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Mizuguchi D, Sánchez-Valpuesta M, Kim Y, Dos Santos EB, Kang H, Mori C, Wada K, Kojima S. Daily singing of adult songbirds functions to maintain song performance independently of auditory feedback and age. Commun Biol 2024; 7:598. [PMID: 38762691 PMCID: PMC11102546 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06311-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Many songbirds learn to produce songs through vocal practice in early life and continue to sing daily throughout their lifetime. While it is well-known that adult songbirds sing as part of their mating rituals, the functions of singing behavior outside of reproductive contexts remain unclear. Here, we investigated this issue in adult male zebra finches by suppressing their daily singing for two weeks and examining the effects on song performance. We found that singing suppression decreased the pitch, amplitude, and duration of songs, and that those song features substantially recovered through subsequent free singing. These reversible song changes were not dependent on auditory feedback or the age of the birds, contrasting with the adult song plasticity that has been reported previously. These results demonstrate that adult song structure is not stable without daily singing, and suggest that adult songbirds maintain song performance by preventing song changes through physical act of daily singing throughout their life. Such daily singing likely functions as vocal training to maintain the song production system in optimal conditions for song performance in reproductive contexts, similar to how human singers and athletes practice daily to maintain their performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Mizuguchi
- Sensory and Motor Systems Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Miguel Sánchez-Valpuesta
- Sensory and Motor Systems Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Yunbok Kim
- Sensory and Motor Systems Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Ednei B Dos Santos
- Sensory and Motor Systems Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - HiJee Kang
- Sensory and Motor Systems Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, 41062, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Chihiro Mori
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 153-0041, Japan
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Life and Health Sciences, Teikyo University, Tokyo, 173-8605, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Wada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Satoshi Kojima
- Sensory and Motor Systems Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, 41062, Republic of Korea.
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2
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Beetz MJ. A perspective on neuroethology: what the past teaches us about the future of neuroethology. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2024; 210:325-346. [PMID: 38411712 PMCID: PMC10995053 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-024-01695-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
For 100 years, the Journal of Comparative Physiology-A has significantly supported research in the field of neuroethology. The celebration of the journal's centennial is a great time point to appreciate the recent progress in neuroethology and to discuss possible avenues of the field. Animal behavior is the main source of inspiration for neuroethologists. This is illustrated by the huge diversity of investigated behaviors and species. To explain behavior at a mechanistic level, neuroethologists combine neuroscientific approaches with sophisticated behavioral analysis. The rapid technological progress in neuroscience makes neuroethology a highly dynamic and exciting field of research. To summarize the recent scientific progress in neuroethology, I went through all abstracts of the last six International Congresses for Neuroethology (ICNs 2010-2022) and categorized them based on the sensory modalities, experimental model species, and research topics. This highlights the diversity of neuroethology and gives us a perspective on the field's scientific future. At the end, I highlight three research topics that may, among others, influence the future of neuroethology. I hope that sharing my roots may inspire other scientists to follow neuroethological approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Jerome Beetz
- Zoology II, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074, Würzburg, Germany.
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3
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Ma Y, Zhang X, Pappas L, Rule A, Gao Y, Dill SE, Feng T, Zhang Y, Wang H, Cunha F, Rozelle S. Associations between urbanization and the home language environment: Evidence from a LENA study in rural and peri-urban China. Child Dev 2024; 95:e74-e92. [PMID: 37937886 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.14034] [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: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
In low- and middle-income countries, urbanization has spurred the expansion of peri-urban communities, or urban communities of formerly rural residents with low socioeconomic status. The growth of these communities offers researchers an opportunity to measure the associations between the level of urbanization and the home language environment (HLE) among otherwise similar populations. Data were collected in 2019 using Language Environment Analysis observational assessment technology from 158 peri-urban and rural households with Han Chinese children (92 males, 66 females) aged 18-24 months in China. Peri-urban children scored lower than rural children in measures of the HLE and language development. In both samples, child age, gender, maternal employment, and sibling number were positively correlated with the HLE, which was in turn correlated with language development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Ma
- Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Xinwu Zhang
- Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Lucy Pappas
- Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Andrew Rule
- Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Yujuan Gao
- Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Sarah-Eve Dill
- Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Tianli Feng
- School of Management and Economics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Zhang
- National Center for Women and Children Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong Wang
- Department of Child Health Care, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Flavio Cunha
- Department of Economics, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Scott Rozelle
- Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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4
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Umashankar A, Ramamoorthy S, Selvaraj JL, Dhandayutham S. Comparative Study on the Acoustic Analysis of Voice in Auditory Brainstem Implantees, Cochlear Implantees, and Normal Hearing Children. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2024; 76:645-652. [PMID: 38440592 PMCID: PMC10908917 DOI: 10.1007/s12070-023-04236-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to compare the acoustic characteristics of voice between Auditory Brainstem Implantees, Cochlear Implantees and normal hearing children. Voice parameters such as fundamental frequency, formant frequencies, perturbation measures, and harmonic to noise ratio were measured in a total of 30 children out of which 10 were Auditory Brainstem Implantees, 10 were Cochlear Implantees and 10 were normal hearing children. Parametric and nonparametric statistics were done to establish the nature of significance between the three groups. Overall deviancies were seen in the implanted group for all acoustic parameters. However abnormal deviations were seen in individuals with Auditory Brainstem Implants indicating the deficit in the feedback loop impacting the voice characteristics. The deviancy in feedback could attribute to the poor performance in ABI and CI. The CI performed comparatively better when compared to the ABI group indicating a slight feedback loop due to the type of Implant. However, there needs to be additional evidence supporting this and there is a need to carry out the same study using a larger sample size and a longitudinal design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abishek Umashankar
- Department of Translational and Clinical Research, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Santhoshi Ramamoorthy
- Department of Speech Language Pathology, MERF Institute of Speech and Hearing, Chennai, India
| | - Jasmine Lydia Selvaraj
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, SRFASLP, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Porur, Chennai, 116 India
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5
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Burke JE, Perkes AD, Perlegos AE, Schmidt MF. A neural circuit for vocal production responds to viscerosensory input in the songbird. J Neurophysiol 2024; 131:304-310. [PMID: 38116612 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00400.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Motor performance is monitored continuously by specialized brain circuits and used adaptively to modify behavior on a moment-to-moment basis and over longer time periods. During vocal behaviors, such as singing in songbirds, internal evaluation of motor performance relies on sensory input from the auditory and vocal-respiratory systems. Sensory input from the auditory system to the motor system, often referred to as auditory feedback, has been well studied in singing zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), but little is known about how and where nonauditory sensory feedback is evaluated. Here we show that brief perturbations in air sac pressure cause short-latency neural responses in the higher-order song control nucleus HVC (used as proper name), an area necessary for song learning and song production. Air sacs were briefly pressurized through a cannula in anesthetized or sedated adult male zebra finches, and neural responses were recorded in both nucleus parambigualis (PAm), a brainstem inspiratory center, and HVC, a cortical premotor nucleus. These findings show that song control nuclei in the avian song system are sensitive to perturbations directly targeted to vocal-respiratory, or viscerosensory, afferents and support a role for multimodal sensory feedback integration in modifying and controlling vocal control circuits.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study presents the first evidence of sensory input from the vocal-respiratory periphery directly activating neurons in a motor circuit for vocal production in songbirds. It was previously thought that this circuit relies exclusively on sensory input from the auditory system, but we provide groundbreaking evidence for nonauditory sensory input reaching the higher-order premotor nucleus HVC, expanding our understanding of what sensory feedback may be available for vocal control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E Burke
- Biology Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Ammon D Perkes
- Biology Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Alexandra E Perlegos
- Biology Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Marc F Schmidt
- Biology Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
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6
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Favila N, Gurney K, Overton PG. Role of the basal ganglia in innate and learned behavioural sequences. Rev Neurosci 2024; 35:35-55. [PMID: 37437141 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2023-0038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Integrating individual actions into coherent, organised behavioural units, a process called chunking, is a fundamental, evolutionarily conserved process that renders actions automatic. In vertebrates, evidence points to the basal ganglia - a complex network believed to be involved in action selection - as a key component of action sequence encoding, although the underlying mechanisms are only just beginning to be understood. Central pattern generators control many innate automatic behavioural sequences that form some of the most basic behaviours in an animal's repertoire, and in vertebrates, brainstem and spinal pattern generators are under the control of higher order structures such as the basal ganglia. Evidence suggests that the basal ganglia play a crucial role in the concatenation of simpler behaviours into more complex chunks, in the context of innate behavioural sequences such as chain grooming in rats, as well as sequences in which innate capabilities and learning interact such as birdsong, and sequences that are learned from scratch, such as lever press sequences in operant behaviour. It has been proposed that the role of the striatum, the largest input structure of the basal ganglia, might lie in selecting and allowing the relevant central pattern generators to gain access to the motor system in the correct order, while inhibiting other behaviours. As behaviours become more complex and flexible, the pattern generators seem to become more dependent on descending signals. Indeed, during learning, the striatum itself may adopt the functional characteristics of a higher order pattern generator, facilitated at the microcircuit level by striatal neuropeptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Favila
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Kevin Gurney
- Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 2LT, UK
| | - Paul G Overton
- Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 2LT, UK
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7
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Anderson KL, Colón L, Doolittle V, Rosario Martinez R, Uraga J, Whitney O. Context-dependent activation of a social behavior brain network during learned vocal production. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:1785-1797. [PMID: 37615758 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02693-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Neural activation in brain regions for vocal control is social context dependent. This context-dependent brain activation reflects social context-appropriate vocal behavior but has unresolved mechanisms. Studies of non-vocal social behaviors in multiple organisms suggest a functional role for several evolutionarily conserved and highly interconnected brain regions. Here, we use neural activity-dependent gene expression to evaluate the functional connectivity of this social behavior network within zebra finches in non-social and social singing contexts. We found that activity in one social behavior network region, the medial preoptic area (POM), was strongly associated with the amount of non-social undirected singing in zebra finches. In addition, in all regions of the social behavior network and the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), a higher percentage of EGR1 expression was observed during a social female-directed singing context compared to a non-social undirected singing context. Furthermore, we observed distinct patterns of significantly correlated activity between regions of the social behavior network during non-social undirected and social female-directed singing. Our results suggest that non-social vs. social contexts differentially activate this social behavior network and PVN. Moreover, neuronal activity within this social behavior network, PVN, and POM may alter context-appropriate vocal production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine L Anderson
- Biology Department, City College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Graduate Center, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Program, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lionel Colón
- Biology Department, City College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Violet Doolittle
- Biology Department, City College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Joseph Uraga
- Biology Department, City College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Osceola Whitney
- Biology Department, City College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.
