Elsevier

Brain Research

Volume 64, 21 December 1973, Pages 257-269
Brain Research

Loss of social group affinity following prefrontal lesions in free-ranging macaques

https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-8993(73)90182-0Get rights and content

Abstract

Five free-ranging rhesus monkeys underwent resections of prefrontal cortex anterior to the frontal eyefields. Four others sustained bilateral ablations of the cingulate gyrus. Four of the 5 prefrontal animals failed to rejoin their social group on release and remained solitary until their deaths. The one animal to rejoin the social group was a yearling. All prefrontal animals except the yearling exhibited increased levels of aimless pacing activity.

Three of the 4 animals with bilateral cingulate lesions returned to the social group and appeared largely unchanged by the extensive cerebral lesions. The fourth animal, a 5-year-old male, remained solitary until his early death 2–3 days later. However, abandonment of social group and adoption of a temporary solitary state occurs frequently among males of this age group on Cayo Santiago.

Ten control animals trapped from the group all returned to the social group and appeared unaffected. The present results support the hypothesis that the prefrontal and the anterior temporal cortical regions both contribute importantly to the control and regulation of social behavior in the subhuman primate.

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    *

    Present address: Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, Mass. 02115, U.S.A.

    **

    Present address: Rutgers Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, New Brunswick, N.J. 08903, U.S.A.

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