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Dissecting the hypothalamic pathways that underlie innate behaviors

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Abstract

Many complex behaviors that do not require learning are displayed and are termed innate. Although traditionally the subject matter of ethology, innate behaviors offer a unique entry point for neuroscientists to dissect the physiological mechanisms governing complex behaviors. Since the last century, converging evidence has implicated the hypothalamus as the central brain area that controls innate behaviors. Recent studies using cutting-edge tools have revealed that genetically-defined populations of neurons residing in distinct hypothalamic nuclei and their associated neural pathways regulate the initiation and maintenance of diverse behaviors including feeding, sleep, aggression, and parental care. Here, we review the newly-defined hypothalamic pathways that regulate each innate behavior. In addition, emerging general principles of the neural control of complex behaviors are discussed.

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  1. Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China

    Xi Zha & Xiaohong Xu

  2. University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Xi Zha

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Zha, X., Xu, X. Dissecting the hypothalamic pathways that underlie innate behaviors. Neurosci. Bull. 31, 629–648 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12264-015-1564-2

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