Brain Activity During Play in Rats: Exploring the Neural Connections

Scientists tickled rats to study brain activity during play. Among all mammalian behaviors, play is the least understood at the neurobiological level. Researchers have not been able to accurately determine the neural connections underlying this process. Rats do not laugh like humans, but when they are having fun, they emit high-pitched chirps that humans cannot hear. Therefore, the researchers monitored this sound. The experiments allowed them to discover a structure called the periaqueductal gray in the rats' brains, which is involved in the process of entertainment.