Amygdala AVPR1A mediates susceptibility to chronic social isolation in females.

Females are more sensitive to social exclusion, which could contribute to their heightened susceptibility to anxiety disorders. Chronic social isolation stress (CSIS) for at least 7 weeks after puberty induces anxiety-related behavioral adaptations in female mice. Here, we show that ( )-expressing neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) mediate these sex-specific effects, in part, via projections to the caudate putamen.

Pathway-specific contribution of parvalbumin interneuron NMDARs to synaptic currents and thalamocortical feedforward inhibition.

Prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a site of information convergence important for behaviors relevant to psychiatric disorders. Despite the importance of inhibitory GABAergic parvalbumin-expressing (PV+) interneurons to PFC circuit function and decades of interest in N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) in these neurons, examples of defined circuit functions that depend on PV+ interneuron NMDARs have been elusive. Indeed, it remains controversial whether all PV+ interneurons contain functional NMDARs in adult PFC, which has major consequences for hypotheses of the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders.

Parallel Social Information Processing Circuits Are Differentially Impacted in Autism.

Parallel processing circuits are thought to dramatically expand the network capabilities of the nervous system. Magnocellular and parvocellular oxytocin neurons have been proposed to subserve two parallel streams of social information processing, which allow a single molecule to encode a diverse array of ethologically distinct behaviors. Here we provide the first comprehensive characterization of magnocellular and parvocellular oxytocin neurons in male mice, validated across anatomical, projection target, electrophysiological, and transcriptional criteria.

Oxytocin-dependent reopening of a social reward learning critical period with MDMA.

A critical period is a developmental epoch during which the nervous system is expressly sensitive to specific environmental stimuli that are required for proper circuit organization and learning. Mechanistic characterization of critical periods has revealed an important role for exuberant brain plasticity during early development, and for constraints that are imposed on these mechanisms as the brain matures. In disease states, closure of critical periods limits the ability of the brain to adapt even when optimal conditions are restored.

Gating of social reward by oxytocin in the ventral tegmental area.

The reward generated by social interactions is critical for promoting prosocial behaviors. Here we present evidence that oxytocin (OXT) release in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a key node of the brain's reward circuitry, is necessary to elicit social reward. During social interactions, activity in paraventricular nucleus (PVN) OXT neurons increased.