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Koch TMI, Marks ES, Roberts TF. AVN: A Deep Learning Approach for the Analysis of Birdsong. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.10.593561. [PMID: 39229184 PMCID: PMC11370480 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.10.593561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
Deep learning tools for behavior analysis have enabled important new insights and discoveries in neuroscience. Yet, they often compromise interpretability and generalizability for performance, making it difficult to quantitively compare phenotypes across datasets and research groups. We developed a novel deep learning-based behavior analysis pipeline, Avian Vocalization Network (AVN), for the learned vocalizations of the most extensively studied vocal learning model species - the zebra finch. AVN annotates songs with high accuracy across multiple animal colonies without the need for any additional training data and generates a comprehensive set of interpretable features to describe the syntax, timing, and acoustic properties of song. We use this feature set to compare song phenotypes across multiple research groups and experiments, and to predict a bird's stage in song development. Additionally, we have developed a novel method to measure song imitation that requires no additional training data for new comparisons or recording environments, and outperforms existing similarity scoring methods in its sensitivity and agreement with expert human judgements of song similarity. These tools are available through the open-source AVN python package and graphical application, which makes them accessible to researchers without any prior coding experience. Altogether, this behavior analysis toolkit stands to facilitate and accelerate the study of vocal behavior by enabling a standardized mapping of phenotypes and learning outcomes, thus helping scientists better link behavior to the underlying neural processes.
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2
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Méndez JM, Cooper BG, Goller F. Note similarities affect syntactic stability in zebra finches. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2024:10.1007/s00359-024-01713-6. [PMID: 39133335 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-024-01713-6] [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: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
The acquisition of an acoustic template is a fundamental component of vocal imitation learning, which is used to refine innate vocalizations and develop a species-specific song. In the absence of a model, birds fail to develop species typical songs. In zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), tutored birds produce songs with a stereotyped sequence of distinct acoustic elements, or notes, which form the song motif. Songs of untutored individuals feature atypical acoustic and temporal structure. Here we studied songs and associated respiratory patterns of tutored and untutored male zebra finches to investigate whether similar acoustic notes influence the sequence of song elements. A subgroup of animals developed songs with multiple acoustically similar notes that are produced with alike respiratory motor gestures. These birds also showed increased syntactic variability in their adult motif. Sequence variability tended to occur near song elements which showed high similarity in acoustic structure and underlying respiratory motor gestures. The duration and depth of the inspirations preceding the syllables where syntactic variation occurred did not allow prediction of the following sequence of notes, suggesting that the varying duration and air requirement of the following expiratory pulse is not predictively encoded in the motor program. This study provides a novel method for calculation of motor/acoustic similarity, and the results of this study suggest that the note is a fundamental acoustic unit in the organization of the motif and could play a role in the neural code for song syntax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge M Méndez
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Minnesota State University-Mankato, Mankato, MN, USA.
| | - Brenton G Cooper
- Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Franz Goller
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Institute of Zoophysiology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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3
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Koparkar A, Warren TL, Charlesworth JD, Shin S, Brainard MS, Veit L. Lesions in a songbird vocal circuit increase variability in song syntax. eLife 2024; 13:RP93272. [PMID: 38635312 PMCID: PMC11026095 DOI: 10.7554/elife.93272] [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] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Complex skills like speech and dance are composed of ordered sequences of simpler elements, but the neuronal basis for the syntactic ordering of actions is poorly understood. Birdsong is a learned vocal behavior composed of syntactically ordered syllables, controlled in part by the songbird premotor nucleus HVC (proper name). Here, we test whether one of HVC's recurrent inputs, mMAN (medial magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium), contributes to sequencing in adult male Bengalese finches (Lonchura striata domestica). Bengalese finch song includes several patterns: (1) chunks, comprising stereotyped syllable sequences; (2) branch points, where a given syllable can be followed probabilistically by multiple syllables; and (3) repeat phrases, where individual syllables are repeated variable numbers of times. We found that following bilateral lesions of mMAN, acoustic structure of syllables remained largely intact, but sequencing became more variable, as evidenced by 'breaks' in previously stereotyped chunks, increased uncertainty at branch points, and increased variability in repeat numbers. Our results show that mMAN contributes to the variable sequencing of vocal elements in Bengalese finch song and demonstrate the influence of recurrent projections to HVC. Furthermore, they highlight the utility of species with complex syntax in investigating neuronal control of ordered sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avani Koparkar
- Neurobiology of Vocal Communication, Institute for Neurobiology, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Timothy L Warren
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
