The Role of Social Stress in the Development of Inhibitory Control Deficit: A Systematic Review in Preclinical Models

Inhibitory control deficit and impulsivity and compulsivity behaviours are present in different psychopathological disorders such as addiction, obsessive-compulsive disorders and schizophrenia, among others. Social relationships in humans and animals are governed by social organization rules, which modulate inhibitory control and coping strategies against stress. Social stress is associated with compulsive alcohol and drug use, pointing towards a determining factor in an increased vulnerability to inhibitory control deficit. The goal of the present review is to assess the implication of social stress and dominance on the vulnerability to develop impulsive and/or compulsive spectrum disorders, with the aid of the information provided by animal models. A systematic search strategy was carried out on the PubMed and Web of Science databases, and the most relevant information was structured in the text and tables. A total of 34 studies were recruited in the qualitative synthesis. The results show the role of social stress and dominance in increased drug and alcohol use, aggressive and impulsive behaviour. Moreover, the revised studies support the role of Dopaminergic (DA) activity and the alterations in the dopaminergic D1/D2 receptors as key factors in the development of inhibitory control deficit by social stress.