Type of Document Master's Thesis Author Been, Laura Elizabeth Author's Email Address lbeen1@student.gsu.edu URN etd-11072008-161913 Title THE POSTERIOR BED NUCLEUS OF THE STRIA TERMINALIS MEDIATES OPPOSITE-SEX ODOR PREFERENCE IN MALE SYRIAN HAMSTERS (MESOCRICETUS AURATUS) Degree Master of Arts Department Psychology Advisory Committee
Advisor Name Title Aras Petrulis Committee Chair Anne Murphy Committee Member Elliott Albers Committee Member Keywords
- Odor
- Hamster
- Social behavior
- Excitotoxic lesion
- Hormones
- Odor preference
- Reproduction
- Extended amygdala
- Bed nucleus of the stria terminalis
Date of Defense 2008-08-28 Availability unrestricted Abstract In Syrian hamsters, social behavior is mediated exclusively by chemosensory cues and circulating gonadal steroid hormones. Where these two signals are processed in the brain is unknown, but the posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (pBNST) has been suggested as a candidate site. Therefore, we tested male hamsters’ preference for opposite-sex odors following excitotoxic lesions of the pBNST. Lesions of the pBNST (pBNST-X) eliminated male hamsters’ preference for opposite-sex odors. Furthermore, pBNST-X males spent significantly less time investigating female odors than clean odors and significantly less time investigating female odors than control males did. Lesions of the pBNST did not change male hamsters’ investigation of male odors. The deficits observed in pBNST-X males were not due to a failure to discriminate between odors, as pBNST-X males were able to distinguish between odors. Together, these data suggest the pBNST is critical for opposite-sex odor preference in male hamsters.Files
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