- Departments of Horticulture and Integrative Biology, Oregon State UniversityCorvallisUnited States
| | - Jonathan D Charlesworth
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Sooyoon Shin
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Michael S Brainard
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Lena Veit
- Neurobiology of Vocal Communication, Institute for Neurobiology, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
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4
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Radic R, Lukacova K, Baciak L, Hodova V, Kubikova L. The role of cerebellum in learned vocal communication in adult songbirds. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8168. [PMID: 38589482 PMCID: PMC11001874 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58569-8] [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: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Injury, tumors, ischemia, and lesions in the cerebellum show the involvement of this region in human speech. The association of the cerebellum with learned birdsong has only been identified recently. Cerebellar dysfunction in young songbirds causes learning disabilities, but its role in adult songbirds has not been established. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) in adult birdsong. We created bilateral excitotoxic lesions in the DCN of adult male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) and recorded their songs for up to 4 months. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and immunohistochemistry, we validated the lesion efficacy. We found that the song duration significantly increased from 14 weeks post-op; the increase in duration was caused by a greater number of introductory notes as well as a greater number of syllables sung after the introductory notes. On the other hand, the motif duration decreased from 8 weeks after DCN lesions were induced, which was due to faster singing of syllables, not changes in inter-syllable interval length. DCN lesions also caused a decrease in the fundamental frequency of syllables. In summary, we showed that DCN lesions influence the temporal and acoustic features of birdsong. These results suggest that the cerebellum influences singing in adult songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Radic
- Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 840 05, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Kristina Lukacova
- Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 840 05, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ladislav Baciak
- Central Laboratories, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Vladimira Hodova
- Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 840 05, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lubica Kubikova
- Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 840 05, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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5
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López-Murillo C, Hinestroza-Morales S, Henny P, Toledo J, Cardona-Gómez GP, Rivera-Gutiérrez H, Posada-Duque R. Differences in vocal brain areas and astrocytes between the house wren and the rufous-tailed hummingbird. Front Neuroanat 2024; 18:1339308. [PMID: 38601797 PMCID: PMC11004282 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2024.1339308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The house wren shows complex song, and the rufous-tailed hummingbird has a simple song. The location of vocal brain areas supports the song's complexity; however, these still need to be studied. The astrocytic population in songbirds appears to be associated with change in vocal control nuclei; however, astrocytic distribution and morphology have not been described in these species. Consequently, we compared the distribution and volume of the vocal brain areas: HVC, RA, Area X, and LMAN, cell density, and the morphology of astrocytes in the house wren and the rufous-tailed hummingbird. Individuals of the two species were collected, and their brains were analyzed using serial Nissl- NeuN- and MAP2-stained tissue scanner imaging, followed by 3D reconstructions of the vocal areas; and GFAP and S100β astrocytes were analyzed in both species. We found that vocal areas were located close to the cerebral midline in the house wren and a more lateralized position in the rufous-tailed hummingbird. The LMAN occupied a larger volume in the rufous-tailed hummingbird, while the RA and HVC were larger in the house wren. While Area X showed higher cell density in the house wren than the rufous-tailed hummingbird, the LMAN showed a higher density in the rufous-tailed hummingbird. In the house wren, GFAP astrocytes in the same bregma where the vocal areas were located were observed at the laminar edge of the pallium (LEP) and in the vascular region, as well as in vocal motor relay regions in the pallidum and mesencephalon. In contrast, GFAP astrocytes were found in LEP, but not in the pallidum and mesencephalon in hummingbirds. Finally, when comparing GFAP astrocytes in the LEP region of both species, house wren astrocytes exhibited significantly more complex morphology than those of the rufous-tailed hummingbird. These findings suggest a difference in the location and cellular density of vocal circuits, as well as morphology of GFAP astrocytes between the house wren and the rufous-tailed hummingbird.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina López-Murillo
- Área de Neurofisiología Celular, Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Santiago Hinestroza-Morales
- Área de Neurofisiología Celular, Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Pablo Henny
- Laboratorio de Neuroanatomía, Departamento de Anatomía, and Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, NeuroUC, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jorge Toledo
- Scientific Equipment Network REDECA, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gloria Patricia Cardona-Gómez
- Área de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, Facultad de Medicina, Sede de Investigaciones Universitarias, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Héctor Rivera-Gutiérrez
- Grupo de Investigación de Ecología y Evolución de Vertebrados, Instituto de Biología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Rafael Posada-Duque
- Área de Neurofisiología Celular, Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
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6
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Fujimoto H, Hasegawa T. Reversible inhibition of the basal ganglia prolongs repetitive vocalization but only weakly affects sequencing at branch points in songbirds. Cereb Cortex Commun 2023; 4:tgad016. [PMID: 37675437 PMCID: PMC10477706 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgad016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Although vocal signals, including languages and songbird syllables, are composed of a finite number of acoustic elements, diverse vocal sequences are composed of a combination of these elements, which are linked together by syntactic rules. However, the neural basis of syntactic vocalization generation remains poorly understood. Here, we report that inhibition using tetrodotoxin (TTX) and manipulations of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors within the basal ganglia Area X or lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior neostriatum (LMAN) alter and prolong repetitive vocalization in Bengalese finches (Lonchura striata var. domestica). These results suggest that repetitive vocalizations are modulated by the basal ganglia and not solely by higher motor cortical neurons. These data highlight the importance of neural circuits, including the basal ganglia, in the production of stereotyped repetitive vocalizations and demonstrate that dynamic disturbances within the basal ganglia circuitry can differentially affect the repetitive temporal features of songs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisataka Fujimoto
- Department of Anatomy, Kawasaki Medical School, 577 Matsushima, Kurashiki, Okayama 701-0192, Japan
| | - Taku Hasegawa
- Laboratory for Imagination and Executive functions, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wakoshi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
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7
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Freiler MK, Smith GT. Neuroendocrine mechanisms contributing to the coevolution of sociality and communication. Front Neuroendocrinol 2023; 70:101077. [PMID: 37217079 PMCID: PMC10527162 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Communication is inherently social, so signaling systems should evolve with social systems. The 'social complexity hypothesis' posits that social complexity necessitates communicative complexity and is generally supported in vocalizing mammals. This hypothesis, however, has seldom been tested outside the acoustic modality, and comparisons across studies are confounded by varying definitions of complexity. Moreover, proximate mechanisms underlying coevolution of sociality and communication remain largely unexamined. In this review, we argue that to uncover how sociality and communication coevolve, we need to examine variation in the neuroendocrine mechanisms that coregulate social behavior and signal production and perception. Specifically, we focus on steroid hormones, monoamines, and nonapeptides, which modulate both social behavior and sensorimotor circuits and are likely targets of selection during social evolution. Lastly, we highlight weakly electric fishes as an ideal system in which to comparatively address the proximate mechanisms underlying relationships between social and signal diversity in a novel modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan K Freiler
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States; Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States.
| | - G Troy Smith
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States; Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
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8
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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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9
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Alm PA. The Dopamine System and Automatization of Movement Sequences: A Review With Relevance for Speech and Stuttering. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:661880. [PMID: 34924974 PMCID: PMC8675130 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.661880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The last decades of research have gradually elucidated the complex functions of the dopamine system in the vertebrate brain. The multiple roles of dopamine in motor function, learning, attention, motivation, and the emotions have been difficult to reconcile. A broad and detailed understanding of the physiology of cerebral dopamine is of importance in understanding a range of human disorders. One of the core functions of dopamine involves the basal ganglia and the learning and execution of automatized sequences of movements. Speech is one of the most complex and highly automatized sequential motor behaviors, though the exact roles that the basal ganglia and dopamine play in speech have been difficult to determine. Stuttering is a speech disorder that has been hypothesized to be related to the functions of the basal ganglia and dopamine. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of the current understanding of the cerebral dopamine system, in particular the mechanisms related to motor learning and the execution of movement sequences. The primary aim was not to review research on speech and stuttering, but to provide a platform of neurophysiological mechanisms, which may be utilized for further research and theoretical development on speech, speech disorders, and other behavioral disorders. Stuttering and speech are discussed here only briefly. The review indicates that a primary mechanism for the automatization of movement sequences is the merging of isolated movements into chunks that can be executed as units. In turn, chunks can be utilized hierarchically, as building blocks of longer chunks. It is likely that these mechanisms apply also to speech, so that frequent syllables and words are produced as motor chunks. It is further indicated that the main learning principle for sequence learning is reinforcement learning, with the phasic release of dopamine as the primary teaching signal indicating successful sequences. It is proposed that the dynamics of the dopamine system constitute the main neural basis underlying the situational variability of stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per A Alm
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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10
