# Dopaminergic Modulation of Social Relationships

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA OMAHA · 2020 · $14,969

## Abstract

Project Summary
The neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) and the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) are characterized by their
ability to modulate reward and social behavior, respectively. The DA system influences behavior in a
variety of contexts, including drugs of abuse and associative learning, and has more recently been
implicated in social behavior. DA may alter social behavior through complex interactions with the OT
system. DA may be the link that associates social interactions as rewarding and therefore may be a
target system for understanding dysfunction of social ability. The first aim of this proposal will
characterize the effect of dopaminergic manipulation on male-female social relationships in pair-living
marmosets. Experimental treatments will involve administration of pharmacological agents (both
agonists and antagonists) that target D1- and D2-like dopamine receptors. The second aim of the
proposal examines the interaction between the OT and DA systems in the production of both pair-
related social behavior and partner preference. OT agonists and antagonists will be co-administered
with DA treatments to assess independent or dependent mediation of sociality by these two signaling
pathways. The third aim of the proposal will examine a VNTR polymorphism in the regulatory region
of the DA transporter gene (DAT1/SLC6A3). This polymorphism is associated with differential
sensitivity to food reward in marmosets, and Aim 3 will evaluate whether individual differences in
social relationships and reactivity to novel stimuli are explained by genetic variation. Together, these
experiments will identify the independent and co-modulatory role of DA in complex social
relationships, and test whether gene-based variation in one component of DA signaling (reuptake of
synaptic DA) can predict the qualitative and quantitative differences of partner-directed social
behavior.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9842005
- **Project number:** 5F31MH114504-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA OMAHA
- **Principal Investigator:** Sarah Barbara Carp
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $14,969
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-01-01 → 2020-05-08

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9842005

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9842005, Dopaminergic Modulation of Social Relationships (5F31MH114504-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9842005. Licensed CC0.

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