{
  "abstract": "The ability to form stable de novo relationships in complex environments is essential for social functioning and is impaired in severe psychiatric disorders including autism. Yet, the neurobiological basis and cognitive processes enabling the formation of stable bonds in larger groups remain poorly understood, thereby limiting our ability to develop effective therapies. Here, we establish a semi-naturalistic model of clique formation in mouse societies, where individuals are tracked longitudinally from massive video data. Small, stable rich-clubs develop within these mouse social networks. Consistent with human rich-clubs, these cohesive cliques tended to have high social rank and exerted influence on non-members. Interestingly, neither prior rich-club-membership in a different group nor kinship facilitated entry into rich-clubs. Mimicking sparse population genetics, we probed the open question whether a subtle neuro-cognitive phenotype, namely impaired induction of social sensory processing states by cortical oxytocin signaling, disrupts higher-order social bonding in these complex social environments. Despite preserved social motivation, mice with alterations in this oxytocin subsystem failed to join rich-clubs. They approached group members less consistently, and connections from others towards them fluctuated more as well. This reciprocal disorganization highlights how interactional dynamics within social networks can amplify individual-level deficits, consistent with models of emergent properties of social behavior. These findings underscore the role of oxytocin in tuning sensory systems into a social processing state. Its dysfunction affects an individual’s ability to establish stable relationships in complex social networks, with profound implications for social functioning deficits in psychiatric disorders.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany",
    "Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes-Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany",
    "Department Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany",
    "Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany. wokelsch@uni-mainz.de",
    "Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes-Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany. wokelsch@uni-mainz.de"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 10,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Corentin Nelias",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6266-5575"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Sarah Ghanayem"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "David Wolf",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1566-1237"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Marcel Moor"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Danai Nikolantonaki"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Eda Dilara Turgut"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Max F. Scheller",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-7216-8027"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Valery Grinevich",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6337-8866"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jonathan Reinwald",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9508-3942"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Wolfgang Kelsch",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3470-8125"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0nff9qemen6kr.bib",
  "cited_by": 8,
  "doi": "10.1038/s41467-026-76841-5",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "0nff9qemen6kr",
  "issns": [
    "2041-1723"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-76841-5",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2807|Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7203633812",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-76841-5.pdf",
  "pmcid": "PMC13484484",
  "pmid": "42608410",
  "published": "2026-08-17",
  "publisher": "Nature Portfolio",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0nff9qemen6kr.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-07T13:20:55Z",
      "native_id": "W7203633812",
      "source": "openalex",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-76841-5"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2807|Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior",
      "subfield": "physiology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Stable clique membership in male mouse societies requires oxytocin-enabled social sensory states",
  "title_text": "Stable clique membership in male mouse societies requires oxytocin-enabled social sensory states",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-10T13:21:10Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0nff9qemen6kr",
  "venue": "Nature Communications",
  "versions": []
}