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Kim Y, Kwon S, Rajan R, Mori C, Kojima S. Intrinsic motivation for singing in songbirds is enhanced by temporary singing suppression and regulated by dopamine. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20350. [PMID: 34645903 PMCID: PMC8514548 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99456-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Behaviors driven by intrinsic motivation are critical for development and optimization of physical and brain functions, but their underlying mechanisms are not well studied due to the complexity and autonomy of the behavior. Songbirds, such as zebra finches, offer a unique opportunity to study neural substrates of intrinsic motivation because they spontaneously produce many renditions of songs with highly-quantifiable structure for vocal practice, even in the absence of apparent recipients (“undirected singing”). Neural substrates underlying intrinsic motivation for undirected singing are still poorly understood partly because singing motivation cannot be easily manipulated due to its autonomy. Also, undirected singing itself acts as an internal reward, which could increase singing motivation, leading to difficulty in measuring singing motivation independent of singing-associated reward. Here, we report a simple procedure to easily manipulate and quantify intrinsic motivation for undirected singing independent of singing-associated reward. We demonstrate that intrinsic motivation for undirected singing is dramatically enhanced by temporary suppression of singing behavior and the degree of enhancement depends on the duration of suppression. Moreover, by examining latencies to the first song following singing suppression as a measure of singing motivation independent of singing-associated reward, we demonstrate that intrinsic singing motivation is critically regulated by dopamine through D2 receptors. These results provide a simple experimental tool to manipulate and measure the intrinsic motivation for undirected singing and illustrate the importance of zebra finches as a model system to study the neural basis of intrinsically-motivated behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunbok Kim
- Sensory and Motor Systems Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, 61, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu, 41068, South Korea
| | - Sojeong Kwon
- Sensory and Motor Systems Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, 61, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu, 41068, South Korea
| | - Raghav Rajan
- Division of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Chihiro Mori
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Kojima
- Sensory and Motor Systems Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, 61, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu, 41068, South Korea.
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11
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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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12
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Turk AZ, Lotfi Marchoubeh M, Fritsch I, Maguire GA, SheikhBahaei S. Dopamine, vocalization, and astrocytes. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2021; 219:104970. [PMID: 34098250 PMCID: PMC8260450 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.104970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine, the main catecholamine neurotransmitter in the brain, is predominately produced in the basal ganglia and released to various brain regions including the frontal cortex, midbrain and brainstem. Dopamine's effects are widespread and include modulation of a number of voluntary and innate behaviors. Vigilant regulation and modulation of dopamine levels throughout the brain is imperative for proper execution of motor behaviors, in particular speech and other types of vocalizations. While dopamine's role in motor circuitry is widely accepted, its unique function in normal and abnormal speech production is not fully understood. In this perspective, we first review the role of dopaminergic circuits in vocal production. We then discuss and propose the conceivable involvement of astrocytes, the numerous star-shaped glia cells of the brain, in the dopaminergic network modulating normal and abnormal vocal productions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariana Z Turk
- Neuron-Glia Signaling and Circuits Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, 20892 MD, USA
| | - Mahsa Lotfi Marchoubeh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, 72701 AR, USA
| | - Ingrid Fritsch
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, 72701 AR, USA
| | - Gerald A Maguire
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, 92521 CA, USA
| | - Shahriar SheikhBahaei
- Neuron-Glia Signaling and Circuits Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, 20892 MD, USA.
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13
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Moorman S, Ahn JR, Kao MH. Plasticity of stereotyped birdsong driven by chronic manipulation of cortical-basal ganglia activity. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2619-2632.e4. [PMID: 33974850 PMCID: PMC8222193 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Cortical-basal ganglia (CBG) circuits are critical for motor learning and performance, and are a major site of pathology. In songbirds, a CBG circuit regulates moment-by-moment variability in song and also enables song plasticity. Studies have shown that variable burst firing in LMAN, the output nucleus of this CBG circuit, actively drives acute song variability, but whether and how LMAN drives long-lasting changes in song remains unclear. Here, we ask whether chronic pharmacological augmentation of LMAN bursting is sufficient to drive plasticity in birds singing stereotyped songs. We show that altered LMAN activity drives cumulative changes in acoustic structure, timing, and sequencing over multiple days, and induces repetitions and silent pauses reminiscent of human stuttering. Changes persisted when LMAN was subsequently inactivated, indicating plasticity in song motor regions. Following cessation of pharmacological treatment, acoustic features and song sequence gradually recovered to their baseline values over a period of days to weeks. Together, our findings show that augmented bursting in CBG circuitry drives plasticity in well-learned motor skills, and may inform treatments for basal ganglia movement disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne Moorman
- Psychology Department, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands; Biology Department, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA 02155, USA.
