New Brain Circuit Found for Coordinated Group Movement.

Researchers at Virginia Tech have identified a brain circuit responsible for rapid, coordinated response to threats in animals, which could provide a foundation for further research on brain connections in more complex social situations and potential therapeutic targets. The study focused on synchronized immobility in pairs of mice and revealed a crucial connection between two parts of the brain—the ventral hippocampus and basolateral amygdala—in coordinating threat response. This discovery could improve our understanding of social communication, which is often compromised in neuropsychiatric disorders.