. (1996). Rough-and-tumble play
behavior in Fischer-344 and
Siviy, S.M., Line, B.S., and Darcy, E.A.
(1995). The effects of MK-801 on rough-and-tumble play in juvenile
rats. Physiology and Behavior, 57, 843-847.
Panksepp, J., Normansell, L., Cox,
J.F., and Siviy, S.M. (1994). Effects of
neonatal decortication on the social play of juvenile
rats. Physiology and Behavior, 56, 429-443.
Siviy, S.M., Fleischhauer,
A.E., Kuhlman, S.J., and Atrens, D.M. (1994). Effects
of alpha-2 adrenoceptor antagonists on
rough-and-tumble play in juvenile rats: Evidence for a site of action
independent of non-adrenoceptor imidazoline
binding sites. Psychopharmacology, 113, 493-499.
Siviy, S.M., and Atrens, D.M.
(1992). The energetic costs of rough-and-tumble play in the
juvenile rat. Developmental Psychobiology, 25, 137-148.
Published
abstracts and conference presentations that have all involved
Donahue, K.M., and Siviy, S.M. (2003). The effects of haloperidol on anticipatory and consummatory components of play behavior in juvenile rats. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Baltimore.
Fahey, J., and Siviy, S.M. (2003). The unconditioned and conditioned effects of cat fur on the rough-and-tumble play of juvenile rats. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Baltimore.
Siviy,
S.M., and Seifert, T.L. (2002). Opioid and cannabinoid involvement in the relative playfulness of
juvenile Lewis and Fischer rats. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience,
Siviy,
S.M., Love, N.J., DeCicco,
B.M., and Giordano, S. (2001). Stress, novelty, and the relative playfulness of juvenile
Fischer-344 and Lewis rats. Presented at the Annual
Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.
Siviy, S.M., DeCicco, B., Love, N. and Giordano, S.
(2001). Play behavior and
amphetamine-induced activity in juvenile Fischer-344 and Lewis rats. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the
International Behavioral Neuroscience Society,
Love,
N., and
Siviy, S.M. (2001). Effects of
cross-fostering on the play behavior of Fischer-344 and Lewis rats.
Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Behavioral
Neuroscience Society,
Arnold,
J., Black, S., Pitts, A., and Siviy, S.M. (2000). The effects of chronic
neonatal isolation on play and activity in the rat. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the
Eastern Psychological Association,
Szewczyk,
C.S., Mahoney, D., and Siviy, S.M. (2000). The behavioral effects of 8-OH-DPAT in Fischer-344 and Lewis rats. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the
Eastern Psychological Association,
Siviy, S.M., Ruegg,
H. DeCicco, B., Hackler, L., Love, N., and Szewczyk, C. (1999). A further characterization of differences in the play behavior of
Fischer-344, Lewis and Sprague-Dawley rats. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 25, 874.
Siviy, S.M., Boustani,
M., Birkholz, J.H., and Pineault,
M. (1998). Serotonergic involvement in the rough-and-tumble play of juvenile rats. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 24, 1922.
Siviy, S.M., Brubaker, B.J., Birkholz,
J.H., and Hiraizumi, K. (1997). Effects
of amphetamine infusions into the nucleus accumbens
of Lewis and Fischer-344 rats. Society for
Neuroscience Abstracts, 23, 2407.
Siviy, S.M., Brubaker, B.J., Birkholz,
J.H., Pineault, M.J., and Gilbert, T.S.
(1996). Effects of acute and chronic social
isolation in Fischer-344 and Sprague-Dawley rats.
Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 21, 1138.
Siviy, S.M., & Bowers, K.S. (1995). Play
behavior in the Fischer-344 rat: Effects of social isolation and quinpirole. Paper presented at the 66th Annual Meeting of
the Eastern Psychological Association,
Siviy, S.M., & Milburn, A.L. (1995). Dopamine
and play behavior in juvenile rats: Relative involvement of D2 and D3
receptors. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 21,
1688.
Fleischhauer, A.E., Grabow, J.M.,
Bornstein, R.F., & Siviy, S.M. (1994). The acute and chronic
effects of fluoxetine on rough-and-tumble play in
juvenile rats. Paper presented at the 65th Annual Meeting of the Eastern
Psychological Association,
Siviy, S.M., Fleischhauer,
A.E., & Line, B.S. (1994). D2 dopamine receptors and
play in the juvenile rat. Paper presented at the 27th Annual Meeting of the
International Society for Developmental Psychobiology,
Siviy,
S.M., Huguenin, S., Kerrigan,
Siviy, S.M., Kerrigan,
Hunsicker, S.L., Siviy, S.M., and Bornstein, R.F.
(1993). Effects of FK33,824 on
rough-and-tumble play in juvenile rats. Paper presented at the 64th Annual
Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association,
Turnes, A.H., Hiraizumi, K, and Siviy, S.M.
(1992). The effect of social interaction on
enzyme activites of the catecholamine biosynthetic
pathway in the rat. Paper presented at the 68th Annual Meeting of the
Pennsylvania Academy of Science,
Siviy, S.M., and Fleischhauer,
A.E. (1992). Alpha-2 adrenoceptor
antagonists facilitate play independent of any action at non-adrenoceptor imidazoline binding
sites. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 18,
538.
Siviy,
S.M. (1992). Does dopamine have a role to play in the modulation of play
behavior? Paper presented at the 25th Annual Meeting of the International
Society for Developmental Psychobiology,
Siviy, S.M., and Kerrigan,
Siviy, S.M., Fleischhauer,
A.E., & Kerrigan,
return to Siviy
home page
.