Understanding how brain circuits influence social choices
Official title: Decoding ensemble dynamics from cortico-amygdalar circuits during social choice
Funded at Yale University · NIH-10894275 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how certain brain areas in rodents help them make social choices, which could help us understand the brain's role in social behavior and improve our knowledge of mental health conditions that affect how people interact with others.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $191,970 |
| NIH project number | 5K08MH134028-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10894275 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for participation or benefit from this research would include individuals with psychiatric conditions that impair social cognition, such as PTSD.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have psychiatric conditions affecting social behavior may not receive benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the neural mechanisms that underlie social behavior and decision-making by examining specific brain circuits in rodents. Using a novel social choice paradigm, the study records neural activity from the anterior cingulate cortex and its connections to the amygdala and nucleus accumbens while the animals make social choices. By analyzing this data with advanced statistical models, the research aims to uncover how social context affects behavior and decision-making processes. Insights gained could lead to better understanding of psychiatric conditions that impair social cognition.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to the development of targeted treatments for psychiatric conditions that affect social behavior.
How similar studies have gone: While the specific approach of decoding social choice dynamics is novel, related research has shown promise in understanding neural circuits involved in social behavior.
Where this research is happening
-
Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Allsop, Aza Stephen — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Allsop, Aza Stephen
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.