Aggression is an evolutionarily conserved behavior that controls social hierarchies and protects valuable resources. However, it can become maladaptive and pose threats to both patients and caregivers. Because of this, modeling and understanding the behavioral etiology of aggressive behavior remains a health priority.

In a study published in Nature, Scott Russo, PhD, and members of his team sought to discover novel brain regions which are involved in aggressive behavior. They performed a network analysis on brain activity at the single cell level. This analysis identified the cortical amygdala, an olfactory cortical structure, as a key brain region in promoting aggression.

This brain region is activated by olfactory cues from male mice and by aggressive behavior. Importantly, the team found that inhibiting the cortical amygdala and its downstream circuits reduces aggressive behavior and induces pro-social behavior. This key finding demonstrates that neural activity in the cortical amygdala determines whether mice engage in aggressive or pro-social behavior. It is the first study to identify a brain region that can prevent aggressive social behavior and induce pro-social behavior.