Stress induces distinct social behavior states encoded by the ventral hippocampus.

ABSTRACT: A single, acute traumatic experience can result in a host of negative impacts on behavior, such as increased violence, reduced sociability, and exaggerated fear responses. Despite the large body of research on the neurobiology of stress, we have a poor understanding of how trauma rewires social circuits in the brain. To identify how social circuits are re-organized by stress, we interrogated the role of the ventral hippocampus (VH), a key node for both the orchestration of emotionally-relevant behavior and the integration of sensory information. Using a footshock-based model of traumatic stress, we established that a single exposure to a series of unpredictable, inescapable footshocks was sufficient to negatively alter social behavior, resulting in increased violence and social hesitancy.

SUBMITTER: Sattler K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12157552 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature