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Prefrontal cortical control of a brainstem social behavior circuit.

ABSTRACT: The prefrontal cortex helps adjust an organism's behavior to its environment. In particular, numerous studies have implicated the prefrontal cortex in the control of social behavior, but the neural circuits that mediate these effects remain unknown. Here we investigated behavioral adaptation to social defeat in mice and uncovered a critical contribution of neural projections from the medial prefrontal cortex to the dorsal periaqueductal gray, a brainstem area vital for defensive responses. Social defeat caused a weakening of functional connectivity between these two areas, and selective inhibition of these projections mimicked the behavioral effects of social defeat. These findings define a specific neural projection by which the prefrontal cortex can control and adapt social behavior.

SUBMITTER: Franklin TB

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5580810 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Prefrontal cortical control of a brainstem social behavior circuit.

Franklin Tamara B TB Silva Bianca A BA Perova Zinaida Z Marrone Livia L Masferrer Maria E ME Zhan Yang Y Kaplan Angie A Greetham Louise L Verrechia Violaine V Halman Andreas A Pagella Sara S Vyssotski Alexei L AL Illarionova Anna A Grinevich Valery V Branco Tiago T Gross Cornelius T CT

Nature neuroscience 20170109 2

The prefrontal cortex helps adjust an organism's behavior to its environment. In particular, numerous studies have implicated the prefrontal cortex in the control of social behavior, but the neural circuits that mediate these effects remain unknown. Here we investigated behavioral adaptation to social defeat in mice and uncovered a critical contribution of neural projections from the medial prefrontal cortex to the dorsal periaqueductal gray, a brainstem area vital for defensive responses. Socia ...[more]

PMID: 28067904

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