- Graduate Center, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Program, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.
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8
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Lu C, Gudowska A, Rutkowska J. What do zebra finches learn besides singing? Systematic mapping of the literature and presentation of an efficient associative learning test. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:1489-1503. [PMID: 37300600 PMCID: PMC10442275 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01795-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The process of learning in birds has been extensively studied, with a focus on species such as pigeons, parrots, chickens, and crows. In recent years, the zebra finch has emerged as a model species in avian cognition, particularly in song learning. However, other cognitive domains such as spatial memory and associative learning could also be critical to fitness and survival, particularly during the intensive juvenile period. In this systematic review, we provide an overview of cognitive studies on zebra finches, with a focus on domains other than song learning. Our findings indicate that spatial, associative, and social learning are the most frequently studied domains, while motoric learning and inhibitory control have been examined less frequently over 30 years of research. All of the 60 studies included in this review were conducted on captive birds, limiting the generalizability of the findings to wild populations. Moreover, only two of the studies were conducted on juveniles, highlighting the need for more research on this critical period of learning. To address this research gap, we propose a high-throughput method for testing associative learning performance in a large number of both juvenile and adult zebra finches. Our results demonstrate that learning can occur in both age groups, thus encouraging researchers to also perform cognitive tests on juveniles. We also note the heterogeneity of methodologies, protocols, and subject exclusion criteria applied by different researchers, which makes it difficult to compare results across studies. Therefore, we call for better communication among researchers to develop standardised methodologies for studying each cognitive domain at different life stages and also in their natural conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- ChuChu Lu
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Gudowska
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Joanna Rutkowska
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
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9
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Dos Santos EB, Logue DM, Ball GF, Cornil CA, Balthazart J. Does the syrinx, a peripheral structure, constrain effects of sex steroids on behavioral sex reversal in adult canaries? Horm Behav 2023; 154:105394. [PMID: 37343444 PMCID: PMC10527430 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
We previously confirmed that effects of testosterone (T) on singing activity and on the volume of brain song control nuclei are sexually differentiated in adult canaries: females are limited in their ability to respond to T as males do. Here we expand on these results by focusing on sex differences in the production and performance of trills, i.e., rapid repetitions of song elements. We analyzed >42,000 trills recorded over a period of 6 weeks from 3 groups of castrated males and 3 groups of photoregressed females that received Silastic™ implants filled with T, T plus estradiol or left empty as control. Effects of T on the number of trills, trill duration and percent of time spent trilling were all stronger in males than females. Irrespective of endocrine treatment, trill performance assessed by vocal deviations from the trill rate versus trill bandwidth trade-off was also higher in males than in females. Finally, inter-individual differences in syrinx mass were positively correlated with specific features of trills in males but not in females. Given that T increases syrinx mass and syrinx fiber diameter in males but not in females, these data indicate that sex differences in trilling behavior are related to sex differences in syrinx mass and syrinx muscle fiber diameter that cannot be fully suppressed by sex steroids in adulthood. Sexual differentiation of behavior thus reflects organization not only of the brain but also of peripheral structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ednei B Dos Santos
- GIGA Neurosciences, Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Liege, Belgium
| | - David M Logue
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Gregory F Ball
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Charlotte A Cornil
- GIGA Neurosciences, Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Liege, Belgium
| | - Jacques Balthazart
- GIGA Neurosciences, Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Liege, Belgium.
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10
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Anderson KL, Colón L, Doolittle V, Martinez RR, Uraga J, Whitney O. Context-dependent activation of a social behavior brain network associates with learned vocal production. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2587773. [PMID: 36824963 PMCID: PMC9949236 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2587773/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
In zebra finches, an avian brain network for vocal control undergoes context-dependent patterning of song-dependent activation. Previous studies in zebra finches also implicate the importance of dopaminergic input in producing context-appropriate singing behavior. In mice, it has been shown that oxytocinergic neurons originated in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) synapse directly onto dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), implicating the necessity of oxytocin signaling from the PVN for producing a context-appropriate song. Both avian and non-avian axonal tract-tracing studies indicate high levels of PVN innervation by the social behavior network. Here, we hypothesize that the motivation for PVN oxytocin neurons to trigger dopamine release originates in the social behavior network, a highly conserved and interconnected collection of six regions implicated in various social and homeostatic behaviors. We found that expression of the neuronal activity marker EGR1 was not strongly correlated with song production in any of the regions of the social behavior network. However, when EGR1 expression levels were normalized to the singing rate, we found significantly higher levels of expression in the social behavior network regions except the medial preoptic area during a social female-directed singing context compared to a non-social undirected singing context. Our results suggest neuronal activity within the male zebra finch social behavior network influences the synaptic release of oxytocin from PVN onto dopaminergic projection neurons in the VTA, which in turn signals to the vocal control network to allow for context-appropriate song production.
