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Updated: Jun 30, 2026
06:58
Behavioral Tasks for Examining Identity Recognition In Mice
Published on: February 7, 2025
An olfactory-prefrontal cortical circuit supports social recognition
Janardhan P Bhattarai1, Kun Yang2, Jingqi He2
1Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Research Square
|June 29, 2026
Summary
Researchers identified a key brain circuit connecting the anterior olfactory nucleus (AON) to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). This olfactory-prefrontal pathway is crucial for social recognition in mice and humans, potentially impacting neuropsychiatric disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Olfactory system research
- Social cognition studies
Background:
- Social recognition is vital for complex social interactions.
- The anterior olfactory nucleus (AON) is involved in social recognition, but its neural pathways are unclear.
- Understanding these pathways is crucial for addressing social deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To map the synaptic connections of AON pyramidal neurons.
- To investigate the role of the AON→mPFC pathway in social recognition.
- To determine if this pathway is conserved across species.
Main Methods:
- Generated a novel mouse line for genetic access to AON neurons.
- Performed whole-brain synaptic input/output mapping.
- Utilized chemogenetics to inhibit the AON→mPFC pathway.
- Conducted resting-state fMRI in humans to analyze functional connectivity.
Main Results:
- Identified the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) as the primary neocortical target of AON neurons.
- Demonstrated monosynaptic excitatory connections between AON and mPFC neurons.
- Showed AON→mPFC pathway activation during social investigation.
- Found that inhibiting this pathway impairs social recognition in mice.
- Confirmed a similar AON-prefrontal pathway in humans via fMRI.
Conclusions:
- Revealed a conserved olfactory-prefrontal circuit from mice to humans.
- This pathway is essential for social recognition.
- Dysfunction in this circuit may link olfactory deficits to neuropsychiatric conditions.
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