| | - Jae-Rong Ahn
- Biology Department, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Mimi H Kao
- Biology Department, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA 02155, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
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14
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Xiao L, Merullo DP, Koch TMI, Cao M, Co M, Kulkarni A, Konopka G, Roberts TF. Expression of FoxP2 in the basal ganglia regulates vocal motor sequences in the adult songbird. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2617. [PMID: 33976169 PMCID: PMC8113549 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22918-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Disruption of the transcription factor FoxP2, which is enriched in the basal ganglia, impairs vocal development in humans and songbirds. The basal ganglia are important for the selection and sequencing of motor actions, but the circuit mechanisms governing accurate sequencing of learned vocalizations are unknown. Here, we show that expression of FoxP2 in the basal ganglia is vital for the fluent initiation and termination of birdsong, as well as the maintenance of song syllable sequencing in adulthood. Knockdown of FoxP2 imbalances dopamine receptor expression across striatal direct-like and indirect-like pathways, suggesting a role of dopaminergic signaling in regulating vocal motor sequencing. Confirming this prediction, we show that phasic dopamine activation, and not inhibition, during singing drives repetition of song syllables, thus also impairing fluent initiation and termination of birdsong. These findings demonstrate discrete circuit origins for the dysfluent repetition of vocal elements in songbirds, with implications for speech disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Xiao
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Devin P Merullo
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Therese M I Koch
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Mou Cao
- Department of Pediatrics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Marissa Co
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | | | - Genevieve Konopka
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Todd F Roberts
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
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15
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Gedman G, Haase B, Durieux G, Biegler MT, Fedrigo O, Jarvis ED. As above, so below: Whole transcriptome profiling demonstrates strong molecular similarities between avian dorsal and ventral pallial subdivisions. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:3222-3246. [PMID: 33871048 PMCID: PMC8251894 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Over the last two decades, beginning with the Avian Brain Nomenclature Forum in 2000, major revisions have been made to our understanding of the organization and nomenclature of the avian brain. However, there are still unresolved questions on avian pallial organization, particularly whether the cells above the vestigial ventricle represent distinct populations to those below it or similar populations. To test these two hypotheses, we profiled the transcriptomes of the major avian pallial subdivisions dorsal and ventral to the vestigial ventricle boundary using RNA sequencing and a new zebra finch genome assembly containing about 22,000 annotated, complete genes. We found that the transcriptomes of neural populations above and below the ventricle were remarkably similar. Each subdivision in dorsal pallium (Wulst) had a corresponding molecular counterpart in the ventral pallium (dorsal ventricular ridge). In turn, each corresponding subdivision exhibited shared gene co‐expression modules that contained gene sets enriched in functional specializations, such as anatomical structure development, synaptic transmission, signaling, and neurogenesis. These findings are more in line with the continuum hypothesis of avian brain subdivision organization above and below the vestigial ventricle space, with the pallium as a whole consisting of four major cell populations (intercalated pallium, mesopallium, hyper‐nidopallium, and arcopallium) instead of seven (hyperpallium apicale, interstitial hyperpallium apicale, intercalated hyperpallium, hyperpallium densocellare, mesopallium, nidopallium, and arcopallium). We suggest adopting a more streamlined hierarchical naming system that reflects the robust similarities in gene expression, neural connectivity motifs, and function. These findings have important implications for our understanding of overall vertebrate brain evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Gedman
- Laboratory of the Neurogenetics of Language, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Bettina Haase
- Laboratory of the Neurogenetics of Language, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA.,Vertebrate Genome Laboratory, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Gillian Durieux
- Behavioural Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Matthew T Biegler
- Laboratory of the Neurogenetics of Language, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Olivier Fedrigo
- Laboratory of the Neurogenetics of Language, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA.,Vertebrate Genome Laboratory, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Erich D Jarvis
- Laboratory of the Neurogenetics of Language, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA.,Vertebrate Genome Laboratory, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