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11
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Audette NJ, Zhou W, La Chioma A, Schneider DM. Precise movement-based predictions in the mouse auditory cortex. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4925-4940.e6. [PMID: 36283411 PMCID: PMC9691550 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Many of the sensations experienced by an organism are caused by their own actions, and accurately anticipating both the sensory features and timing of self-generated stimuli is crucial to a variety of behaviors. In the auditory cortex, neural responses to self-generated sounds exhibit frequency-specific suppression, suggesting that movement-based predictions may be implemented early in sensory processing. However, it remains unknown whether this modulation results from a behaviorally specific and temporally precise prediction, nor is it known whether corresponding expectation signals are present locally in the auditory cortex. To address these questions, we trained mice to expect the precise acoustic outcome of a forelimb movement using a closed-loop sound-generating lever. Dense neuronal recordings in the auditory cortex revealed suppression of responses to self-generated sounds that was specific to the expected acoustic features, to a precise position within the movement, and to the movement that was coupled to sound during training. Prediction-based suppression was concentrated in L2/3 and L5, where deviations from expectation also recruited a population of prediction-error neurons that was otherwise unresponsive. Recording in the absence of sound revealed abundant movement signals in deep layers that were biased toward neurons tuned to the expected sound, as well as expectation signals that were present throughout the cortex and peaked at the time of expected auditory feedback. Together, these findings identify distinct populations of auditory cortical neurons with movement, expectation, and error signals consistent with a learned internal model linking an action to its specific acoustic outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Audette
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - WenXi Zhou
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Alessandro La Chioma
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - David M Schneider
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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12
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Ekström AG. Motor constellation theory: A model of infants' phonological development. Front Psychol 2022; 13:996894. [PMID: 36405212 PMCID: PMC9669916 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.996894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 04/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Every normally developing human infant solves the difficult problem of mapping their native-language phonology, but the neural mechanisms underpinning this behavior remain poorly understood. Here, motor constellation theory, an integrative neurophonological model, is presented, with the goal of explicating this issue. It is assumed that infants' motor-auditory phonological mapping takes place through infants' orosensory "reaching" for phonological elements observed in the language-specific ambient phonology, via reference to kinesthetic feedback from motor systems (e.g., articulators), and auditory feedback from resulting speech and speech-like sounds. Attempts are regulated by basal ganglion-cerebellar speech neural circuitry, and successful attempts at reproduction are enforced through dopaminergic signaling. Early in life, the pace of anatomical development constrains mapping such that complete language-specific phonological mapping is prohibited by infants' undeveloped supralaryngeal vocal tract and undescended larynx; constraints gradually dissolve with age, enabling adult phonology. Where appropriate, reference is made to findings from animal and clinical models. Some implications for future modeling and simulation efforts, as well as clinical settings, are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel G. Ekström
- Speech, Music and Hearing, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
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13
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Ivlieva NY. The Role of the Basal Ganglia in the Development and Organization of Vocal Behavior in Songbirds. Russ J Dev Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s106236042204004x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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14
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Chenausky KV, Tager-Flusberg H. The importance of deep speech phenotyping for neurodevelopmental and genetic disorders: a conceptual review. J Neurodev Disord 2022; 14:36. [PMID: 35690736 PMCID: PMC9188130 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-022-09443-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Speech is the most common modality through which language is communicated, and delayed, disordered, or absent speech production is a hallmark of many neurodevelopmental and genetic disorders. Yet, speech is not often carefully phenotyped in neurodevelopmental disorders. In this paper, we argue that such deep phenotyping, defined as phenotyping that is specific to speech production and not conflated with language or cognitive ability, is vital if we are to understand how genetic variations affect the brain regions that are associated with spoken language. Speech is distinct from language, though the two are related behaviorally and share neural substrates. We present a brief taxonomy of developmental speech production disorders, with particular emphasis on the motor speech disorders childhood apraxia of speech (a disorder of motor planning) and childhood dysarthria (a set of disorders of motor execution). We review the history of discoveries concerning the KE family, in whom a hereditary form of communication impairment was identified as childhood apraxia of speech and linked to dysfunction in the FOXP2 gene. The story demonstrates how instrumental deep phenotyping of speech production was in this seminal discovery in the genetics of speech and language. There is considerable overlap between the neural substrates associated with speech production and with FOXP2 expression, suggesting that further genes associated with speech dysfunction will also be expressed in similar brain regions. We then show how a biologically accurate computational model of speech production, in combination with detailed information about speech production in children with developmental disorders, can generate testable hypotheses about the nature, genetics, and neurology of speech disorders. CONCLUSIONS Though speech and language are distinct, specific types of developmental speech disorder are associated with far-reaching effects on verbal communication in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Therefore, detailed speech phenotyping, in collaboration with experts on pediatric speech development and disorders, can lead us to a new generation of discoveries about how speech development is affected in genetic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen V Chenausky
- Speech in Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Lab, Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions, 36 1st Avenue, Boston, MA, 02129, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, USA.
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15
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Singh UA, Iyengar S. The Role of the Endogenous Opioid System in the Vocal Behavior of Songbirds and Its Possible Role in Vocal Learning. Front Physiol 2022; 13:823152. [PMID: 35273519 PMCID: PMC8902293 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.823152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The opioid system in the brain is responsible for processing affective states such as pain, pleasure, and reward. It consists of three main receptors, mu- (μ-ORs), delta- (δ-ORs), and kappa- (κ-ORs), and their ligands – the endogenous opioid peptides. Despite their involvement in the reward pathway, and a signaling mechanism operating in synergy with the dopaminergic system, fewer reports focus on the role of these receptors in higher cognitive processes. Whereas research on opioids is predominated by studies on their addictive properties and role in pain pathways, recent studies suggest that these receptors may be involved in learning. Rodents deficient in δ-ORs were poor at recognizing the location of novel objects in their surroundings. Furthermore, in chicken, learning to avoid beads coated with a bitter chemical from those without the coating was modulated by δ-ORs. Similarly, μ-ORs facilitate long term potentiation in hippocampal CA3 neurons in mammals, thereby having a positive impact on spatial learning. Whereas these studies have explored the role of opioid receptors on learning using reward/punishment-based paradigms, the role of these receptors in natural learning processes, such as vocal learning, are yet unexplored. In this review, we explore studies that have established the expression pattern of these receptors in different brain regions of birds, with an emphasis on songbirds which are model systems for vocal learning. We also review the role of opioid receptors in modulating the cognitive processes associated with vocalizations in birds. Finally, we discuss the role of these receptors in regulating the motivation to vocalize, and a possible role in modulating vocal learning.
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16
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Lukacova K, Hamaide J, Baciak L, Van der Linden A, Kubikova L. Striatal Injury Induces Overall Brain Alteration at the Pallial, Thalamic, and Cerebellar Levels. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11030425. [PMID: 35336799 PMCID: PMC8945699 DOI: 10.3390/biology11030425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Magnetic resonance imaging showed that striatal injury leads to structural changes within several brain areas. Here, we specify these changes via gene expression of synaptic plasticity markers, neuronal markers, assessing the number of newborn cells as well as cell densities. We found that the injury resulted in long-lasting modifications involving plasticity and neural protection mechanisms in areas directly as well as indirectly connected with the damaged striatum, including the cerebellum. Abstract The striatal region Area X plays an important role during song learning, sequencing, and variability in songbirds. A previous study revealed that neurotoxic damage within Area X results in micro and macrostructural changes across the entire brain, including the downstream dorsal thalamus and both the upstream pallial nucleus HVC (proper name) and the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN). Here, we specify these changes on cellular and gene expression levels. We found decreased cell density in the thalamic and cerebellar areas and HVC, but it was not related to neuronal loss. On the contrary, perineuronal nets (PNNs) in HVC increased for up to 2 months post-lesion, suggesting their protecting role. The synaptic plasticity marker Forkhead box protein P2 (FoxP2) showed a bi-phasic increase at 8 days and 3 months post-lesion, indicating a massive synaptic rebuilding. The later increase in HVC was associated with the increased number of new neurons. These data suggest that the damage in the striatal vocal nucleus induces cellular and gene expression alterations in both the efferent and afferent destinations. These changes may be long-lasting and involve plasticity and neural protection mechanisms in the areas directly connected to the injury site and also to distant areas, such as the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Lukacova
- Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 840 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Correspondence: (K.L.); (L.K.)
| | - Julie Hamaide
- Bio-Imaging Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, B-2610 Antwerp, Belgium; (J.H.); (A.V.d.L.)
| | - Ladislav Baciak
- Central Laboratories, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovakia;
| | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-Imaging Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, B-2610 Antwerp, Belgium; (J.H.); (A.V.d.L.)
| | - Lubica Kubikova
- Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 840 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Correspondence: (K.L.); (L.K.)
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17
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Home Auditory Environments of Children With Cochlear Implants and Children With Normal Hearing. Ear Hear 2022; 43:592-604. [PMID: 34582393 PMCID: PMC8881328 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Early home auditory environment plays an important role in children's spoken language development and overall well-being. This study explored differences in the home auditory environment experienced by children with cochlear implants (CIs) relative to children with normal hearing (NH). DESIGN Measures of the child's home auditory environment, including adult word count (AWC), conversational turns (CTs), child vocalizations (CVs), television and media (TVN), overlapping sound (OLN), and noise (NON), were gathered using the Language Environment Analysis System. The study included 16 children with CIs (M = 22.06 mo) and 25 children with NH (M = 18.71 mo). Families contributed 1 to 3 daylong recordings quarterly over the course of approximately 1 year. Additional parent and infant characteristics including maternal education, amount of residual hearing, and age at activation were also collected. RESULTS The results showed that whereas CTs and CVs increased with child age for children with NH, they did not change as a function of age for children with CIs; NON was significantly higher for the NH group. No significant group differences were found for the measures of AWC, TVN, or OLN. Moreover, measures of CTs, CVs, TVN, and NON from children with CIs were associated with demographic and child factors, including maternal education, age at CI activation, and amount of residual hearing. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that there are similarities and differences in the home auditory environment experienced by children with CIs and children with NH. These findings have implications for early intervention programs to promote spoken language development for children with CIs.
