ICYMI: These Lab Mice Worked to Revive Their Unconscious Cage Mates

Sun, W. et al

If you came across a friend who was unconscious and unresponsive, your instinct would likely be to lend a helping hand. Turns out, this particular brand of prosocial behavior may not be exclusive to humans. In new research published in the journal Science, lab mice exhibited a range of behaviors when they encountered anesthetized, familiar cage mates, including grooming, biting, and even pulling at their tongues.

Some experts say these results indicate the knee-jerk reaction to offer aid to others in need may be an innate feature of species beyond our own. Others argue the behavior may have roots in other qualities such as basic curiosity, according to NPR. Regardless, these lab mice made consistent attempts to rouse their cage mates, and they eased up on those behaviors once their mates regained consciousness. The mice even managed to remove a small plastic ball which had been previously placed in the mouths of their knocked-out peers in 80% of trials,  according to New Scientist.

Big Picture: Oxytocin, a hormone associated with bonding and other social behaviors across many species, appears to play a role in this scenario, too. The researchers found neurons releasing oxytocin were activated in the helper mice’s hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus — a region which helps drive social behavior — while they engaged with their unconscious cage mates. When researchers blocked oxytocin signaling from those neurons, the shift inhibited the mice’s caregiving-like behaviors. They also concluded those mice spent more time engaging with familiar counterparts, rather than ones they hadn’t interacted with before.

Read More: Mice seen giving 'first aid' to unconscious companions. New Scientist

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About the Author

Bella Isaacs-Thomas

Bella is the Staff Writer and Editor for BrainFacts. She previously worked as a digital science reporter at PBS NewsHour, where she was named a fellow in the 2022-2023 class of the National Science-Health-Environment Reporting Fellowships (SHERF) and earned a 2021 D.C. Science Writers Association Newsbrief Award for writing. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor's degree in 2018.