Nest-building behavior in laboratory mice: Multifunctional roles and neural mechanisms.
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| Title: | Nest-building behavior in laboratory mice: Multifunctional roles and neural mechanisms. |
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| Authors: | Tagawa N; Department of Anatomy, Graduate School of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo 143-8540, Japan., Tsuneoka Y; Department of Anatomy, Graduate School of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo 143-8540, Japan. Electronic address: yousuke.tsuneoka@med.toho-u.ac.jp., Funato H; Department of Anatomy, Graduate School of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo 143-8540, Japan; International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), Tsukuba Institute for Advanced Research (TIAR), University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan. Electronic address: hiromasa.funato@med.toho-u.ac.jp. |
| Source: | Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews [Neurosci Biobehav Rev] 2025 Nov; Vol. 178, pp. 106377. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Sep 15. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article; Review |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: Pergamon Press Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 7806090 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1873-7528 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01497634 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Neurosci Biobehav Rev Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: New York Ny : Pergamon Press Original Publication: Fayetteville, N. Y., ANKHO International Inc. |
| MeSH Terms: | Nesting Behavior*/physiology , Brain*/physiology, Animals ; Mice ; Body Temperature Regulation/physiology ; Female ; Maternal Behavior/physiology |
| Abstract: | Nest-building is a multifunctional and evolutionarily conserved behavior across vertebrate species, serving critical roles in rest, thermoregulation, and offspring care. In laboratory mice, nest-building occurs spontaneously under standard housing conditions and provides an ethologically relevant window into innate behavior modulated by internal state and environmental context. Although nest-building is regarded as an innate behavior, emerging evidence demonstrates its plasticity: it is shaped by experience, hormonal state, ambient temperature, and sleep pressure. Moreover, nest-building is sensitive to strain differences, aging, stress, and neurological disorders, and may serve as a robust behavioral readout for cognitive, affective, and sensorimotor function. It may also provide a valuable indicator of general health and welfare in laboratory mice. We delineate four primary contexts for nest-building-pre-sleep, thermoregulatory, parental, and preparatory during pregnancy, and describe how distinct neural substrates involving the cerebral cortex, hypothalamus, and brain stem, are differentially engaged in each context. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the ethology, physiology, and neural circuits underlying nest-building behavior in laboratory mice. (Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.) |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Brain; Mouse; Nest; Parental behavior; Preoptic area; Sleep |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20250917 Date Completed: 20251013 Latest Revision: 20251013 |
| Update Code: | 20251014 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106377 |
| PMID: | 40961998 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
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Nájsť tento článok vo Web of Science | Abstract: | Nest-building is a multifunctional and evolutionarily conserved behavior across vertebrate species, serving critical roles in rest, thermoregulation, and offspring care. In laboratory mice, nest-building occurs spontaneously under standard housing conditions and provides an ethologically relevant window into innate behavior modulated by internal state and environmental context. Although nest-building is regarded as an innate behavior, emerging evidence demonstrates its plasticity: it is shaped by experience, hormonal state, ambient temperature, and sleep pressure. Moreover, nest-building is sensitive to strain differences, aging, stress, and neurological disorders, and may serve as a robust behavioral readout for cognitive, affective, and sensorimotor function. It may also provide a valuable indicator of general health and welfare in laboratory mice. We delineate four primary contexts for nest-building-pre-sleep, thermoregulatory, parental, and preparatory during pregnancy, and describe how distinct neural substrates involving the cerebral cortex, hypothalamus, and brain stem, are differentially engaged in each context. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the ethology, physiology, and neural circuits underlying nest-building behavior in laboratory mice.<br /> (Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.) |
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| ISSN: | 1873-7528 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106377 |