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18
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Boari S, Mindlin GB, Amador A. Neural oscillations are locked to birdsong rhythms in canaries. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:549-565. [PMID: 34852183 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
How vocal communication signals are represented in the cortex is a major challenge for behavioural neuroscience. Beyond a descriptive code, it is relevant to unveil the dynamical mechanism responsible for the neural representation of auditory stimuli. In this work, we report evidence of synchronous neural activity in nucleus HVC, a telencephalic area of canaries (Serinus canaria), in response to auditory playback of the bird's own song. The rhythmic features of canary song allowed us to show that this large-scale synchronization was locked to defined features of the behaviour. We recorded neural activity in a brain region where sensorimotor integration occurs, showing the presence of well-defined oscillations in the local field potentials, which are locked to song rhythm. We also show a correspondence between local field potentials, multiunit activity and single unit activity within the same brain region. Overall, our results show that the rhythmic features of the vocal behaviour are represented in a telencephalic region of canaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Boari
- Physics Department, FCEyN, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,IFIBA, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gabriel B Mindlin
- Physics Department, FCEyN, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,IFIBA, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana Amador
- Physics Department, FCEyN, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,IFIBA, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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19
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Lattenkamp EZ, Hörpel SG, Mengede J, Firzlaff U. A researcher's guide to the comparative assessment of vocal production learning. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200237. [PMID: 34482725 PMCID: PMC8422597 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Vocal production learning (VPL) is the capacity to learn to produce new vocalizations, which is a rare ability in the animal kingdom and thus far has only been identified in a handful of mammalian taxa and three groups of birds. Over the last few decades, approaches to the demonstration of VPL have varied among taxa, sound production systems and functions. These discrepancies strongly impede direct comparisons between studies. In the light of the growing number of experimental studies reporting VPL, the need for comparability is becoming more and more pressing. The comparative evaluation of VPL across studies would be facilitated by unified and generalized reporting standards, which would allow a better positioning of species on any proposed VPL continuum. In this paper, we specifically highlight five factors influencing the comparability of VPL assessments: (i) comparison to an acoustic baseline, (ii) comprehensive reporting of acoustic parameters, (iii) extended reporting of training conditions and durations, (iv) investigating VPL function via behavioural, perception-based experiments and (v) validation of findings on a neuronal level. These guidelines emphasize the importance of comparability between studies in order to unify the field of vocal learning. This article is part of the theme issue 'Vocal learning in animals and humans'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella Z. Lattenkamp
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Biology II, LMU Munich, Germany
- Neurogenetics of Vocal Communication Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Stephen G. Hörpel
- Neurogenetics of Vocal Communication Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Animal Sciences, Chair of Zoology, TU Munich, Germany
| | - Janine Mengede
- Neurogenetics of Vocal Communication Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Uwe Firzlaff
- Department of Animal Sciences, Chair of Zoology, TU Munich, Germany
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20
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Mishra P, Narayanan R. Stable continual learning through structured multiscale plasticity manifolds. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 70:51-63. [PMID: 34416674 PMCID: PMC7611638 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Biological plasticity is ubiquitous. How does the brain navigate this complex plasticity space, where any component can seemingly change, in adapting to an ever-changing environment? We build a systematic case that stable continuous learning is achieved by structured rules that enforce multiple, but not all, components to change together in specific directions. This rule-based low-dimensional plasticity manifold of permitted plasticity combinations emerges from cell type-specific molecular signaling and triggers cascading impacts that span multiple scales. These multiscale plasticity manifolds form the basis for behavioral learning and are dynamic entities that are altered by neuromodulation, metaplasticity, and pathology. We explore the strong links between heterogeneities, degeneracy, and plasticity manifolds and emphasize the need to incorporate plasticity manifolds into learning-theoretical frameworks and experimental designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poonam Mishra
- Cellular Neurophysiology Laboratory, Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Rishikesh Narayanan
- Cellular Neurophysiology Laboratory, Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
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21
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Deane G. Consciousness in active inference: Deep self-models, other minds, and the challenge of psychedelic-induced ego-dissolution. Neurosci Conscious 2021; 2021:niab024. [PMID: 34484808 PMCID: PMC8408766 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niab024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Predictive processing approaches to brain function are increasingly delivering promise for illuminating the computational underpinnings of a wide range of phenomenological states. It remains unclear, however, whether predictive processing is equipped to accommodate a theory of consciousness itself. Furthermore, objectors have argued that without specification of the core computational mechanisms of consciousness, predictive processing is unable to inform the attribution of consciousness to other non-human (biological and artificial) systems. In this paper, I argue that an account of consciousness in the predictive brain is within reach via recent accounts of phenomenal self-modelling in the active inference framework. The central claim here is that phenomenal consciousness is underpinned by 'subjective valuation'-a deep inference about the precision or 'predictability' of the self-evidencing ('fitness-promoting') outcomes of action. Based on this account, I argue that this approach can critically inform the distribution of experience in other systems, paying particular attention to the complex sensory attenuation mechanisms associated with deep self-models. I then consider an objection to the account: several recent papers argue that theories of consciousness that invoke self-consciousness as constitutive or necessary for consciousness are undermined by states (or traits) of 'selflessness'; in particular the 'totally selfless' states of ego-dissolution occasioned by psychedelic drugs. Drawing on existing work that accounts for psychedelic-induced ego-dissolution in the active inference framework, I argue that these states do not threaten to undermine an active inference theory of consciousness. Instead, these accounts corroborate the view that subjective valuation is the constitutive facet of experience, and they highlight the potential of psychedelic research to inform consciousness science, computational psychiatry and computational phenomenology.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Deane
- School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, 3 Charles Street, Edinburgh EH8 9AD, UK
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22
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Aronowitz JV, Perez A, O’Brien C, Aziz S, Rodriguez E, Wasner K, Ribeiro S, Green D, Faruk F, Pytte CL. Unilateral vocal nerve resection alters neurogenesis in the avian song system in a region-specific manner. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256709. [PMID: 34464400 PMCID: PMC8407570 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
New neurons born in the adult brain undergo a critical period soon after migration to their site of incorporation. During this time, the behavior of the animal may influence the survival or culling of these cells. In the songbird song system, earlier work suggested that adult-born neurons may be retained in the song motor pathway nucleus HVC with respect to motor progression toward a target song during juvenile song learning, seasonal song restructuring, and experimentally manipulated song variability. However, it is not known whether the quality of song per se, without progressive improvement, may also influence new neuron survival. To test this idea, we experimentally altered song acoustic structure by unilateral denervation of the syrinx, causing a poor quality song. We found no effect of aberrant song on numbers of new neurons in HVC, suggesting that song quality does not influence new neuron culling in this region. However, aberrant song resulted in the loss of left-side dominance in new neurons in the auditory region caudomedial nidopallium (NCM), and a bilateral decrease in new neurons in the basal ganglia nucleus Area X. Thus new neuron culling may be influenced by behavioral feedback in accordance with the function of new neurons within that region. We propose that studying the effects of singing behaviors on new neurons across multiple brain regions that differentially subserve singing may give rise to general rules underlying the regulation of new neuron survival across taxa and brain regions more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake V. Aronowitz
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States of America
| | - Alice Perez
- Psychology Department, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Christopher O’Brien
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States of America
| | - Siaresh Aziz
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States of America
| | - Erica Rodriguez
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States of America
| | - Kobi Wasner
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States of America
| | - Sissi Ribeiro
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States of America
| | - Dovounnae Green
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States of America
| | - Farhana Faruk
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States of America
| | - Carolyn L. Pytte
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States of America
- Psychology Department, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States of America
- Biology Department, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States of America
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23
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Arneodo EM, Chen S, Brown DE, Gilja V, Gentner TQ. Neurally driven synthesis of learned, complex vocalizations. Curr Biol 2021; 31:3419-3425.e5. [PMID: 34139192 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.05.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Brain machine interfaces (BMIs) hold promise to restore impaired motor function and serve as powerful tools to study learned motor skill. While limb-based motor prosthetic systems have leveraged nonhuman primates as an important animal model,1-4 speech prostheses lack a similar animal model and are more limited in terms of neural interface technology, brain coverage, and behavioral study design.5-7 Songbirds are an attractive model for learned complex vocal behavior. Birdsong shares a number of unique similarities with human speech,8-10 and its study has yielded general insight into multiple mechanisms and circuits behind learning, execution, and maintenance of vocal motor skill.11-18 In addition, the biomechanics of song production bear similarity to those of humans and some nonhuman primates.19-23 Here, we demonstrate a vocal synthesizer for birdsong, realized by mapping neural population activity recorded from electrode arrays implanted in the premotor nucleus HVC onto low-dimensional compressed representations of song, using simple computational methods that are implementable in real time. Using a generative biomechanical model of the vocal organ (syrinx) as the low-dimensional target for these mappings allows for the synthesis of vocalizations that match the bird's own song. These results provide proof of concept that high-dimensional, complex natural behaviors can be directly synthesized from ongoing neural activity. This may inspire similar approaches to prosthetics in other species by exploiting knowledge of the peripheral systems and the temporal structure of their output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ezequiel M Arneodo
- Biocircuits Institute, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; IFLP-CONICET, Departamento de Física, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, CC 67, La Plata 1900, Argentina
| | - Shukai Chen
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Daril E Brown
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Vikash Gilja
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Timothy Q Gentner
- Biocircuits Institute, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Neurobiology Section, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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24
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Coleman MJ, White SA. Basal ganglia: Bursting with song. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R791-R793. [PMID: 34157263 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The songs of mature zebra finches are notoriously repetitious, or 'crystallized'. Despite this stability, new work reveals that chronic pharmacologically driven bursting of cortical inputs to the basal ganglia can drive cumulative and lasting changes to multiple vocal features, including phenomena reminiscent of human stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J Coleman
- W.M. Keck Science Department, Claremont, McKenna, Scripps and Pitzer Colleges, Claremont, CA 91711, USA.
