Cited by 126Primate Behavior and EcologyMemory and Neural MechanismsFace Recognition and Perception

Shared neural coding for social hierarchy and reward value in primate amygdala

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Munuera, Jérôme, Rigotti, Mattia, Salzman, C. Daniel·2018·Nature Neuroscience

Abstract

The social brain hypothesis posits that dedicated neural systems process social information. In support of this, neurophysiological data have shown that some brain regions are specialized for representing faces. It remains unknown, however, whether distinct anatomical substrates also represent more complex social variables, such as the hierarchical rank of individuals within a social group. Here we show that the primate amygdala encodes the hierarchical rank of individuals in the same neuronal ensembles that encode the rewards associated with nonsocial stimuli. By contrast, orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortices lack strong representations of hierarchical rank while still representing reward values. These results challenge the conventional view that dedicated neural systems process social information. Instead, information about hierarchical rank—which contributes to the assessment of the social value of individuals within a group—is linked in the amygdala to representations of rewards associated with nonsocial stimuli. New data reveal that the amygdala—a brain area specialized for emotion—also signals the hierarchical rank of peers in a social group. These neural signals likely mediate appropriate social and emotional behavior in many social settings.

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  • Neurons sensitive to the rank of the individual being viewed in the social hierarchy are found in the macaque amygdala, OFC, and anterior cingulate cortex.

    “Neurons that are sensitive to the rank of the individual being viewed in the social hierarchy are found not only in the macaque amygdala, but also in the closely connected OFC, and anterior cingulate cortex (Munuera et al., 2018).”

    From The orbitofrontal cortex: reward, emotion and depression (2020) · cites this paper as Munuera et al., 2018

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  1. [16]Amaral D Price J Pitkanen A Carmichael S Anatomical Organization of the Primate Amygdaloid Complex The Amygdala: Neurobiological Aspects of Emotion, Memory, and Mental Dysfunction Aggleton J 1 66 Wiley-Liss, Inc. New York 1992

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Authors
Munuera, J., Rigotti, M., & Salzman, C. D.
Affiliations
  • Columbia University (US)
  • IBM (United States) (US)
  • New York State Psychiatric Institute (US)
Corresponding author
  • Munuera, Jérôme
  • Salzman, C. Daniel
Venue
Nature Neuroscience
Published
2018-02-19
Volume
21
Issue
3
Pages
415-423
ISSN
  • 1097-6256 (ISSN-L)
  • 1546-1726
OpenAlex
W2789621216
Cited by
126
References
62
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 5
FWCI
21.66
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • Simons Foundation
  • Philippe Foundation
  • Fondation Fyssen
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH082017)
  • National Eye Institute (P30EY019007)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
Keywords
social hierarchy, hierarchical rank, amygdala, reward value, social brain hypothesis, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, primate social behavior, face processing
MeSH terms
Amygdala, Animals, Conditioning, Operant, Hierarchy, Social, Macaca mulatta, Male, Neurons, Photic Stimulation, Reward

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