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A hypothalamic circuit for the circadian control of aggression
William D Todd1, Henning Fenselau2,3,4, Joshua L Wang1
1Department of Neurology, Program in Neuroscience, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Nature Neuroscience
|April 11, 2018
Summary
The circadian clock regulates aggression. A specific neural circuit involving the subparaventricular zone (SPZ) and ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) controls daily rhythms in aggressive behavior in mice.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Chronobiology
- Behavioral Biology
Background:
- Sundowning, characterized by agitation and aggression, occurs in dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
- The daily pattern suggests a circadian origin, but the direct link between the circadian clock and aggression is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether the central circadian clock directly regulates aggressive behavior.
- To identify the neural circuits involved in the daily rhythm of aggression.
Main Methods:
- Optogenetic and chemogenetic techniques in male mice.
- Neural circuit mapping using tract tracing.
- Electrophysiological recordings to assess neuronal activity.
Main Results:
- A daily rhythm in aggression propensity is controlled by GABAergic subparaventricular zone (SPZ) neurons.
- SPZ neurons receive input from the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and project to the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), a known aggression center.
- Inhibition of SPZ neurons alters aggression, and activation of a specific intra-VMH circuit drives attack behavior.
Conclusions:
- The SCN circadian clock regulates aggression through a polysynaptic circuit involving SPZ and VMH.
- This study reveals a direct neural pathway linking circadian timing to aggressive behavior.
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