| | - Stephanie A White
- Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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25
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Hauber ME, Louder MI, Griffith SC. Neurogenomic insights into the behavioral and vocal development of the zebra finch. eLife 2021; 10:61849. [PMID: 34106827 PMCID: PMC8238503 DOI: 10.7554/elife.61849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) is a socially monogamous and colonial opportunistic breeder with pronounced sexual differences in singing and plumage coloration. Its natural history has led to it becoming a model species for research into sex differences in vocal communication, as well as behavioral, neural and genomic studies of imitative auditory learning. As scientists tap into the genetic and behavioral diversity of both wild and captive lineages, the zebra finch will continue to inform research into culture, learning, and social bonding, as well as adaptability to a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana-Champaign, United States
| | - Matthew Im Louder
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States
| | - Simon C Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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26
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Daou A, Margoliash D. Intrinsic plasticity and birdsong learning. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 180:107407. [PMID: 33631346 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Although information processing and storage in the brain is thought to be primarily orchestrated by synaptic plasticity, other neural mechanisms such as intrinsic plasticity are available. While a number of recent studies have described the plasticity of intrinsic excitability in several types of neurons, the significance of non-synaptic mechanisms in memory and learning remains elusive. After reviewing plasticity of intrinsic excitation in relation to learning and homeostatic mechanisms, we focus on the intrinsic properties of a class of basal-ganglia projecting song system neurons in zebra finch, how these related to each bird's unique learned song, how these properties change over development, and how they are maintained dynamically to rapidly change in response to auditory feedback perturbations. We place these results in the broader theme of learning and changes in intrinsic properties, emphasizing the computational implications of this form of plasticity, which are distinct from synaptic plasticity. The results suggest that exploring reciprocal interactions between intrinsic and network properties will be a fruitful avenue for understanding mechanisms of birdsong learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arij Daou
- University of Chicago, United States
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27
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Age-related and noise-induced hearing loss alters grasshopper mouse (Onychomys) vocalizations. Hear Res 2021; 404:108210. [PMID: 33713993 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2021.108210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Age-related and noise-induced hearing loss disorders are among the most common pathologies affecting Americans across their lifespans. Loss of auditory feedback due to hearing disorders is correlated with changes in voice and speech-motor control in humans. Although rodents are increasingly used to model human age- and noise-induced hearing loss, few studies have assessed vocal changes after acoustic trauma. Northern grasshopper mice (Onychomys leucogaster) represent a candidate model because their hearing sensitivity is matched to the frequencies of long-distance vocalizations that are produced using vocal fold vibrations similar to human speech. In this study, we quantified changes in auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) and vocalizations related to aging and noise-induced acoustic trauma. Mice showed a progressive decrease in hearing sensitivity across 4-32 kHz, with males losing hearing more rapidly than females. In addition, noise-exposed mice had a 61.55 dB SPL decrease in ABR sensitivity following a noise exposure, with some individuals exhibiting a 21.25 dB recovery 300-330 days after noise exposure. We also found that older grasshopper mice produced calls with lower fundamental frequency. Sex differences were measured in duration of calls with females producing longer calls with age. Our findings indicate that grasshopper mice experience age- and noise- induced hearing loss and concomitant changes in vocal output, making them a promising model for hearing and communication disorders.
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28
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Garcia-Oscos F, Koch TMI, Pancholi H, Trusel M, Daliparthi V, Co M, Park SE, Ayhan F, Alam DH, Holdway JE, Konopka G, Roberts TF. Autism-linked gene FoxP1 selectively regulates the cultural transmission of learned vocalizations. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabd2827. [PMID: 33536209 PMCID: PMC7857683 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd2827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are characterized by impaired learning of social skills and language. Memories of how parents and other social models behave are used to guide behavioral learning. How ASD-linked genes affect the intertwined aspects of observational learning and behavioral imitation is not known. Here, we examine how disrupted expression of the ASD gene FOXP1, which causes severe impairments in speech and language learning, affects the cultural transmission of birdsong between adult and juvenile zebra finches. FoxP1 is widely expressed in striatal-projecting forebrain mirror neurons. Knockdown of FoxP1 in this circuit prevents juvenile birds from forming memories of an adult song model but does not interrupt learning how to vocally imitate a previously memorized song. This selective learning deficit is associated with potent disruptions to experience-dependent structural and synaptic plasticity in mirror neurons. Thus, FoxP1 regulates the ability to form memories essential to the cultural transmission of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Garcia-Oscos
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - T M I Koch
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - H Pancholi
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - M Trusel
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - V Daliparthi
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - M Co
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - S E Park
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - F Ayhan
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - D H Alam
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - J E Holdway
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - G Konopka
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - T F Roberts
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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Liu Y, Zollinger SA, Brumm H. Chronic exposure to urban noise during the vocal learning period does not lead to increased song frequencies in zebra finches. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02942-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
It has often been observed that birds sing at a higher pitch in cities and other areas that are polluted with intense low-frequency noise. How this pattern arises remains unclear though. One prevailing idea is that songbirds adjust song frequencies to environmental noise profiles through developmental plasticity via vocal learning. However, the conclusions of previous studies testing this hypothesis are inconsistent. Here we report the findings from two song learning experiments with zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata), in which we exposed young birds to anthropogenic noise during their sensitive vocal learning period. Unlike previous studies that addressed this issue, we did not use constant synthetic noise but natural urban noise with its typical amplitude fluctuations that was broadcast at realistic sound levels. We found that noise-exposed males in neither experiment developed higher pitched songs compared to control males. This suggests that the natural fluctuations between higher and lower noise levels in cities may allow young birds to exploit relatively quiet moments to hear their tutors and themselves, permitting them to make accurate copies of even low-frequency song elements.
Significance statement
If animals are to persist in urban habitats, they often must adjust their behavior to the altered conditions. Birds in cities are often observed to sing at a higher pitch, but we are largely ignorant of how this phenomenon arises. We investigated whether low-frequency traffic noise interferes with the song learning of birds so that they develop higher pitched songs. Accordingly, we played back natural traffic noise from urban bird habitats to young birds during their learning period and then analyzed their adult songs. We found that birds that learned their songs in noise did not sing at higher frequencies compared to control males that learned their song with no noise exposure. Our results show that typical traffic noise in cities may not be sufficient to interfere with vocal learning in a way that birds develop higher-pitched songs.
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Senescence of song revealed by a long-term study of the Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis). Sci Rep 2020; 10:20479. [PMID: 33235292 PMCID: PMC7686343 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77405-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Senescence is widespread in nature, often resulting in diminishing survival or reproduction with age, but its role in age-dependent variation in sexual traits is often poorly understood. One reason is that few studies of sexual traits consider non-linear relationships with age, or only consider a narrow range of years relative to the life span of the species. Birdsong has evolved to allow assessment of conspecific quality in numerous bird species. Whilst theory and empirical work suggests that song may become more elaborate with age, there are a paucity of long-term studies testing whether song is associated with age or longevity. In particular, the occurrence of song senescence has rarely been demonstrated. Using an exceptional long-term dataset for the Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis), we analysed relationships between male song, age, survival, and longevity. This species is a long-lived songbird with early life increases, followed by senescent declines, in survival and reproduction. The study population (Cousin Island, Seychelles) is a closed population, with no depredation of adults, providing an excellent opportunity to study senescence in free-living animals. We tested whether song traits were related to age at recording, future survival, longevity, and territory quality. We found age-dependent changes in five song traits (duration, maximum frequency, peak frequency of songs, and duration and frequency bandwidth of trills). Relationships with age were quadratic, indicating reversal in the expression of song coinciding with the onset of senescence in reproduction and survival in this species. One song trait (trill bandwidth) had a quadratic relationship with future survival, but no song traits were related to longevity, suggesting age-related patterns were not the result of selective disappearance. Our study provides one of the first examples of functional senescence in song, offering new insights into avian senescence. Late-life declines in avian song, and possibly other sexual traits, may be more common than currently known, and may play a fundamental role in age-dependent changes in reproductive success.
