They got more than me! The brain circuit for socially subjective reward valuation

Summary

Researchers from the National Institute for Physiological Sciences (NIPS) have identified one of the key brain circuits for deciding the value of a reward based on the rewards that others have received.
 
The research team created a temporary disconnect between the medial prefrontal cortex, which is part of the social brain network, and the lateral hypothalamus, which is involved in social reward valuation.
 
With this disconnect, the monkeys were much less susceptible to the prospect of others receiving rewards, but that their own expectations of a reward did not change, suggesting that this pathway is a key circuit in socially subjective reward valuation only.
 
This result indicates that this circuit underlies many important social behaviors. A better understanding of this pathway will aid in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of injuries or alterations to the medial prefrontal cortex and lateral hypothalamus.


【Information on the outcome】

https://www.nips.ac.jp/eng/release/2023/07/post_513.html(NIPS）
https://www.amed.go.jp/news/seika/2023_seika_index.html（AMED）


 

Article