Visuo-frontal interactions during social learning in freely moving macaques. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38355804/)

These scientists wanted to understand how our brains use visual information to make decisions when we interact with others. They studied this by observing macaque monkeys as they learned to cooperate with each other. The scientists recorded the activity of groups of neurons in the monkeys' visual and prefrontal cortex (which is the part of the brain involved in decision-making) while the monkeys moved around freely.

As the monkeys learned to cooperate, the neurons in their brains became better at representing important social information, such as who they were interacting with or the rewards they could receive. The scientists found that the monkeys' decision to cooperate was influenced by what they saw. The more the monkeys learned about social interactions, the better their brain cells worked together to process this information.

In conclusion, the scientists discovered that the visual and prefrontal cortex in the monkeys' brains work together to prioritize important social cues, helping them learn how to interact with others better.

Franch M., Yellapantula S., Parajuli A., Kharas N., Wright A., Aazhang B., Dragoi V. Visuo-frontal interactions during social learning in freely moving macaques. Nature. 2024 Feb 14. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07084-x.