Schedule of Events | Symposia

Sketchpad Series

Neurodevelopment of the frontoparietal network underlying social interactions in common marmosets

Poster Session D - Monday, March 31, 2025, 8:00 – 10:00 am EDT, Back Bay Ballroom/Republic Ballroom

Maëva Gacoin¹ (maeva.gacoin@mcgill.ca), Tyler Cook¹, Justine Cléry²; ¹Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, ²Azrieli Center for Autism Research

Primate species, including humans, navigate complex social environments through behaviors like grooming and chasing, which reveal social hierarchies. Understanding these dynamics is essential for adaptive behavior and can shed light on neurodevelopmental disorders like autism. The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), a small primate with human-like social skills, offers a unique opportunity to study the neural mechanisms of social cognition due to its family-oriented behavior, rapid development (<24 months), and high reproductive rate. These traits make it an excellent candidate for preclinical autism models and for exploring the impacts of social disruptions across the lifespan. This project investigates social cognition first in neurotypical marmosets from 6 to 24 months old using advanced imaging techniques (functional and structural MRI) and behavioral tasks. We used task-based fMRI in awake marmosets while they are viewing social interactions videos, structural MRI data to monitor cortical myelin development and resting-state functional connectivity in the frontoparietal network, critical for social cognition. Behavioral evaluations included touchscreen and eye-tracking tasks to assess social categorization and gaze preferences. Our preliminary findings (up to 15-month-old) show increased cortical myelination and strengthened frontoparietal connectivity with age. Observing social interactions with varying emotional valence elicited distinct brain responses: hierarchical interactions strongly activated the amygdala, while affiliative behaviors produced minimal activity. Younger marmosets showed less differentiation in prefrontal activation between kinship and friendship, contrasting with adults’ nuanced responses. This research not only deepens our understanding of marmoset neurodevelopment but also establishes its potential as a model for studying autism-related social deficits.

Topic Area: EMOTION & SOCIAL: Development & aging