Winning on home turf makes one crave for future fights

London, July 6 (ANI): Winning a fight on home turf instils desire for more fights in the future, revealed a brain study on mice.

The researchers found that winning a fight causes brain changes that enhance fighting ability and the desire to seek out additional contests, particularly if the fight is on familiar ground.

Matthew Fuxjager and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin in Madison investigated the effect on the mouse brain of winning a fight home or away.

The team secured a win in the animals' home or unfamiliar cages, by pairing male mice with smaller and sexually inexperienced males.

After three consecutive victories, they analysed the animals' brain, reports New Scientist.

It was found that mice that won home or away showed increased expression of the receptors for the male hormone androgen in a region of the brain that influences social aggression.

In addition, "home-win" mice showed increased androgen sensitivity in regions that mediate motivation and reward.

These mice also won more subsequent fights compared to mice who'd only come out in away fights

The experience of winning drives neural changes that increase aggression and desire, said the authors.

The study has been published in the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (ANI)