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 The neurons of aggressiveness

Summary:

According to the authors of the study, the effects of
manipulating these nurons lasted up to 2 weeks.

It has been shown through a study in mice that there are neurons of aggression found in the hypothalamus and that their manipulation allows, therefore, to modify aggressive behaviors.

Link:

http://www.quo.es/ciencia/neuronas-de-la-agresividad

Publication date:

MAY 26, 2018

Scientific field:

Neuroscience

Glossary:

Hypothalamus: a region of the forebrain below the thalamus that coordinates both, the autonomic nervous system and the activity of the pituitary, controlling body temperature, thirst, hunger, and other homeostatic systems, and involved in sleep and emotional activity.
Behaviour: the way in which one acts or conducts oneself, especially toward others.

Cage: a structure of bars or wires in which birds or other animals are confined.

Analysis comment:

Set of neurons during aggressiveness.

This article explains that aggression is a behavior that is found throughout the animal kingdom and that shapes human life. Like all behavior, aggression originates in the brain. However, the identity of the neurons that are involved and how their properties contribute to stereotyped expression remains largely a mystery.
And using optogenetic techniques, aggressiveness can be controlled in mice by stimulating or inhibiting these cells. 

It explains too that one of the most surprising findings of the study was that the effects of the manipulations of the activity of these neurons, lasted up to two weeks.

On the one hand, according to a recent study, the results contribute to a new understanding of the biological mechanisms behind aggressive behavior. 
The neurons analyzed, until now little known, are found in the ventral premamillary nucleus (VPN) of the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that controls many of our fundamental impulses and plays a key role in initiating and organizing aggressive behavior.

On the other hand, studying male mice, the researchers discovered that animals that showed aggression when a potential rival was placed in the cage, showed greater activity in these neurons. Thanks to optogenetics, aggressive behavior could be initiated in situations where animals normally do not attack and also inhibit aggressive behavior in situations where animals normally attack.

To conclude, this article is a succes for the neuroscience because this discovery it is a great advance, since not much is known about the neurons of aggression, however, thanks to this study, progress will continue to be made and little by little more information will be discovered.
And also, in a long term it will be able to help people who have problems of self-control of their aggressiveness.

Laboratory mice.