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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2024 Apr 1.
Published in final edited form as: Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2023 Feb 1;147:105075. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105075

Table 2.

Prefrontal cortical control of social information processing in rodents.

Species, Strain Sex Region Stereotactic Coordinates Manipulation or Measure Findings Cit.
A/P (+) M/L (±) D/V (−)
Social recognition and memory
Lister hooded rats M ACC, OFC 2.3–0.9
4.0–3.2		 0.5
2.6–0.8		 0.2–2.0
4.4–3.4		 lesion
lesion		 ↓ social memory
= social memory		 251
C57BL/6J mice M mPFC, ACC 2.10–1.98
0.8–1.0		 -- -- IEG analysis ↑ c-Fos and Arc 172
C57BL/6J mice M PFC 2.25 0.45 1.4 ↑ OXTR+ neurons,
PL→BLA OXTR+ neurons		 ↓ social recognition 174
C57BL/6J mice M IL 1.97 0.3 3.0 In vivo recording ↑social olfactory cues
OR
↑non-social olfactory cues with experience-dependent sharpening of representations		 229
C57BL/6J mice M mPFC 1.45 0.5 1.45 ↑↓vHC→mPFC ↓↓ social recognition 173
C57BL/6J mice M PL 1.9 0.3 2.3 ↓vHC→mPFC (PV interneurons) ↓ social recognition 252
C57BL/6J mice M PL 1.9 0.25 2.0 ↓ PL→NAc ↓ social recognition 175
C57BL/6NHs d mice M IL 2.4 (10°) 1.0 (10°) 2.3 IEG analysis of IL→NAc
↓ IL→NAc		 ↑ social recognition
↓ social recognition		 253
Emotional recognition
C57BL/6J mice M, F mPFC 1.9 0.3 2.4 In vivo recording ↓ of SST+ interneurons ↑ in PL activity during ADT
↓ ADT		 186
Empathic-like processes
Long-Evans rats M PL/IL 2.7–3.2 -- -- IEG analysis ↑ c-Fos in PL/IL in subjects paired with shocked demonstrators 254
Sprague-Dawley rats M ACC 1.8 (18°) 1.6 (18 °) 1.6 IEG analysis ↓ACC ↑ FCbP
↓ FCbP		 255
Long Evans rats M ACC 1.7 (20°) 1.6 (20°) 1.8 in vivo recording ↓ACC ↑ unit activity when experiencing pain or observing another in pain
↓ OFL to observation of pain experience or associated CS+		 190
Sprague-Dawley rats M ACC 1.35 0.6 2.4 fMRI scanning ↓ACC
↓↑ACC→MDL		 ↑ ACC activity
↓ OFL
↓↓ OFL		 256
Sprague-Dawley rats M,F ACC 1.17 (20°) 1.16 (20°) 1.8 ↓ACC ↓ social harm aversion 184
C57BL/6J mice M ACC 1.0 0.2 1.2 ↓ACC ↓ OFL 192
C57BL/6J mice M ACC 1.0 0.3 1.2 ↓↑rACC
↓↑IACC		 ↓↑ OFL
== OFL		 257
C57BL/6J mice M ACC 1.0
1.0		 0.3
0.25		 2.1
2.1		 In vivo recording ↓ACC→BLA ↑ activity ACC→BLA during OFL
↓ acquisition, but not expression, of
cue-induced OFL		 193
C57BL/6J mice M ACC 1.0 0.3 1.5 ↓↑ SST+ interneurons
↓ PV+ interneurons		 ↑↓ OFL
= OFL		 258
C57BL/6J mice M, F ACC 0.98 0.278 0.78 IEG analysis ↓ACC, ACC neurons ”trapped” during social interaction
↓↑ACC→NAc
↓ACC ;
↓ACC→NAc
↓ACC→BLA
↓ACC→BLA		 ↑ACC→NAc by social transfer of pain
↓ social transfer of pain
↓↑ social transfer of pain
↓ social transfer of analgesia
= social transfer of pain
↓ retrieval of context-induced OFL		 181
C57BL/6J mice M mPFC 0.86–1.78 0.3 2.0 In vivo recording from single neurons ↑ self representation
↑ other representation		 259
Prairie Voles M,F ACC
PL		 1.4
2.4		 0.8
0.8		 1.3
2.2		 IEG analysis OT Ø in ACC
IEG analysis OT Ø in PL		 ↑ during consolation
↓ during consolation
= consolation
= consolation		 189
Sociability, social approach, incentive value of social interaction
Lister hooded rats M ACC, OFC 2.3–0.9
4.0–3.2		 0.5
2.6–0.8		 0.2–2.0
4.4–3.4		 lesion (excitotoxic)
lesion (excitotoxic)		 ↓ social interaction
= social interaction		 251
Sprague-Dawley rats M PL/IL 2.9 0.5 2.9 inactivation (muscimol) = social interaction 260
Sprague-Dawley rats M mPFC 3.0 0.8 2.5 In vivo recording ↑social interaction (32%)
↓social interaction (8%)
=social interaction (60%)		 261
Sprague-Dawley rats/Long-Evans rats M,F IL 2.7 0.5 5.0 § ↑excitability ↓ social interaction 262
C57BL6/J mice M PL, IL 1.8 0.35 2.85 §↑↓ excitability ↓= social interaction 223
C57BL/6J mice M PL 1.9–2.8. 0.3–0.4 2.5–1.5 lesion
IEG analysis		 ↑ social interaction
↑ c-Fos during social interaction		 263
C57BL/6J mice M mPFC 1.7 0.3 1.8–2.5 In vivo recording ↑ firing during social approach behavior 180
C57BL/6J mice M mPFC 1.7 0.3
0.9 (10 °)		 1.9
2.1
(10°)		 ↑↓ BLA→PL ↓↑ social interaction 230
C57BL/6J mice M,F PL 1.8 0.5 2.5 ↑↓ PL→NAc ↓= social interaction 224
C57BL/6J mice M PL 1.9 0.3 1.7 In vivo recording
In vivo recording		 ↑or↓ during social approach (ON and OFF ensembles)
↑to novel stimulus (ON ensembles sensitive to novelty)		 264
C57BL/6J mice M ACC 1.0 0.25 2.1 ↓↑ ACC→BLA
↓ BLA→ACC		 ↓= social interaction
= social interaction		 193
C57BL/6J mice M OFC 2.6 1.26 2.8 In vivo recording
↑”trapped” social ensembles
↑”trapped” feeding ensembles		 ↑social behavior
↑feeding behavior
↓feeding behavior
↑feeding behavior		 239
C57BL/6J mice M IL 1.97 0.3 3.0 In vivo recording ↑activity to social odors 229
C57BL/6J mice M ACC 1.0 0.35 2.0 ↑ACC ↑social interaction 265
C57BL/6J mice M dmPFC/PL 2.0 0.3 1.8 In vivo calcium imaging Interbrain activity correlations of interacting mice 228
C57BL/6J mice M,F mPFC 1.9 0.3 2.4 ↓ PV+ interneurons ↓ social interaction 186
C57BL6/J mice M, F dmPFC 2.0 0.3 1.8 In vivo calcium imaging Single neurons selectively responsive to conspecific sex 266
C57BL6/J mice F PL
IL		 2.2
2.2		 0.4
0.4		 2.1
2.8		 ↑↓PL→BLA
↑↓IL→BLA
↑”trapped”
PL→BLA during footshock		 ↓=social interaction
=↓social interaction
↓ social interaction		 267
C57BL6/J mice M mPFC 1.95 0.3 2.1 In vivo calcium imaging of mPFC→VTA neurons ↑social interaction 225
C57BL6/J mice M, F PL 1.9 0.4 2.0–2.2 In vivo calcium imaging of PL→ZIm neurons
↓PL→ZIm		 ↑social interaction
↓social interaction		 226
C57BL6/J mice M mPFC 1.3–2.3 0.4 1.0–1.7 ↑↓mPFC→PVT ↑↓social interaction 227
C57BL6/J mice F PL
OFC		 1.7
2.6		 0.17
1.2		 2.5
2.8		 ↓BLA→PL,
↓PL→NAc
↓PL
↓BLA→PL,
↓PL→NAc
↓OFC		 =social interaction
↓SIFC
↓SIFC
= SIFC		 221
C57BL6/J mice M, F PL 2.0 0.25 2.4 ↓BLA→PL
↓PL→BLA		 ↓”altruistic” choices
↓”selfish” choices		 222