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16
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Chang SE, Guenther FH. Involvement of the Cortico-Basal Ganglia-Thalamocortical Loop in Developmental Stuttering. Front Psychol 2020; 10:3088. [PMID: 32047456 PMCID: PMC6997432 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Stuttering is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that has to date eluded a clear explication of its pathophysiological bases. In this review, we utilize the Directions Into Velocities of Articulators (DIVA) neurocomputational modeling framework to mechanistically interpret relevant findings from the behavioral and neurological literatures on stuttering. Within this theoretical framework, we propose that the primary impairment underlying stuttering behavior is malfunction in the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamocortical (hereafter, cortico-BG) loop that is responsible for initiating speech motor programs. This theoretical perspective predicts three possible loci of impaired neural processing within the cortico-BG loop that could lead to stuttering behaviors: impairment within the basal ganglia proper; impairment of axonal projections between cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, and thalamus; and impairment in cortical processing. These theoretical perspectives are presented in detail, followed by a review of empirical data that make reference to these three possibilities. We also highlight any differences that are present in the literature based on examining adults versus children, which give important insights into potential core deficits associated with stuttering versus compensatory changes that occur in the brain as a result of having stuttered for many years in the case of adults who stutter. We conclude with outstanding questions in the field and promising areas for future studies that have the potential to further advance mechanistic understanding of neural deficits underlying persistent developmental stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soo-Eun Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Department of Radiology, Cognitive Imaging Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
- Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Frank H. Guenther
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, United States
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17
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Lormant F, Cornilleau F, Constantin P, Meurisse M, Lansade L, Leterrier C, Lévy F, Calandreau L. Research Note: Role of the hippocampus in spatial memory in Japanese quail. Poult Sci 2019; 99:61-66. [PMID: 32416848 PMCID: PMC7587872 DOI: 10.3382/ps/pez507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The Japanese quail is a powerful model to characterize behavioral, physiological, and neurobiological processes in Galliformes. Behavioral tests have already been adapted for quail to assess memory systems, but despite the pivotal role of the hippocampus in this cognitive process, its involvement in spatial memory has not been demonstrated in this species. In this study, lesions were created in the hippocampus of Japanese quail, and both lesioned and control quail were tested for spatial and cue-based learning performances. These hippocampal lesions specifically impacted spatial learning performance, but spared learning performance when birds could solve the task using their cue-based memory. These findings, thus, highlight that the hippocampus plays a crucial role and is essential for spatial declarative memory. Future studies could aim to elucidate the cellular or molecular mechanisms involved in this form of memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flore Lormant
- INRA, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, France CNRS, UMR 7247, F-37380 Nouzilly, France Université François Rabelais, F-37041 Tours, France; IFCE, F-37380 Nouzilly, France
| | - Fabien Cornilleau
- INRA, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, France CNRS, UMR 7247, F-37380 Nouzilly, France Université François Rabelais, F-37041 Tours, France; IFCE, F-37380 Nouzilly, France
| | - Paul Constantin
- INRA, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, France CNRS, UMR 7247, F-37380 Nouzilly, France Université François Rabelais, F-37041 Tours, France; IFCE, F-37380 Nouzilly, France
| | - Maryse Meurisse
- INRA, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, France CNRS, UMR 7247, F-37380 Nouzilly, France Université François Rabelais, F-37041 Tours, France; IFCE, F-37380 Nouzilly, France
| | - Léa Lansade
- INRA, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, France CNRS, UMR 7247, F-37380 Nouzilly, France Université François Rabelais, F-37041 Tours, France; IFCE, F-37380 Nouzilly, France
| | - Christine Leterrier
- INRA, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, France CNRS, UMR 7247, F-37380 Nouzilly, France Université François Rabelais, F-37041 Tours, France; IFCE, F-37380 Nouzilly, France
| | - Frédéric Lévy
- INRA, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, France CNRS, UMR 7247, F-37380 Nouzilly, France Université François Rabelais, F-37041 Tours, France; IFCE, F-37380 Nouzilly, France
| | - Ludovic Calandreau
- INRA, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, France CNRS, UMR 7247, F-37380 Nouzilly, France Université François Rabelais, F-37041 Tours, France; IFCE, F-37380 Nouzilly, France.
