"Human 'Competitive Spirit' Expression Due to Brain Cell Activity"

Seoul National University College of Dentistry Research Team
Prefrontal Cortex Astrocytes Identified as Key Cells in Controlling Dominant Behavior

Domestic researchers have discovered that the manifestation of competitiveness in humans and other social animals is a result of the activity of brain cells.

On the 11th, Seoul National University announced that a research team led by Professor Lee Sungjoong of the School of Dentistry observed the brains of mice exhibiting so-called dominance behavior, which gives them an advantage in competition, and confirmed that astrocytes in the prefrontal cortex are the key cells regulating dominance behavior.

All social animals, including humans, compete with each other by displaying dominance behavior to occupy a higher social position. Where does the ‘competitiveness’ that triggers dominance behavior to win against others come from? The research team monitored the activity of astrocytes in the prefrontal cortex of mice in real time and found that intracellular calcium activity in astrocytes increased during the competition process among mice. In particular, astrocyte activity was greater in mice with higher social ranks compared to those with lower ranks. Furthermore, artificially increasing the activity of prefrontal cortex astrocytes in the lowest-ranked mice raised their rank, while suppressing astrocyte activity in the highest-ranked mice lowered their rank.

Subsequently, the research team discovered that activated astrocytes simultaneously release gliotransmitters glutamate and ATP, altering the activity of excitatory and inhibitory synapses in neurons. In other words, activated astrocytes regulate the balance of excitatory/inhibitory synaptic signals in surrounding neurons, thereby controlling ‘competitiveness’ and dominance behavior.

Professor Lee said, “This is the first proof that higher brain functions such as ‘competitiveness,’ which have been understood only from the perspective of neurons, are regulated by astrocytes in the brain. This will provide a new perspective on higher brain function disorders, such as ‘social disorders,’ which have recently become socially significant, from the viewpoint of astrocytes.”

The results of this study were published in the neuroscience journal Nature Neuroscience on the same day.

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