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31
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Nonverbal auditory communication - Evidence for integrated neural systems for voice signal production and perception. Prog Neurobiol 2020; 199:101948. [PMID: 33189782 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
While humans have developed a sophisticated and unique system of verbal auditory communication, they also share a more common and evolutionarily important nonverbal channel of voice signaling with many other mammalian and vertebrate species. This nonverbal communication is mediated and modulated by the acoustic properties of a voice signal, and is a powerful - yet often neglected - means of sending and perceiving socially relevant information. From the viewpoint of dyadic (involving a sender and a signal receiver) voice signal communication, we discuss the integrated neural dynamics in primate nonverbal voice signal production and perception. Most previous neurobiological models of voice communication modelled these neural dynamics from the limited perspective of either voice production or perception, largely disregarding the neural and cognitive commonalities of both functions. Taking a dyadic perspective on nonverbal communication, however, it turns out that the neural systems for voice production and perception are surprisingly similar. Based on the interdependence of both production and perception functions in communication, we first propose a re-grouping of the neural mechanisms of communication into auditory, limbic, and paramotor systems, with special consideration for a subsidiary basal-ganglia-centered system. Second, we propose that the similarity in the neural systems involved in voice signal production and perception is the result of the co-evolution of nonverbal voice production and perception systems promoted by their strong interdependence in dyadic interactions.
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Kumar S, Mohapatra AN, Pundir AS, Kumari M, Din U, Sharma S, Datta A, Arora V, Iyengar S. Blocking Opioid Receptors in a Songbird Cortical Region Modulates the Acoustic Features and Levels of Female-Directed Singing. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:554094. [PMID: 33071736 PMCID: PMC7533562 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.554094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The organization of the anterior forebrain pathway (AFP) of songbirds important for context-dependent singing is similar to that of cortical basal ganglia loops (CBG) in mammals, which underlie motor behaviors including vocalization. Since different components of the AFP express high levels of μ-opioid receptors (μ-ORs) as do CBG loops, songbirds act as model systems to study the role of opioid modulation on vocalization and the motivation to sing. The AFP in songbirds includes the cortical/pallial region LMAN (lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium) which projects to Area X, a nucleus of the avian basal ganglia. In the present study, microdialysis was used to infuse different doses of the opioid antagonist naloxone in LMAN of adult male zebra finches. Whereas all doses of naloxone led to significant decreases in the number of FD (female-directed) songs, only 100 and 200 ng/ml of naloxone affected their acoustic properties. The decrease in FD song was not accompanied by changes in levels of attention toward females or those of neurotransmitters (dopamine, glutamate, and GABA) in LMAN. An earlier study had shown that similar manipulations in Area X did not lead to alterations in the number of FD songs but had significantly greater effects on their acoustic properties. Taken together, our results suggest that there are reciprocal effects of OR modulation on cortical and basal ganglia components of the AFP in songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Uzma Din
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, India
| | | | - Atanu Datta
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, India
| | - Vasav Arora
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, India
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33
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Logerot P, Smith PF, Wild M, Kubke MF. Auditory processing in the zebra finch midbrain: single unit responses and effect of rearing experience. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9363. [PMID: 32775046 PMCID: PMC7384439 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In birds the auditory system plays a key role in providing the sensory input used to discriminate between conspecific and heterospecific vocal signals. In those species that are known to learn their vocalizations, for example, songbirds, it is generally considered that this ability arises and is manifest in the forebrain, although there is no a priori reason why brainstem components of the auditory system could not also play an important part. To test this assumption, we used groups of normal reared and cross-fostered zebra finches that had previously been shown in behavioural experiments to reduce their preference for conspecific songs subsequent to cross fostering experience with Bengalese finches, a related species with a distinctly different song. The question we asked, therefore, is whether this experiential change also changes the bias in favour of conspecific song displayed by auditory midbrain units of normally raised zebra finches. By recording the responses of single units in MLd to a variety of zebra finch and Bengalese finch songs in both normally reared and cross-fostered zebra finches, we provide a positive answer to this question. That is, the difference in response to conspecific and heterospecific songs seen in normal reared zebra finches is reduced following cross-fostering. In birds the virtual absence of mammalian-like cortical projections upon auditory brainstem nuclei argues against the interpretation that MLd units change, as observed in the present experiments, as a result of top-down influences on sensory processing. Instead, it appears that MLd units can be influenced significantly by sensory inputs arising directly from a change in auditory experience during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscilla Logerot
- Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Paul F. Smith
- Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Brain Health Research Centre, Brain Research New Zealand, and Eisdell Moore Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Martin Wild
- Anatomy and Medical Imaging and Eisdell Moore Centre, University of Auckland, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - M. Fabiana Kubke
- Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Centre for Brain Research and Eisdell Moore Centre, University of Auckland, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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34
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Akçay Ç, Beecher MD. Song sparrows do not discriminate between their own song and stranger song. Behav Processes 2020; 178:104184. [PMID: 32561233 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Bird song is socially learned. During song learning, the bird's hearing its own vocalization is important for normal development of song. Whether bird's own song is represented and recognized as a special category in adult birds, however, is unclear. If birds respond differently to their own songs when these are played back to them, this would be evidence for auditory self-recognition. To test this possibility, we presented song sparrow males (Melospiza melodia) playbacks of their own songs or stranger songs and measured aggressive responses as well as type matching. We found no evidence of behavioral discrimination of bird's own song relative to the (non-matching) stranger song. These findings cast doubt on an earlier proposal that song sparrows display auditory self-recognition and support the common assumption in playback experiments that bird's own song is perceived as stranger song.