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18
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Differential Song Deficits after Lentivirus-Mediated Knockdown of FoxP1, FoxP2, or FoxP4 in Area X of Juvenile Zebra Finches. J Neurosci 2019; 39:9782-9796. [PMID: 31641053 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1250-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the transcription factors FOXP1 and FOXP2 are associated with speech impairments. FOXP1 is additionally linked to cognitive deficits, as is FOXP4. These FoxP proteins are highly conserved in vertebrates and expressed in comparable brain regions, including the striatum. In male zebra finches, experimental manipulation of FoxP2 in Area X, a striatal song nucleus essential for vocal production learning, affects song development, adult song production, dendritic spine density, and dopamine-regulated synaptic transmission of striatal neurons. We previously showed that, in the majority of Area X neurons FoxP1, FoxP2, and FoxP4 are coexpressed, can dimerize and multimerize with each other and differentially regulate the expression of target genes. These findings raise the possibility that FoxP1, FoxP2, and FoxP4 (FoxP1/2/4) affect neural function differently and in turn vocal learning. To address this directly, we downregulated FoxP1 or FoxP4 in Area X of juvenile zebra finches and compared the resulting song phenotypes with the previously described inaccurate and incomplete song learning after FoxP2 knockdown. We found that experimental downregulation of FoxP1 and FoxP4 led to impaired song learning with partly similar features as those reported for FoxP2 knockdowns. However, there were also specific differences between the groups, leading us to suggest that specific features of the song are differentially impacted by developmental manipulations of FoxP1/2/4 expression in Area X.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We compared the effects of experimentally reduced expression of the transcription factors FoxP1, FoxP2, and FoxP4 in a striatal song nucleus, Area X, on vocal production learning in juvenile male zebra finches. We show, for the first time, that these temporally and spatially precise manipulations of the three FoxPs affect spectral and temporal song features differentially. This is important because it raises the possibility that the different FoxPs control different aspects of vocal learning through combinatorial gene expression or by acting in different microcircuits within Area X. These results are consistent with the deleterious effects of human FOXP1 and FOXP2 mutations on speech and language and add FOXP4 as a possible candidate gene for vocal disorders.
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19
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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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20
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Ravignani A, Dalla Bella S, Falk S, Kello CT, Noriega F, Kotz SA. Rhythm in speech and animal vocalizations: a cross-species perspective. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2019; 1453:79-98. [PMID: 31237365 PMCID: PMC6851814 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Why does human speech have rhythm? As we cannot travel back in time to witness how speech developed its rhythmic properties and why humans have the cognitive skills to process them, we rely on alternative methods to find out. One powerful tool is the comparative approach: studying the presence or absence of cognitive/behavioral traits in other species to determine which traits are shared between species and which are recent human inventions. Vocalizations of many species exhibit temporal structure, but little is known about how these rhythmic structures evolved, are perceived and produced, their biological and developmental bases, and communicative functions. We review the literature on rhythm in speech and animal vocalizations as a first step toward understanding similarities and differences across species. We extend this review to quantitative techniques that are useful for computing rhythmic structure in acoustic sequences and hence facilitate cross-species research. We report links between vocal perception and motor coordination and the differentiation of rhythm based on hierarchical temporal structure. While still far from a complete cross-species perspective of speech rhythm, our review puts some pieces of the puzzle together.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ravignani
- Artificial Intelligence LaboratoryVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
- Institute for Advanced StudyUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Simone Dalla Bella
- International Laboratory for BrainMusic and Sound Research (BRAMS)MontréalQuebecCanada
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of MontrealMontréalQuebecCanada
- Department of Cognitive PsychologyWarsawPoland
| | - Simone Falk
- International Laboratory for BrainMusic and Sound Research (BRAMS)MontréalQuebecCanada
- Laboratoire de Phonétique et Phonologie, UMR 7018, CNRS/Université Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris‐3Institut de Linguistique et Phonétique générales et appliquéesParisFrance
| | | | - Florencia Noriega
- Chair for Network DynamicsCenter for Advancing Electronics Dresden (CFAED), TU DresdenDresdenGermany
- CODE University of Applied SciencesBerlinGermany
| | - Sonja A. Kotz
- International Laboratory for BrainMusic and Sound Research (BRAMS)MontréalQuebecCanada
- Basic and Applied NeuroDynamics Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Neuropsychology and PsychopharmacologyMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtthe Netherlands
- Department of NeuropsychologyMax‐Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
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21
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Garr E. Contributions of the basal ganglia to action sequence learning and performance. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:279-295. [PMID: 31541637 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Animals engage in intricately woven and choreographed action sequences that are constructed from trial-and-error learning. The mechanisms by which the brain links together individual actions which are later recalled as fluid chains of behavior are not fully understood, but there is broad consensus that the basal ganglia play a crucial role in this process. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the role of the basal ganglia in action sequencing, with a focus on whether the computational framework of reinforcement learning can capture key behavioral features of sequencing and the neural mechanisms that underlie them. While a simple neurocomputational model of reinforcement learning can capture key features of action sequence learning, this model is not sufficient to capture goal-directed control of sequences or their hierarchical representation. The hierarchical structure of action sequences, in particular, poses a challenge for building better models of action sequencing, and it is in this regard that further investigations into basal ganglia information processing may be informative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Garr
- Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 5(th) Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States.
