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Circuit and synaptic plasticity mechanisms of approach and avoidance social behavior.

Project description

Looking at the brain to understand social behaviours

Essential for survival, all sexually reproducing species exhibit social behaviours that include affiliative and antagonistic interactions. These are characterised by high levels of complexity of communication through multiple sensory modalities. For instance, humans and other animals living in groups continuously select appropriate behavioural responses upon exposure to conspecifics. The EU-funded SocialNAc project will explore the role of the nucleus accumbens (NAc), which is a key region of the mesocorticolimbic circuits for evaluating appetitive and aversive information. Also known as the ‘pleasure centre’, it plays a central role in the reward circuit. Specifically, the project will use in vivo and ex vivo recordings and circuit-specific optogenetic manipulations in specific social interaction conditions. The project will check how NAc integrates information about conspecifics and how it incorporates learned associations to initiate conspecific approach or avoidance.

Host institution

UNIVERSITE DE GENEVE
Net EU contribution
€ 1 996 424,00
Address
Rue Du General Dufour 24
1211 Geneve
Switzerland

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Region
Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Région lémanique Genève
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Other funding
€ 0,00

Beneficiaries (1)

UNIVERSITE DE GENEVE
Switzerland
Net EU contribution
€ 1 996 424,00
Address
Rue Du General Dufour 24
1211 Geneve

See on map

Region
Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Région lémanique Genève
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Other funding
€ 0,00