Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have identified neurons that are essential for mice to engage in social interactions with novel individuals. These neurons, which are located in the central nucleus of the amygdala, express a receptor called NPBWR1. Additionally, this study reveals that genetic polymorphisms in the human NPBWR1 gene influence social behavior when people interact with strangers.

The team’s findings have potential applications in photonics and memory devices.

Researchers from University of Tsukuba have identified significant discrepancies between subjective and objective assessments of sleep. The study revealed that 66% of individuals who perceived their sleep as poor showed no objective sleep problems, while 45% of those who considered their sleep adequate were objectively sleep-deprived. These findings underscore the inadequacy of subjective sleep assessments for early diagnosis and effective intervention of sleep disorders, highlighting the critical role of objective tools such as sleep electroencephalography.