Topic: medial amygdala

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

The lateral septum (LS) integrates diverse subcortical and cortical inputs to generate appropriate affective behavioral responses related to fear, reward, social behaviors, and memory. Contrary to the medial septum (MS) the LS is considered an entirely GABAergic nucleus where neurons express a plethora of GABAergic markers in a partially overlapping manner. In this work, we describe a neglected and underappreciated neuronal subclass in the lateral septum expressing choline-acetyltransferase (ChAT), therefore named Lateral Septum Cholinergic Neurons (LSCNs). ChAT expressing neurons are immunohi

Alcoholism has been linked extensively to violence and aggressive behavior. About half of all violent crimes and sexual assaults are committed under the influence of alcohol. However, the underlying neuroanatomical mechanism of this connection remains elusive. Previous research in our group points at the somatostatin neurons in the medial amygdala as a relevant regulator of this behavior. In this work, we have investigated sex-specific behavioral alterations after chronic alcohol intoxication. Also, we have considered neuronal activity changes and introduced an emerging therapeutic target. Onl

CCN2 is a matricellular protein that plays important roles in connective tissue. CCN2 is also expressed in the nervous system; however, its role is still unclear. To explore CCN2 function in the brain, we generated forebrain-specific Ccn2 knockout (FbCcn2 KO) mice. In this study, we examined the behavioral phenotypes of FbCcn2KO mice. Male mice lacking CCN2 in the forebrain exhibited normal locomotion, sensorimotor gating, and social behaviors but signs of anxiety and elevated reactive aggression. We checked the c-fos expression in aggression-related brain regions following the resident-intrud

We have reported that two types of ERs, ERa and ERb, are differentially involved in the estrogenic regulation of various kinds of social behaviors in both sexes of mice. In contrast to ERa-dependent action, the neuronal mechanisms of ERb action are still largely unknown. Using the ERb-RFPtg mouse line, we found a differential distribution of ERb from ERa at the “cellular level” in each of the ERb-rich brain regions in the social behavior neural network, such as the medial amygdala (MeA), lateral septum, and midbrain dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). To further determine the functions of these ERb-ex

The neuropeptide vasopressin influences different aspects of behavior, like emotions, anxiety, depression, memory, etc. Previous reports have suggested the participation of the vasopressinergic system in social behavior through the innervation of various nuclei of the brain, signaling through the V1a and V1b receptors. One of the mental disorders that sociability is affected is ASD, and some years ago, it was described as the participation of the vasopressin system in this disorder. The C58/J inbred mouse strain has a behavioral profile that reflects the core symptoms of autism, including defi

Knowing how to behave in the presence of an aggressive conspecific is essential for an individual's survival. For many rodents, olfactory cues are crucial for the animal to identify conspecifics and behave properly. An important region for the expression of social defense is the medial amygdala (MeA). This brain region receives projections from neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) and processes olfactory cues from conspecifics. The MeA is enriched by glutamatergic (VGLUT2) and GABAergic (VGAT) neurons. Interestingly, GABAergic neurons are predominantly located in the posterodorsal par