The difference between a social butterfly and a lone wolf is actually at least eight differences, according to new findings by a team of Duke brain researchers. By simultaneously spying on the electrical activity of several brain regions, the researchers found they could identify how social or solitary an individual mouse is. Then, by tweaking nodes within this social brain network, they showed they could prompt mice to be even more gregarious.The research may lead to better diagnostic tools to understand how the brain changes in people with impaired social communication, such as those with autism spectrum disorder.
Read the full story in Duke Magnify here.