PhD Scientific Days 2026

Poster Session 2.M - Neurosciences

Social Touch Suppresses Aggression via Thalamic Mechanisms

Name of the presenter

Láng, Tamás

Institute/workplace of the presenter

Semmelweis University, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Laboratory of Neuromorphology

Authors

Tamás Láng¹, Botond Drahos¹, Fanni Dóra¹, Dávid Keller¹, Vivien Szendi², Gina Puska³, Valery Grinevich⁴, Árpád Dobolyi⁵
1: Semmelweis University, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Laboratory of Neuromorphology
2: Eötvös Loránd University, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology
3: ötvös Loránd University, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology/ University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Department of Zoology
4: University of Heidelberg, Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health
5: Semmelweis University, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Laboratory of Neuromorphology/ Eötvös Loránd University, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology

Text of the abstract

Introduction: Aggression is a core social behavior however, unnecessary escalation of aggression is maladaptive, necessitating a mechanism for suppression.
Aim: We aim to validate that the posterior intralaminar thalamic nucleus (PIL)
suppresses aggressive behavior by integrating tactile signals.
Methods: First, we investigated whether the lack of tactile inputs led to increased aggression. Rodents were housed in three groups: complete isolation, barrier housing (no tactile stimulus), and control pairs. To assess how tactile stimuli affect PIL neurons, we used fiber photometry to measure neuronal activity. Functional investigations employed chemogenetics in resident-intruder tests. We expressed DREADDs and manipulated them with clozapine-N-oxide (CNO) on socially-tagged neurons in the PIL through the vGATE system. Additionally, we performed optogenetic activation of PIL neurons, using CRh2 during fighting. We also examined the PIL-medial preoptic area (MPOA) pathway by administering CNO locally to the MPOA using an intracerebral cannula. Finally, we investigated the role of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus’ (VMH) projection to the PIL using selective pathway manipulation. Results: Both isolated animals and those housed without tactile input displayed a significant increase in aggression compared to pair-housed controls. Neuronal activity of the PIL increased immediately upon social touch, which decreased thereafter. Stimulation of the vGATE-tagged neurons significantly decreased aggression, while inhibition increased it. The optogenetic stimulation of the PIL neurons decreased the individual duration of the attack. Selective stimulation of the PIL-MPOA pathway significantly decreased aggression, while inhibition exerted the opposite action. In contrast to the PIL-MPOA pathway, chemogenetic stimulation of the VMH-PIL pathway increased aggression.
Conclusion: The PIL neurons process social tactile stimuli and, by their projections to the MPOA, decrease aggressive behaviour, while the VMH can override this mechanism by its projection to the PIL, increasing the animal's aggression if necessary. These results suggest that the PIL could serve as a potential relay center for integrating tactile social signals to prevent and terminate aggression