Use of Animals to Study the Neurobiological Effects of Isolation

Abstract For a social species like humans, it should not be surprising that the absence of social contact for any significant amount of time can have toxic neurobiological consequences. The most severe isolation conditions can be found in incarceration in solitary confinement. There are a great deal of data on isolation that have been gathered from studies of laboratory animals that we believe can provide critical insights into the impact of isolation in humans. In this chapter, we discuss the data from studies of laboratory animals on the impact of isolation on behavior and the brain. We also discuss the regulations that exist regarding the housing and care of these animals, noting the contrast with regulations regarding humans.