Figure 2. 40-day peer-enriched intervention improved sociability in BTBR female mice.

(A) Time in chambers containing a novel object or novel mouse. Female B6 that were reared as juveniles with juvenile female B6 for 40 days displayed typical sociability as adults (N=16, F_1,15=8.94, p<.01). Female BTBR reared as juveniles with juvenile female BTBR for 40 days did not display sociability as adults (N=16, F_1,15=5.29, p<.05). Female BTBR reared as juveniles with juvenile female B6 for 40 days displayed significant sociability as adults (N=16, F_1,15=12.7, p<.01). (B) Time spent sniffing the novel object and the novel mouse. Female B6 reared as juveniles with juvenile female B6 for 40 days displayed significant sociability as adults (F_1,15=24.76, p<.001). Female BTBR reared as juveniles with juvenile female BTBR did not display significant sociability (F_1,15=0.18, NS). Female BTBR reared as juveniles with juvenile female B6 spent significantly more time sniffing the novel mouse than the novel object as adults (F_1,15=21.04, p<.001). (C) Total number of entries to the side chambers during the social approach task. No significant effect of social housing was found (N=16 for each group, F_2,45=0.72, NS). (D) Total number of entries to the side chambers during the habituation phase that preceded the social approach task. No significant effect of social housing was found (N=16 for each group, F_2,45=0.73, NS). (A and B) *p < .05 for comparison between novel mouse and novel object sides.