Editorial: Neural Mechanism for Social Interaction: From Molecules to Neural Circuits

• Published in: Frontiers in neural circuits 2022-07, Vol.16, p.938354-938354
• Main Authors: Wang, Jun, Xu, Nan-Jie, Hong, Weizhe, Xu, Han
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anatomy & physiology; Animals; Autism; Behavior; Brain research; Conflicts of interest; Critical period; Epigenetics; Gene expression; Hippocampus; Mental depression; Mental disorders; neural circuitry; Neural networks; Neurobiology; Neuroplasticity; neuropsychiatric disorders; Neuroscience; Neurosciences; Physiology; Prefrontal cortex; Science; social behavior; social cognition; social dysfunction; Social hierarchy; Social interactions; Social research; Somatosensory cortex; Stress; Therapeutic targets
• ISSN: 1662-5110; 1662-5110
• DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.938354

Interestingly, in this Research Topic, Bicks et al. show that a single losing experience destabilizes hierarchy in adolescent but not in adult mice, suggesting a critical window for experience-dependent plasticity of social dominance hierarchy. [...]the development of social hierarchy relies on activity of the prefrontal cortex and is regulated by critical period plasticity in primary sensory cortical areas. [...]Wang and Zhan provide a theoretical perspective on social recognition memory, the capacity to allow animals recognize and remember their social partners. Since hippocampus is a brain region well-known for learning and memory, they first focus on hippocampal circuits involved in regulation of social recognition memory. In summary, this Research Topic presents a collection of 6 articles that provide new insights and perspectives into the mechanisms of social interactions and their dysregulations in mental disorders. [...]the neuronal and molecular components discussed in these articles may serve as therapeutic targets for social deficits in mental disorders.