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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Mar 12.
Published in final edited form as: Int J Play. 2020 Feb 18;9(1):58–75. doi: 10.1080/21594937.2020.1723370

Figure 2. Distinct Nodes in the Neural Circuitry of Play.

Figure 2.

The sex-specific neural control of play is embedded within the larger neural circuitry of social behavior. Each node provides specific forms of regulatory control. The amygdala (purple) is critical for the control of the sex difference in play, whereas the lateral septum (green) exhibits sex differences in signaling pathways involved in play. The prefrontal cortex (orange) regulates the cognitive components of play, such as initiation and reciprocation, and seems to do so equally between the sexes. Other regions shown to be involved in social behavior are shown in grey. Hypothesized connectivity between social play nodes and individual brain regions is shown in grey and colored dotted lines. Abbreviations: Amyg, amygdala; BNST, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis; DRN, dorsal raphe nucleus; Hipp, hippocampus; Hypo, hypothalamus; LHb, lateral habenula; LS, lateral septum; MC, motor cortex; NAc, nucleus accumbens; OB, olfactory bulb; PAG, periaqueductal gray; PFC, prefrontal cortex; VTA, ventral tegmental area.