This study investigates a calcium-permeable AMPAR–gated microcircuit in the nucleus accumbens during social bonding in prairie voles. By showing that disrupting calcium-permeable AMPAR signaling impairs ensemble-level encoding despite increasing single-neuron selectivity, the work reveals how coordinated ensemble dynamics transform social interaction into enduring attachment.
- Mostafa M. El-Kalliny
- J. Keenan Kushner
- Zoe R. Donaldson