A distinct cortical code for socially learned threat. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38326610/)

These scientists wanted to understand how animals learn about danger by watching other animals. They focused on a specific part of the brain called the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), which helps process social information and figure out what things are threats.

To study this, the scientists used a special technique called microendoscopic calcium imaging. This allowed them to look at the activity of individual neurons in the dmPFC while the mice were learning about fear by watching other mice. They found that the dmPFC neurons were active when the mice were learning about fear from observation, and this activity was different from when the mice were learning from their own experiences.

The scientists also discovered that the dmPFC sends signals to another part of the brain called the midbrain periaqueductal grey (PAG), which controls freezing behavior. They found that the dmPFC helps control whether the mice freeze or move when they are scared. Additionally, they found that inputs from other parts of the brain, like the amygdala and hippocampus, can either increase or decrease the freezing behavior.

Overall, these findings show that the dmPFC plays an important role in how animals learn about fear by watching others. It helps the animals decide how to respond to threats and coordinates different parts of the brain to control their behavior.

Silverstein SE., O'Sullivan R., Bukalo O., Pati D., Schaffer JA., Limoges A., Zsembik L., Yoshida T., O'Malley JJ., Paletzki RF., Lieberman AG., Nonaka M., Deisseroth K., Gerfen CR., Penzo MA., Kash TL., Holmes A. A distinct cortical code for socially learned threat. Nature. 2024 Feb 7. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-07008-1.