The position of an animal (rank) within a social hierarchy is often determined via competition for resources. In mice, the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) is known to have a key role in the regulation of competitive behaviours. Xin et al. now explore the downstream circuits through which this region orchestrates win- and lose-related behaviours during social competition.

The dmPFC projects widely across the cortex, subcortex and brain stem. To identify the specific dmPFC-mediated pathways involved in social competition, Xin et al. examined FOS immunoreactivity (a proxy for neural activity) in regions that are projection targets of the dmPFC in mice participating in the tube test of social dominance. In this test, pairs of animals introduced at opposite ends of a narrow tube must push against each other to force the retreat of their opponent.