The interactive side of emotion: A neuroethological approach in freely-moving monkeys

Project Information

EMACTIVE

Grant agreement ID: 101002704

DOI

10.3030/101002704

EC signature date 7 May 2021

Start date 1 April 2022

End date 31 March 2027

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 1 999 231,00

EU contribution

€ 1 999 231,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PARMA
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - EMACTIVE (The interactive side of emotion: A neuroethological approach in freely-moving monkeys)

Reporting period: 2023-10-01 to 2025-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

EMACTIVE will investigate which neurons in the primate brain are responsible for emotion recognition and the generation of emotional behaviours during social exchanges. The focus will be on a variety of specie-specific behavioral displays, signalling the current state of an animal. Leveraging macaque monkeys as a model, we apply a multidisciplinary approach to study the role of different brain regions in the control of specific emotional displays during social interactions. Moreover, we will study how these brain regions and distinct neuronal population interact to coordinate behaviour, by recording simultaneously from the brain of two interacting subjects.
So far, no available technique allows to study neural dynamics from the cellular to the whole-brain level in humans, and the available knowledge on these mechanisms indicate an extraordinary evolutionary continuity among human and non-human primates. Thus, the findings of this research can pave the way to understanding the neural mechanisms underlying human emotional behaviors and their alteration in various neuropsychiatric diseases.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the reporting period, we published two review articles in a high-impact international journal to clarify the theoretical framework of our project activities. We also began collecting preliminary data using simultaneous recordings from a pair of monkeys within the same brain area, aiming to establish the data analysis process and address the challenges of this innovative experimental approach. Additionally, we explored a range of individual behaviors and social interactions in the two animals from a neuroethological perspective. This work led to preliminary findings, which were shared at various national and international conferences, and a research article that has been accepted for publication in Science.
On the technical and methodological side, we conducted initial tests on viral vector expression to evaluate their efficiency for optogenetic and chemogenetic experiments planned for future stages of the project.
We acquired and prepared the new equipment, including telemetric recording devices, required for neuroethological experiments.
Despite delays in obtaining the animals due to a general shortage of non-human primates from EU suppliers, we successfully acquired the first group of four monkeys for the project. We prepared these animals for neuroethological recordings by performing behavioral tests and experiments. These studies, conducted in collaboration with a renowned primatologist, have revealed unique social and behavioral dynamics among the group. The results may form the basis for a behavioral publication or serve as a foundation for the neuroethological recordings scheduled in the coming months.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

To date, only a few studies leveraged telemetry or data-logging technologies to record neuronal activity in freely moving monkeys during close-to-natural conditions: the Science paper in press demonstrate the feasibility and groundbreaking potential of this approach.
In addition, no study has ever attempted to add the monitoring of physiological parameters (e.g. heart rate, body temperature, muscle activity) to the neuronal signals in freely moving monkeys. Therefore, the research agenda promises to reveal the neural mechanisms underlying the production of emotional and social displays in freely-interacting non-human primates, opening new lines of research in human subjects relevant for the understanding of the altered mechanisms in neurological and neuropsychiatric diseseas.

Graphical representation of EMACTIVE main hypothesis