1474-Neural Circuits for Valence Updating in Social Memory

Paper Talk · Aug 22, 2026 · 21m

This research identifies the vCA1–BLA–NAc neural circuit as the critical pathway for updating social memory valence, allowing animals to distinguish and avoid specific individuals who have become harmful. While the vCA1–NAc pathway manages general social familiarity, the authors demonstrate that synaptic strengthening between hippocampal memory engrams and the basolateral amygdala is necessary to link an individual’s identity with negative emotions. Through advanced calcium imaging and optogenetic manipulations, the study reveals that social defeat transforms how the brain represents an…