# Toward A Macaque Model Of Social Brain Dysfunction In Real-Life Social Interactions

> **NIH NIH R01** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $463,201

## Abstract

Project Summary
Our proposal will investigate how neuronal coordination between the medial frontal cortex (MFC) and the
basolateral amygdala (BLA) is causally involved in complex social interactions. We will capitalize on our newly
developed social gaze interaction paradigm in pairs of rhesus macaques to understand the neurobiological
mechanisms of MFC-BLA coupling, with a goal of working toward generating a macaque model of social
dysfunction. We will first determine whether and how the two regions are coordinated during various social
gaze events (e.g., looking at the eyes or mutual eye contact). We will then stimulate MFC, BLA or both in order
to disrupt the MFC-BLA coordination to induce social gaze deficits. Finally, we will examine whether these
disruptions are generalizable to other social domains by testing the impact of perturbing MFC-BLA coordination
in a complex social decision-making game. Informed by these results, we hope to investigate in the future how
pharmacological (systemic or focal drug manipulations) and behavioral (social interaction manipulations)
interventions could effectively restore the inducible social deficits.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9900591
- **Project number:** 5R01MH110750-05
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Steve W. C. Chang
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $463,201
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-07-01 → 2021-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9900591

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9900591, Toward A Macaque Model Of Social Brain Dysfunction In Real-Life Social Interactions (5R01MH110750-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9900591. Licensed CC0.

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