Newly discovered node in the brain could help scientists understand dysfunctional social behavior

Recommendable! Our brain is still terra incognita!

"... A group of scientists discovered a node in the brains of male mice that modulates the sounds they make in social situations. This discovery, published in Nature, could help identify similar locations in the human brain, and potentially lead to a better understanding of social disorders such as autism or depression. ... Most research on noise production in the brain has focused on language development ... But the sounds that even an infant can make—a giggle, a cry, a scream—don’t have to be learned and are just as vital for communication. Identifying how the brain decides on these responses is the first step to understanding where things can go wrong in social behavioral disorders such as autism and depression. ..."

"... Here we identify mouse neurons from the lateral preoptic area (LPOA) that express oestrogen receptor 1 (LPOAESR1 neurons) and, when activated, elicit the complete repertoire of [innate courtship ultrasonic vocalizations USV] syllables emitted during natural courtship. ..."

Newly discovered node in the brain could help scientists understand dysfunctional social behavior | Scripps Research The discovery could lead to a better understanding of, and more targeted treatments for, social disorders such as depression and autism.

Here is the link to the underlying research paper:

Flexible scaling and persistence of social vocal communication (no public access)