“Region” is indicated as per author nomenclature, given the lack of coherence in prefrontal cortical nomenclature in the field125. Stereotactic coordinates are expressed in mm from lambda, ranges are provided for larger lesions or multiple infusions. For the Manipulation column, in vivo recording indicates calcium imaging or electrophysiological recording, ↑ indicates optogenetic or chemogenetic activation, ↓ indicates optogenetic or chemogenetic inhibition, Ø indicates the use of a pharmacological antagonist, § indicates the use of an SSFO to manipulate excitability of local cells223. For Findings column, ↑ indicates increase in measure, ↓ indicates decrease in measure, = indicates no change in measure. Tasks examining social stress response, aggressive behaviors, or mating behaviors are not discussed in this review. Specific protein knockouts, developmental insults, and models for disease are not included. Abbreviations: affective discrimination test (ADT), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), basolateral amygdala (BLA), dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), fear conditioning-by-proxy (FCbP), immediate early gene (IEG), immunohistochemistry (IHC), infralimbic subregion of medial prefrontal cortex (IL), left anterior cingulate cortex (lACC), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), medial zona incerta (ZIm), observational fear learning (OFL), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), oxytocin (OT), nucleus accumbens (NAc), paraventricular thalamus (PVT), parvalbumin (PV), prelimbic subregion of medial prefrontal cortex (PL), right anterior cingulate cortex (rACC), somatostatin (SST), ventral tegmental area (VTA).