Differential brain activation and network connectivity in social interactions presence and absence of physical contact
Abstract Comparative studies of social interaction in the presence of physical contact (SIPPC) and social interaction in absence of physical contact (SIAPC) enhance our understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying these activities. We analyzed comparatively the effects of SIPPC and...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Communications Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08417-w |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849238321644961792 |
|---|---|
| author | Jinhe Zhai Xinyi Zhang Xinxin Wang Zihan Xu Xueke Yao Yuying Zhang Lili Fan Lijie Wu Jia Wang |
| author_facet | Jinhe Zhai Xinyi Zhang Xinxin Wang Zihan Xu Xueke Yao Yuying Zhang Lili Fan Lijie Wu Jia Wang |
| author_sort | Jinhe Zhai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Comparative studies of social interaction in the presence of physical contact (SIPPC) and social interaction in absence of physical contact (SIAPC) enhance our understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying these activities. We analyzed comparatively the effects of SIPPC and SIAPC on c-fos expression across 100 brain regions in mice, and found that SIPPC activated a broader range of brain regions, particularly those associated with emotion and reward. Subsequent observations of brain activity coordination and network construction highlighted the critical roles of the infralimbic cortex (IL), lateral septal nucleus intermediate part (LSI), and agranular insular cortex ventral part (AIV) in SIPPC. Additionally, we demonstrated through chemogenetic techniques that inhibiting the activity of AIV, LSI brain regions, or AIV-LSI circuit significantly reduces the tactile contact behavior of mice during SIPPC. To sum up, our findings elucidate the similarities and differences in brain activity and network connectivity between SIPPC and SIAPC, while identifying specific brain regions and neural circuit that may mediate tactile contact in social interaction. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a55dc3d268444e69b199ba1abaaa9742 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2399-3642 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-a55dc3d268444e69b199ba1abaaa97422025-08-20T04:01:41ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422025-07-018111610.1038/s42003-025-08417-wDifferential brain activation and network connectivity in social interactions presence and absence of physical contactJinhe Zhai0Xinyi Zhang1Xinxin Wang2Zihan Xu3Xueke Yao4Yuying Zhang5Lili Fan6Lijie Wu7Jia Wang8Department of Children’s and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical UniversityDepartment of Children’s and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical UniversityDepartment of Children’s and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical UniversityDepartment of Children’s and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical UniversityDepartment of Children’s and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical UniversityDepartment of Children’s and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical UniversityDepartment of Children’s and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical UniversityDepartment of Children’s and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical UniversityDepartment of Children’s and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical UniversityAbstract Comparative studies of social interaction in the presence of physical contact (SIPPC) and social interaction in absence of physical contact (SIAPC) enhance our understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying these activities. We analyzed comparatively the effects of SIPPC and SIAPC on c-fos expression across 100 brain regions in mice, and found that SIPPC activated a broader range of brain regions, particularly those associated with emotion and reward. Subsequent observations of brain activity coordination and network construction highlighted the critical roles of the infralimbic cortex (IL), lateral septal nucleus intermediate part (LSI), and agranular insular cortex ventral part (AIV) in SIPPC. Additionally, we demonstrated through chemogenetic techniques that inhibiting the activity of AIV, LSI brain regions, or AIV-LSI circuit significantly reduces the tactile contact behavior of mice during SIPPC. To sum up, our findings elucidate the similarities and differences in brain activity and network connectivity between SIPPC and SIAPC, while identifying specific brain regions and neural circuit that may mediate tactile contact in social interaction.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08417-w |
| spellingShingle | Jinhe Zhai Xinyi Zhang Xinxin Wang Zihan Xu Xueke Yao Yuying Zhang Lili Fan Lijie Wu Jia Wang Differential brain activation and network connectivity in social interactions presence and absence of physical contact Communications Biology |
| title | Differential brain activation and network connectivity in social interactions presence and absence of physical contact |
| title_full | Differential brain activation and network connectivity in social interactions presence and absence of physical contact |
| title_fullStr | Differential brain activation and network connectivity in social interactions presence and absence of physical contact |
| title_full_unstemmed | Differential brain activation and network connectivity in social interactions presence and absence of physical contact |
| title_short | Differential brain activation and network connectivity in social interactions presence and absence of physical contact |
| title_sort | differential brain activation and network connectivity in social interactions presence and absence of physical contact |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08417-w |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jinhezhai differentialbrainactivationandnetworkconnectivityinsocialinteractionspresenceandabsenceofphysicalcontact AT xinyizhang differentialbrainactivationandnetworkconnectivityinsocialinteractionspresenceandabsenceofphysicalcontact AT xinxinwang differentialbrainactivationandnetworkconnectivityinsocialinteractionspresenceandabsenceofphysicalcontact AT zihanxu differentialbrainactivationandnetworkconnectivityinsocialinteractionspresenceandabsenceofphysicalcontact AT xuekeyao differentialbrainactivationandnetworkconnectivityinsocialinteractionspresenceandabsenceofphysicalcontact AT yuyingzhang differentialbrainactivationandnetworkconnectivityinsocialinteractionspresenceandabsenceofphysicalcontact AT lilifan differentialbrainactivationandnetworkconnectivityinsocialinteractionspresenceandabsenceofphysicalcontact AT lijiewu differentialbrainactivationandnetworkconnectivityinsocialinteractionspresenceandabsenceofphysicalcontact AT jiawang differentialbrainactivationandnetworkconnectivityinsocialinteractionspresenceandabsenceofphysicalcontact |