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Affiliation(s)
- Çağlar Akçay
- Department of Psychology, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey; Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
| | - Michael D Beecher
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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35
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Wang Y, Williams R, Dilley L, Houston DM. A meta-analysis of the predictability of LENA™ automated measures for child language development. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2020; 57. [PMID: 32632339 DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2020.100921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Early language environment plays a critical role in child language development. The Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA™) system allows researchers and clinicians to collect daylong recordings and obtain automated measures to characterize a child's language environment. This meta-analysis evaluates the predictability of LENA's automated measures for language skills in young children. We systematically searched reports for associations between LENA's automated measures, specifically, adult word count (AWC), conversational turn count (CTC), and child vocalization count (CVC), and language skills in children younger than 48 months. Using robust variance estimation, we calculated weighted mean effect sizes and conducted moderator analyses exploring the factors that might affect this relationship. The results revealed an overall medium effect size for the correlation between LENA's automated measures and language skills. This relationship was largely consistent regardless of child developmental status, publication status, language assessment modality and method, or the age at which the LENA recording was taken; however, the effect was weakly moderated by the gap between LENA recordings and language measures taken. Among the three measures, there were medium associations between CTC and CVC and language, whereas there was a small-to-medium association between AWC and language. These findings extend beyond validation work conducted by the LENA Research Foundation and suggest certain predictive strength of LENA's automated measures for child language. We discussed possible mechanisms underlying the observed associations, as well as the theoretical, methodological, and clinical implications of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University, 915 Olentangy River Road # 4000, Columbus, OH
| | - Rondeline Williams
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University, 915 Olentangy River Road # 4000, Columbus, OH
| | - Laura Dilley
- Department of Communicative Sciences & Disorders, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
| | - Derek M Houston
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University, 915 Olentangy River Road # 4000, Columbus, OH.,Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, 700 Children's Drive, Columbus, OH 43205
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36
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Wang S, Liu S, Wang Q, Sun Y, Yao L, Li D, Meng W. Dopamine Modulates Excitatory Synaptic Transmission by Activating Presynaptic D1-like Dopamine Receptors in the RA Projection Neurons of Zebra Finches. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:126. [PMID: 32477072 PMCID: PMC7235289 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Songbirds are useful vertebrate study models for vocal learning and memory. The robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA) receives synaptic inputs from both the posterior and anterior pathways of the song control system in songbirds. Hence, RA plays an important role in the control of singing. RA receives dopaminergic (DArgic) inputs that increase the excitability of RA projection neurons (PNs). However, the effects of DA on excitatory synaptic transmission are yet to be deciphered. In this study, the effects of DA on the excitatory synaptic transmission of the PNs in the RA of adult male zebra finches were investigated using a whole-cell patch-clamp recording. We observed that DA decreased the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) and miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs). The effects of DA were mimicked by the D1-like DA receptor (D1R) agonist, SKF-38393, but not the D2-like DA receptor (D2R) agonist, Quinpirole. Also, the effects of DA were blocked by D1R antagonist, SCH-23390, but not the D2R antagonist, Sulpiride. These results demonstrate that DA modulates excitatory synaptic transmission by acting on D1R in the RA of adult male zebra finches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songhua Wang
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Shaoyi Liu
- School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingqin Wang
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Yalun Sun
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Lihua Yao
- School of Life Science, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Dongfeng Li
- School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Meng
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
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37
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James LS, Davies R, Mori C, Wada K, Sakata JT. Manipulations of sensory experiences during development reveal mechanisms underlying vocal learning biases in zebra finches. Dev Neurobiol 2020; 80:132-146. [PMID: 32330360 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Biological predispositions in learning can bias and constrain the cultural evolution of social and communicative behaviors (e.g., speech and birdsong), and lead to the emergence of behavioral and cultural "universals." For example, surveys of laboratory and wild populations of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) document consistent patterning of vocal elements ("syllables") with respect to their acoustic properties (e.g., duration, mean frequency). Furthermore, such universal patterns are also produced by birds that are experimentally tutored with songs containing randomly sequenced syllables ("tutored birds"). Despite extensive demonstrations of learning biases, much remains to be uncovered about the nature of biological predispositions that bias song learning and production in songbirds. Here, we examined the degree to which "innate" auditory templates and/or biases in vocal motor production contribute to vocal learning biases and production in zebra finches. Such contributions can be revealed by examining acoustic patterns in the songs of birds raised without sensory exposure to song ("untutored birds") or of birds that are unable to hear from early in development ("early-deafened birds"). We observed that untutored zebra finches and early-deafened zebra finches produce songs with positional variation in some acoustic features (e.g., mean frequency) that resemble universal patterns observed in tutored birds. Similar to tutored birds, early-deafened birds also produced song motifs with alternation in acoustic features across adjacent syllables. That universal acoustic patterns are observed in the songs of both untutored and early-deafened birds highlights the contribution motor production biases to the emergence of universals in culturally transmitted behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan S James
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Research in Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ronald Davies
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Chihiro Mori
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Wada
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.,Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Jon T Sakata
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Research in Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Center for Studies of Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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38
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Long-term Benefit of Unilateral Cochlear Implantation on Quality of Life and Speech Perception in Bilaterally Deafened Patients. Otol Neurotol 2020; 40:e430-e440. [PMID: 30870378 DOI: 10.1097/mao.0000000000002008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cochlear implantation (CI) is a common treatment modality for unilaterally and bilaterally deafened patients as well as patients with severe to profound hearing loss. The aim of our study is the complex evaluation of the improvement and influence of health related quality of life (HRQoL) and auditory performance in cochlear implant patients during a long-term follow-up. METHODS Sixty-one bilaterally, postlingually deafened patients with unilateral CI were included in this prospective study. Assessment tools for auditory performance and HRQoL included the Freiburg Monosyllabic Speech test, Oldenburg Inventory (OI) questionnaire, Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ) and 36-item Short Form Survey (SF-36). Data were collected before CI, at 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. RESULTS The assessment tools for speech perception yielded a statistically significant improvement in the Freiburg Monosyllabic Speech test scores and of all subdomain scores of the OI during the 6-month follow-up period. The subdomain scores of the NCIQ and the psychological score of the SF-36 also improved significantly during this follow-up period. All results remained stable thereafter during the 12- and 24-month follow-up. There was a statistically significant correlation between subjective speech perception and HRQoL after CI. CONCLUSION This is the first prospective study to show results in regard to speech perception and HRQoL and their correlation during a 2-year follow-up after unilateral CI in bilaterally deafened patients. Our results for speech perception and HRQoL showed a significant improvement during the 6-month follow-up that remained stable thereafter during a 24-month follow-up, even after finishing the hearing rehabilitation program.
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39
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40
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Hörpel SG, Firzlaff U. Post-natal development of the envelope following response to amplitude modulated sounds in the bat Phyllostomus discolor. Hear Res 2020; 388:107904. [PMID: 32028065 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2020.107904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Bats use a large repertoire of calls for social communication, which are often characterized by temporal amplitude and frequency modulations. As bats are considered to be among the few mammalian species capable of vocal learning, the perception of temporal sound modulations should be crucial for juvenile bats to develop social communication abilities. However, the post-natal development of auditory processing of temporal modulations has not been investigated in bats, so far. Here we use the minimally invasive technique of recording auditory brainstem responses to measure the envelope following response (EFR) to sinusoidally amplitude modulated noise (range of modulation frequencies: 11-130 Hz) in three juveniles (p8-p72) of the bat, Phyllostomus discolor. In two out of three animals, we show that although amplitude modulation processing is basically developed at p8, EFRs maturated further over a period of about two weeks until p33. Maturation of the EFR generally took longer for higher modulation frequencies (87-130 Hz) than for lower modulation frequencies (11-58 Hz).
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Gareth Hörpel
- Department of Animal Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 4, 85354, Freising, Germany.
| | - Uwe Firzlaff
- Department of Animal Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 4, 85354, Freising, Germany
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41
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Lovell PV, Wirthlin M, Kaser T, Buckner AA, Carleton JB, Snider BR, McHugh AK, Tolpygo A, Mitra PP, Mello CV. ZEBrA: Zebra finch Expression Brain Atlas-A resource for comparative molecular neuroanatomy and brain evolution studies. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:2099-2131. [PMID: 32037563 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
An in-depth understanding of the genetics and evolution of brain function and behavior requires a detailed mapping of gene expression in functional brain circuits across major vertebrate clades. Here we present the Zebra finch Expression Brain Atlas (ZEBrA; www.zebrafinchatlas.org, RRID: SCR_012988), a web-based resource that maps the expression of genes linked to a broad range of functions onto the brain of zebra finches. ZEBrA is a first of its kind gene expression brain atlas for a bird species and a first for any sauropsid. ZEBrA's >3,200 high-resolution digital images of in situ hybridized sections for ~650 genes (as of June 2019) are presented in alignment with an annotated histological atlas and can be browsed down to cellular resolution. An extensive relational database connects expression patterns to information about gene function, mouse expression patterns and phenotypes, and gene involvement in human diseases and communication disorders. By enabling brain-wide gene expression assessments in a bird, ZEBrA provides important substrates for comparative neuroanatomy and molecular brain evolution studies. ZEBrA also provides unique opportunities for linking genetic pathways to vocal learning and motor control circuits, as well as for novel insights into the molecular basis of sex steroids actions, brain dimorphisms, reproductive and social behaviors, sleep function, and adult neurogenesis, among many fundamental themes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter V Lovell
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Morgan Wirthlin
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Taylor Kaser
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Alexa A Buckner
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Julia B Carleton
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Brian R Snider
- Center for Spoken Language Understanding, Institute on Development and Disability, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Anne K McHugh
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | | | - Partha P Mitra
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York
| | - Claudio V Mello
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
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42
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Woolley SC, Woolley SMN. Integrating Form and Function in the Songbird Auditory Forebrain. THE NEUROETHOLOGY OF BIRDSONG 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-34683-6_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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43
