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Coppola VJ, Scribner HR, Barnett C, Flanigan KAS, Riesgo VR, Bingman VP. Age-related reductions in whole brain mass and telencephalon volume in very old white Carneau pigeons (Columba livia). Neurosci Lett 2024; 828:137754. [PMID: 38556244 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2024.137754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
While studies have identified age-related cognitive impairment in pigeons (Columba livia), no study has detected the brain atrophy which typically accompanies cognitive impairment in older mammals. Instead, Coppola and Bingman (Aging is associated with larger brain mass and volume in homing pigeons (Columba livia), Neurosci. Letters 698 (2019) 39-43) reported increased whole brain mass and telencephalon volume in older, compared to younger, homing pigeons. One reason for this unexpected finding might be that the older pigeons studied were not old enough to display age-related brain atrophy. Therefore, the current study repeated Coppola and Bingman, but with a sample of older white Carneau pigeons that were on average 5.34 years older. Brains from young and old homing pigeons were weighed and orthogonal measurements of the telencephalon, cerebellum, and optic tectum were obtained. Despite having a heavier body mass than younger pigeons, older pigeons had a significant reduction in whole brain mass and telencephalon volume, but not cerebellum or optic tectum volume. This study is therefore the first to find that pigeons experience age-related brain atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent J Coppola
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Findlay, Findlay, OH, USA.
| | - Holden R Scribner
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Findlay, Findlay, OH, USA
| | - Caillie Barnett
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Findlay, Findlay, OH, USA
| | - Kaylyn A S Flanigan
- Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA; J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind, & Behavior, Bowling Green, OH, USA.
| | - Victoria R Riesgo
- Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA; J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind, & Behavior, Bowling Green, OH, USA.
| | - Verner P Bingman
- Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA; J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind, & Behavior, Bowling Green, OH, USA.
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Gagliardo A, Colombo S, Pollonara E, Casini G, Rossino MG, Wikelski M, Bingman VP. GPS-profiling of retrograde navigational impairments associated with hippocampal lesion in homing pigeons. Behav Brain Res 2021; 412:113408. [PMID: 34111471 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The avian hippocampal formation (HF) is homologous to the mammalian hippocampus and plays a central role in the control of spatial cognition. In homing pigeons, HF supports navigation by familiar landmarks and landscape features. However, what has remained relatively unexplored is the importance of HF for the retention of previously acquired spatial information. For example, to date, no systematic GPS-tracking studies on the retention of HF-dependent navigational memory in homing pigeons have been performed. Therefore, the current study was designed to compare the pre- and post-surgical navigational performance of sham-lesioned control and HF-lesioned pigeons tracked from three different sites located in different directions with respect to home. The pre- and post-surgical comparison of the pigeons' flight paths near the release sites and before reaching the area surrounding the home loft (4 km radius from the loft) revealed that the control and HF-lesioned pigeons displayed similarly successful retention. By contrast, the HF-lesioned pigeons displayed dramatically and consistently impaired retention in navigating to their home loft during the terminal phase of the homing flight near home, i.e., where navigation is supported by memory for landmark and landscape features. The data demonstrate that HF lesions lead to a dramatic loss of pre-surgically acquired landmark and landscape navigational information while sparing those mechanisms associated with navigation from locations distant from home.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany; Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Verner P Bingman
- Department of Psychology, 4Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA; J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
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Harper JM, Holmes DJ. New Perspectives on Avian Models for Studies of Basic Aging Processes. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9060649. [PMID: 34200297 PMCID: PMC8230007 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9060649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Avian models have the potential to elucidate basic cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the slow aging rates and exceptional longevity typical of this group of vertebrates. To date, most studies of avian aging have focused on relatively few of the phenomena now thought to be intrinsic to the aging process, but primarily on responses to oxidative stress and telomere dynamics. But a variety of whole-animal and cell-based approaches to avian aging and stress resistance have been developed-especially the use of primary cell lines and isolated erythrocytes-which permit other processes to be investigated. In this review, we highlight newer studies using these approaches. We also discuss recent research on age-related changes in neural function in birds in the context of sensory changes relevant to homing and navigation, as well as the maintenance of song. More recently, with the advent of "-omic" methodologies, including whole-genome studies, new approaches have gained momentum for investigating the mechanistic basis of aging in birds. Overall, current research suggests that birds exhibit an enhanced resistance to the detrimental effects of oxidative damage and maintain higher than expected levels of cellular function as they age. There is also evidence that genetic signatures associated with cellular defenses, as well as metabolic and immune function, are enhanced in birds but data are still lacking relative to that available from more conventional model organisms. We are optimistic that continued development of avian models in geroscience, especially under controlled laboratory conditions, will provide novel insights into the exceptional longevity of this animal taxon.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M. Harper
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-936-294-1543
| | - Donna J. Holmes
- Department of Biological Sciences and WWAMI Medical Education Program, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA;
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Coppola VJ, Nardi D, Bingman VP. Age-associated decline in septum neuronal activation during spatial learning in homing pigeons (Columba livia). Behav Brain Res 2020; 397:112948. [PMID: 33017641 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between hippocampal aging and spatial-cognitive decline in birds has recently been investigated. However, like its mammalian counterpart, the avian hippocampus does not work in isolation and its relationship to the septum is of particular interest. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of age on septum (medial and lateral) and associated nucleus of the diagonal band (NDB) neuronal activation (as indicated by c-Fos expression) during learning of a spatial, delayed non-match-to-sample task conducted in a modified radial arm maze. The results indicated significantly reduced septum, but not NDB, activation during spatial learning in older pigeons. We also preliminarily investigated the effect of age on the number of cholinergic septum and NDB neurons (as indicated by expression of choline acetyltransferase; ChAT). Although underpowered to reveal a statistical effect, the data suggest that older pigeons have substantially fewer ChAT-expressing cells in the septum compared to younger pigeons. The data support the hypothesis that reduced activation of the septum contributes to the age-related, spatial cognitive impairment in pigeons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent J Coppola
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Findlay, Findlay, OH, United States; J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind, & Behavior, Bowling Green, OH, United States.
| | - Daniele Nardi
- Department of Psychological Science, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, United States
| | - Verner P Bingman
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Findlay, Findlay, OH, United States; J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind, & Behavior, Bowling Green, OH, United States; Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, United States
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