The adult brain is capable of change (plasticity) and alterations in its structure may lead to changes in exhibited behavior: The Structure-Function Hypothesis. However, although neural plasticity is an important theme in neuroscience, its incorporation within animal behavior research has been limited. The goal of this proposal is to assess whether testosterone-dependent changes in brain structure determine neural activity and resultant aggressive behavior. Methods employed involve staging aggressive encounters, altering and measuring hormone levels, measuring brain regions, and using immunocytochemical methods to tag and identification brain regions that are activated during aggressive encounters. The feasibility of this research is high as all of these methods are established in the investigator's laboratory. Demonstrating effects of neural structure on aggression would benefit the scientific community by allowing subsequent research both identifying and manipulating the exact neural alterations induced by hormones. Researchers could then apply such an approach to relating hormone-induced changes in behavior with changes in other neural structures. Impacts of this proposal include applications to management and conservation programs, where social and environmental variables may affect hormone levels. This approach can also be used when assessing impacts of anthropogenic change in the environment on hormone level, neural structure, and behavior. Results will be published and presented at major conferences.