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Dubinsky E, Wood EA, Nespoli G, Russo FA. Short-Term Choir Singing Supports Speech-in-Noise Perception and Neural Pitch Strength in Older Adults With Age-Related Hearing Loss. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:1153. [PMID: 31849572 PMCID: PMC6892838 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Prior studies have demonstrated musicianship enhancements of various aspects of auditory and cognitive processing in older adults, but musical training has rarely been examined as an intervention for mitigating age-related declines in these abilities. The current study investigates whether 10 weeks of choir participation can improve aspects of auditory processing in older adults, particularly speech-in-noise (SIN) perception. A choir-singing group and an age- and audiometrically-matched do-nothing control group underwent pre- and post-testing over a 10-week period. Linear mixed effects modeling in a regression analysis showed that choir participants demonstrated improvements in speech-in-noise perception, pitch discrimination ability, and the strength of the neural representation of speech fundamental frequency. Choir participants' gains in SIN perception were mediated by improvements in pitch discrimination, which was in turn predicted by the strength of the neural representation of speech stimuli (FFR), suggesting improvements in pitch processing as a possible mechanism for this SIN perceptual improvement. These findings support the hypothesis that short-term choir participation is an effective intervention for mitigating age-related hearing losses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella Dubinsky
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Emily A. Wood
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Gabriel Nespoli
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Frank A. Russo
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
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44
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Zhao L, Roy S, Wang X. Rapid modulations of the vocal structure in marmoset monkeys. Hear Res 2019; 384:107811. [PMID: 31678893 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2019.107811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 10/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Humans and some animal species show flexibility in vocal production either voluntarily or in response to environmental cues. Studies have shown rapid spectrotemporal changes in speech or vocalizations during altered auditory feedback in humans, songbirds and bats. Non-human primates, however, have long been considered lacking the ability to modify spectrotemporal structures of their vocalizations. Here we tested the ability of the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), a highly vocal New World primate species to alter spectral and temporal structures of their species-specific vocalizations in the presence of perturbation signals. By presenting perturbation noises while marmosets were vocalizing phee calls, we showed that they were able to change in real-time the duration or spectral trajectory of an ongoing phee phrase by either terminating it before its completion, making rapid shifts in fundamental frequency or in some cases prolonging the duration beyond the natural range of phee calls. In some animals, we observed fragmented phee calls which were not produced by marmosets in their natural environment. Interestingly, some perturbation-induced changes persisted even in the absence of the perturbation noises. These observations provide further evidence that marmoset monkeys are capable of rapidly modulating their vocal structure and suggested potential voluntary vocal control by this non-human primate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyun Zhao
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Sabyasachi Roy
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Xiaoqin Wang
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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Corticobasal ganglia projecting neurons are required for juvenile vocal learning but not for adult vocal plasticity in songbirds. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:22833-22843. [PMID: 31636217 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1913575116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Birdsong, like human speech, consists of a sequence of temporally precise movements acquired through vocal learning. The learning of such sequential vocalizations depends on the neural function of the motor cortex and basal ganglia. However, it is unknown how the connections between cortical and basal ganglia components contribute to vocal motor skill learning, as mammalian motor cortices serve multiple types of motor action and most experimentally tractable animals do not exhibit vocal learning. Here, we leveraged the zebra finch, a songbird, as an animal model to explore the function of the connectivity between cortex-like (HVC) and basal ganglia (area X), connected by HVC(X) projection neurons with temporally precise firing during singing. By specifically ablating HVC(X) neurons, juvenile zebra finches failed to copy tutored syllable acoustics and developed temporally unstable songs with less sequence consistency. In contrast, HVC(X)-ablated adults did not alter their learned song structure, but generated acoustic fluctuations and responded to auditory feedback disruption by the introduction of song deterioration, as did normal adults. These results indicate that the corticobasal ganglia input is important for learning the acoustic and temporal aspects of song structure, but not for generating vocal fluctuations that contribute to the maintenance of an already learned vocal pattern.
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Chen R, Bollu T, Goldberg JH. A Stable Neural Code for Birdsong. Neuron 2019; 98:1057-1059. [PMID: 29953865 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Proteins, synapses, and neural connections are in constant flux, yet motor behaviors somehow remain stable. In this issue of Neuron, Katlowitz et al. (2018) show that temporally precise neural activity driving birdsong production is stable for weeks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruidong Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, W121 Corson Mudd Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Tejapratap Bollu
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, W121 Corson Mudd Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Jesse H Goldberg
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, W121 Corson Mudd Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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Perez PL, Cueva KL, Rosen CA, Young VN, Naunheim ML, Yung KC, Schneider SL, Mizuiri D, Klein DJ, Houde JF, Hinkley LB, Nagarajan SS, Cheung SW. Cortical-Basal Ganglia-Cerebellar Networks in Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis: A Pilot Study. Laryngoscope 2019; 130:460-464. [PMID: 31070785 DOI: 10.1002/lary.28004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS To evaluate differences in cortical-basal ganglia-cerebellar functional connectivity between treated unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) and healthy control cohorts using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI). STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional. METHODS Ten UVFP study patients treated by type I thyroplasty and 12 control subjects underwent RS-fMRI on a 3-Tesla scanner to evaluate differences in functional connectivity of whole-brain networks. Spontaneous RS-fMRI data were collected using a gradient echo planar pulse sequence, preprocessed, and analyzed to compare seed-to-voxel maps between the two cohorts. Seeds were placed in the caudate, putamen, and globus pallidus divisions of the basal ganglia in both hemispheres. Group contrasts were tested for statistical significance using two-tailed unpaired t tests corrected for multiple comparisons with a cluster false discovery rate threshold of P < .05. RESULTS UVFP patients demonstrated increased connectivity between both caudate nuclei and the precuneus, a node of the default mode network, compared to healthy controls. Both caudate nuclei also showed decreased connectivity with the left cerebellar hemisphere. The putamen and globus pallidus divisions of the basal ganglia were not abnormally connected to other brain structures. CONCLUSIONS UVFP patients treated by type I thyroplasty exhibited long-term alterations of cortical-basal ganglia-cerebellar networks thought to be important for self-referential voice quality awareness and learning processes that compensate for changes to the paralyzed hemilarynx. This pilot study on relatively small cohorts adds to growing evidence for persistent central nervous system changes in treated UVFP. Replication studies with larger numbers of subjects will be essential to validate and extend findings. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3b Laryngoscope, 130:460-464, 2020.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip L Perez
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, U.S.A
| | - Kristine L Cueva
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, U.S.A
| | - Clark A Rosen
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, U.S.A
| | - VyVy N Young
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, U.S.A
| | - Molly L Naunheim
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, U.S.A
| | - Katherine C Yung
- San Francisco Voice and Swallowing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, U.S.A
| | - Sarah L Schneider
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, U.S.A
| | - Danielle Mizuiri
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, U.S.A.,Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, U.S.A
| | - David J Klein
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, U.S.A
| | - John F Houde
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, U.S.A
| | - Leighton B Hinkley
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, U.S.A
| | - Srikantan S Nagarajan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, U.S.A.,Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, U.S.A
| | - Steven W Cheung
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, U.S.A
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48
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Motor output, neural states and auditory perception. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 96:116-126. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2018] [Revised: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Bell BA, Phan ML, Meillère A, Evans JK, Leitner S, Vicario DS, Buchanan KL. Influence of early-life nutritional stress on songbird memory formation. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.1270. [PMID: 30257911 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In birds, vocal learning enables the production of sexually selected complex songs, dialects and song copy matching. But stressful conditions during development have been shown to affect song production and complexity, mediated by changes in neural development. However, to date, no studies have tested whether early-life stress affects the neural processes underlying vocal learning, in contrast to song production. Here, we hypothesized that developmental stress alters auditory memory formation and neural processing of song stimuli. We experimentally stressed male nestling zebra finches and, in two separate experiments, tested their neural responses to song playbacks as adults, using either immediate early gene (IEG) expression or electrophysiological response. Once adult, nutritionally stressed males exhibited a reduced response to tutor song playback, as demonstrated by reduced expressions of two IEGs (Arc and ZENK) and reduced neuronal response, in both the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM) and mesopallium (CMM). Furthermore, nutritionally stressed males also showed impaired neuronal memory for novel songs heard in adulthood. These findings demonstrate, for the first time, that developmental conditions affect auditory memories that subserve vocal learning. Although the fitness consequences of such memory impairments remain to be determined, this study highlights the lasting impact early-life experiences can have on cognitive abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- B A Bell
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - M L Phan
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - A Meillère
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - J K Evans
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - S Leitner
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - D S Vicario
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - K L Buchanan
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
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50
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Cornez G, Jonckers E, Ter Haar SM, Van der Linden A, Cornil CA, Balthazart J. Timing of perineuronal net development in the zebra finch song control system correlates with developmental song learning. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.0849. [PMID: 30051835 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The appearance of perineuronal nets (PNNs) represents one of the mechanisms that contribute to the closing of sensitive periods for neural plasticity. This relationship has mostly been studied in the ocular dominance model in rodents. Previous studies also indicated that PNN might control neural plasticity in the song control system of songbirds. To further elucidate this relationship, we quantified PNN expression and their localization around parvalbumin interneurons at key time-points during ontogeny in both male and female zebra finches, and correlated these data with the well-described development of song in this species. We also extended these analyses to the auditory system. The development of PNN during ontogeny correlated with song crystallization although the timing of PNN appearance in the four main telencephalic song control nuclei slightly varied between nuclei in agreement with the established role these nuclei play during song learning. Our data also indicate that very few PNN develop in the secondary auditory forebrain areas even in adult birds, which may allow constant adaptation to a changing acoustic environment by allowing synaptic reorganization during adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles Cornez
- GIGA Neuroscience, University of Liege, Liege 4000, Belgium
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