Aggression

Aggression can be a fundamental social behavior in many species and is importantly modulated by prior aggressive experience. However, how this experience shapes neural activity and whether it predicts behaviors in novel, more challenging aggression contexts are unknown. Moreover, imitation learning theories of aggression suggest that this behavior can be transferred through observation alone1, but whether this learning leverages the same neural mechanisms as experience is unclear. To address these two questions, here we combine novel behavioral mapping strategies with cell-type-specific and mu

…such as depression, anxiety, and aggression. Chronic stress or traumatic experiences are thought to trigger the development of depression. However, only a subset of individuals experiencing chronic stress or traumatic life events develop depressive-like behavior (susceptible), while others remain resilient. In order to investigate multiple aspects of dep

Early postnatal development is a critical period for the configuration of neural networks that support emotional and socioaffective behaviors. In this sense, children raised in stressful environments are at high risk of developing maladaptive behaviors immediately or later in life, including antisocial and aggressive behaviors. However, the neurobiological bases of such phenomena remain poorly understood. Here, we showed that, in the long-term, maternal separation with early weaning (MSEW) decreased the density of somatostatin (SST) interneurons in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) of females and

Anxiety disorders frequently accompanies aggression and their co-occurrence predicts worse functional impairment and poor prognosis. Nevertheless, the underlying neural mechanisms for co-occurring anxiety disorders and aggression remains elusive mostly due to the lack of appropriate animal models. Here, we designed a chronic coveted stress (CCS) male mouse model in which a pair of male mouse (owner) and a female mouse (partner) are physically separated from a peer conspecific male mouse (single) that poses a chronic emotional stress. After 7-day modeling, mice exposure to CCS exhibited anxiety

Aggression and substance use disorders (SUDs) show consistent associations, although their causal link remains to be understood. Human genetic studies have identified an association between a single nucleotide polymorphism (rs16969968) of the CHRNA5 gene encoding the α5 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) (α5SNP) and higher scores of nicotine dependence. We and others have shown that the α5SNP is associated with a loss of function of α5 containing nAChRs (α5*nAChRs) and strongly modulates addiction-like behaviors in response not only to nicotine but also to alcohol and co

The splicing factor RBFOX1 exerts a pleiotropic effect on numerous psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders; however, the exact working mechanisms remain largely unknown. One potential mechanism that could partially explain the influence of RBFOX1 on some psychiatric traits is through the modulation of the serotonergic system, a common target for medical intervention in psychiatric disorders associated with RBFOX1.Here we studied a rbfox1 mutant zebrafish model, carrying a rbfox1sa15940 allele that expresses a shorter, aberrant rbfox1 mRNA. In the homozygous rbfox1sa15940 zebrafish we obse

…(KO) in mice increases impulsivity and aggression. An imbalance in several transmitter systems, including serotoninergic signalling, also influences the process of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) development. The BALB/cJ mouse model with low serotonin shows altered distribution of Parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons in the anterior cingulate (ACC) and midc

AimsChallenging behaviours, such as aggression and irritability, are manifested by up to two thirds of autistic individuals. However, despite the detrimental effects challenging behaviours, particularly aggression, have on life of autistic individuals and their families, currently available treatment options are typically borrowed from other areas of psychiatry, and the FDA approved drugs for treatment of ASD-associated irritability are burdened with serious side effects. Therefore, in this study we investigated the effects of oxytocin, a neuropeptide with reported prosocial and anti-aggressiv

…territorial behavior, and aggression, predominantly in males. Recently, knockdown or pharmacological manipulations of the vasopressin system impaired both courtship behaviors and success rates in fish. However, in contrast to its structurally and functionally similar peptide oxytocin, our knowledge of the roles of vasopressin neurons on mating behaviors remains very few and remains further elucidated. Nevertheless, the methodological approac

Aggression is an innate behavior across animal species. It is essential for competing for food, defending territory, securing mates, and protecting families and oneself. Since initiating an attack requires no explicit learning, the neural circuit underlying aggression is believed to be genetically and developmentally hardwired. Despite being innate, aggression is highly plastic. It is influenced by a wide variety of experiences, particularly winning and losing previous encounters. Numerous studies have shown that winning leads to an increased tendency to fight while losing leads to flight in f

All animals possess a repertoire of survival behaviors, such as aggression and reproduction, that are under strong evolutionary constraints. In vertebrates, the hypothalamus plays a key role in regulating these behaviors. The prevailing view of this neural system posits that hypothalamic nuclei are organized as ‘labeled lines’ – populations of behavior-specific neurons with characteristic transcriptional and connectomic profiles. This model seems to fit regions such as the medial preoptic area (MPOA, whose activation causes reproductive behaviors), which contains multiple behavior-specific neu

How the brain represents the body is a fundamental question in cognitive neuroscience. Experimental studies are difficult because ‘the body is always there’ (William James). In recent years immersive virtual reality techniques have been introduced that deliver apparent changes to the body extending earlier techniques such as the rubber hand illusion, or substituting the whole body by a virtual one visually collocated with the real body, and seen from a normal first person perspective. This talk will introduce these techniques, and concentrate on how changing the body can change the mind and be

Aggression is an ethologically complex behavior with equally complex underlying mechanisms. Here, I present data on one form of aggression, appetitive or rewarding aggression, and the behavioral, cellular and system-level mechanisms guiding this behavior. First, I will present one way in which appetitive aggression is modeled in mice, and extend aggression motivation to the concept of compulsive aggression seeking and relapse. I will then briefly highlight recent advances in computer vision and machine learning for automated scoring of aggressive behavior, the role of specific cell-types in

…output such as courtship behavior or aggression. Specific pheromone cues and receptors have provided a useful model to study how sensory inputs are converted into certain behavioral outputs. With the aid of recent advances in tools to record and manipulate genetically defined neurons, our understanding of the neural basis of sexual and social behavior has expanded substantially. I will discuss

…female partners to reproduce, and (2) aggression, where males fight conspecific male competitors in territory guarding. Decades of study have identified two key regions in the hypothalamus, the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN) and the ventrolateral part of ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl) , that are essential for male sexual and aggressive behaviors, respectively. However, it remains ambiguous what area directs excitatory control of the hypothalamic activity and generates the initiation signal for social behaviors

…im Fokus, ebenso, wie unser Gehirn bei Aggression tickt und was daraus für die Prävention und Behandlung folgt.

Aggression is an innate social behavior essential for competing for resources, securing mates, defending territory and protecting the safety of oneself and family. In the last decade, significant progress has been made towards an understanding of the neural circuit underlying aggression using a set of modern neuroscience tools. Here, I will talk about the history and recent progress in the study of aggression.