The first rule of mouse fight-club is鈥� always play on your home turf. Winning a fight causes brain changes that enhance fighting ability and the desire to seek out additional contests, particularly if the fight is on familiar ground.
So say at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, who investigated the effect on the mouse brain of winning a fight home or away. The team secured a win in the animals鈥� home or unfamiliar cages, by pairing male mice with smaller and sexually inexperienced males. After three consecutive victories, they analysed the animals鈥� brain. Mice that won home or away showed increased expression of the receptors for the male hormone androgen in a region of the brain that influences social aggression.
In addition, 鈥渉ome-win鈥� mice showed increased androgen sensitivity in regions that mediate motivation and reward. These mice also won more subsequent fights compared to mice who鈥檇 only come out in away fights (, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1001394107).
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The experience of winning drives neural changes that increase aggression and desire, say the authors.
