A game of thrones: Neural plasticity in mammalian social hierarchies

Social status is a key regulator of health and reproduction in mammals, including humans. Despite this, relatively little is known about how social status influences the mammalian brain. Furthermore, the extent to which status is an independent construct, i.e., not simply acting as a psychosocial stressor, is yet to be determined. Research to date reveals several promising mechanisms and/or systems associated with social status, including monoamine systems, hypothalamic neuroendocrine axes, and the hippocampus, though whether these differences are the cause or effect of status is often unclear. We review these candidates and propose how best to approach this research question in the future.