From birth, humans exhibit an inherent inclination toward social interactions. Infants and toddlers devote a significant portion of their time to social behaviors; these early social interactions will shape their future social and language development. However, social cognitive abilities are no longer considered exclusive to humans and non-human primates. Accumulating evidence suggests complex social strategies across diverse species in different behavioral contexts, sustaining a growing recognition that most animals have evolved cognitive mechanisms to assess, evaluate, and respond to diverse social cues. Detecting and discriminating social partners, recognizing individuals, remembering past interactions, observing and identifying social relationships, and attributing mental states to others are crucial elements in the development of typical social cognitive abilities shared by several species.

Evidence suggests that alterations of these essential elements of social cognitive development are associated with different neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders, opening new perspectives to investigate the role of social behavior in many human disorders.

The goal of the current Research Topic is to promote a better understanding of the neurobiological bases of social behavior and cognition, bringing together studies regarding the basic mechanisms underlying these phenomena in wide range of species, including human and non-human primates, mammalians, rodents, avian, fish and invertebrates.

We aim to showcase recent research advancements from various neuroscience fields, particularly in neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders, accepting contributions on cellular, molecular, and brain circuit mechanisms behind social functioning in health and disease.

This Research Topic welcomes original research articles describing experimental and methodological studies, short and full reviews, and perspectives.

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Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience

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