Social memory—the ability to recognize familiar individuals and distinguish them from strangers—is fundamental to social cognition. Deficits in social memory are hallmarks of multiple neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Notably, these conditions frequently co-occur with chronic sleep disturbances. Although extensive evidence linking sleep disruption to impaired social cognition, the underlying circuit-level and neurochemical mechanisms have remained largely unresolved. To address these challenges, the research team led by Prof. Haibo Xu and Prof. Linlin Bi at Wuhan University employed a combination of high-resolution oxytocin (OXT) sensor imaging, optogenetics, calcium imaging, and electrophysiological approaches to uncover the neural circuit mechanisms underlying sleep disruption–induced social memory impairment, as well as potential intervention strategies.

The summer monsoon season runs from June through September and delivers roughly 80% of the rain India receives in a year. Over the last few decades, the amount of rain has increased while the concentration of rainfall has shifted west over the continent. Now, researchers at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology have found that the intensity and location of the late-season rainfall is significantly influenced by Arctic sea ice melt that occurs earlier in the summer.