Neuropeptides in t
he arginine vasotocin/arginine vasopressin (AVT/AVP) family play a major role in t
he regulation of social be
havior by t
heir actions in t
he brain. In mammals, AVP is found wit
hin a circuit of recriprocally connected limbic structures t
hat form t
he social be
havior neural network. T
his review examines t
he role played by AVP wit
hin t
his network in controlling social processes t
hat are critical for t
he formation and maintenance of social relations
hips: social recognition, social communication and aggression. Studies in a number of mammalian species indicate t
hat AVP and AVP V1a receptors are ideally suited to regulate t
he expression of social processes because of t
heir plasticity in response to factors t
hat influence social be
havior. T
he pattern of AVP innervation and V1a receptors across t
he social be
havior neural network may determine t
he potential range and intensity of social responses t
hat individuals display in different social situations. Alt
houg
h fundamental information on
how social be
havior is wired in t
he brain is still lacking, it is clear t
hat different social be
haviors can be influenced by t
he actions of AVP in t
he same region of t
he network and t
hat AVP can act wit
hin multiple regions of t
his network to regulate t
he expression of individual social be
haviors. T
he existing data suggest t
hat AVP can influence social be
havior by modulating t
he interpretation of sensory information, by influencing decision making and by triggering complex motor outputs.
This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and Social Behavior.