Brains as a Team: Mice Show Collective Survival Through Huddling
A UCLA study finds mice facing cold organize into adaptive huddles that stabilize core temperature. The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex tracks others’ choices as if simulating the group; silencing it makes some mice passive while others compensate, keeping overall huddle time and body temperature unchanged. Larger groups exhibit stronger collective behavior, highlighting neural circuits for social resilience with potential implications for conditions like depression and schizophrenia.