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22
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The expression of DARPP-32 in adult male zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata). Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:2939-2972. [PMID: 31473781 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01947-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Although the catecholaminergic circuitry in the zebra finch brain has been well studied, there is little information regarding the postsynaptic targets of dopamine. To answer this question, we looked at overall patterns of immunoreactivity for DARPP-32 (a dopamine and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, present mostly in dopaminoceptive neurons) in adult male zebra finches. Our results demonstrated that as in mammals and other avian species, DARPP-32 expression was highest in both medial and lateral striatum. Interestingly, a specific pattern of immunoreactivity was observed in the song control system, with 'core' song control regions, that is, LMANcore (lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium), RA (nucleus robustus arcopallialis) and HVC being less immunoreactive for DARPP-32 than 'shell' areas such as LMANshell, RAcup, AId (intermediate arcopallium) and HVCshelf. Our results suggest that whereas dopamine may modulate the shell pathways at various levels of the AFP, dopaminergic modulation of the core pathway occurs mainly through Area X, a basal ganglia nucleus. Further, secondary sensory cortices including the perientopallial belt, Fields L1 and L3 had higher DARPP-32-immunoreactivity than primary sensory cortical areas such as the pallial basolateral nucleus, entopallium proper and Field L2, corresponding to somatosensory, visual and auditory systems, respectively. We also found DARPP-32-rich axon terminals surrounding dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area-substantia nigra complex which in turn project to the striatum, suggesting that there may be a reciprocal modulation between these regions. Overall, DARPP-32 expression appears to be higher in areas involved in integrating sensory information, which further supports the role of this protein as a molecular integrator of different signal processing pathways.
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23
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Vellema M, Diales Rocha M, Bascones S, Zsebők S, Dreier J, Leitner S, Van der Linden A, Brewer J, Gahr M. Accelerated redevelopment of vocal skills is preceded by lasting reorganization of the song motor circuitry. eLife 2019; 8:43194. [PMID: 31099755 PMCID: PMC6570526 DOI: 10.7554/elife.43194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Complex motor skills take considerable time and practice to learn. Without continued practice the level of skill performance quickly degrades, posing a problem for the timely utilization of skilled motor behaviors. Here we quantified the recurring development of vocal motor skills and the accompanying changes in synaptic connectivity in the brain of a songbird, while manipulating skill performance by consecutively administrating and withdrawing testosterone. We demonstrate that a songbird with prior singing experience can significantly accelerate the re-acquisition of vocal performance. We further demonstrate that an increase in vocal performance is accompanied by a pronounced synaptic pruning in the forebrain vocal motor area HVC, a reduction that is not reversed when birds stop singing. These results provide evidence that lasting synaptic changes in the motor circuitry are associated with the savings of motor skills, enabling a rapid recovery of motor performance under environmental time constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel Vellema
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.,Bio Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Mariana Diales Rocha
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Sabrina Bascones
- Program for Inflammatory and Cardiovascular Disorders, Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sándor Zsebők
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Jes Dreier
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Stefan Leitner
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | | | - Jonathan Brewer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Manfred Gahr
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
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24
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Beyond Critical Period Learning: Striatal FoxP2 Affects the Active Maintenance of Learned Vocalizations in Adulthood. eNeuro 2019; 6:eN-CFN-0071-19. [PMID: 31001575 PMCID: PMC6469881 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0071-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In humans, mutations in the transcription factor forkhead box P2 (FOXP2) result in language disorders associated with altered striatal structure. Like speech, birdsong is learned through social interactions during maturational critical periods, and it relies on auditory feedback during initial learning and on-going maintenance. Hearing loss causes learned vocalizations to deteriorate in adult humans and songbirds. In the adult songbird brain, most FoxP2-enriched regions (e.g., cortex, thalamus) show a static expression level, but in the striatal song control nucleus, area X, FoxP2 is regulated by singing and social context: when juveniles and adults sing alone, its levels drop, and songs are more variable. When males sing to females, FoxP2 levels remain high, and songs are relatively stable: this “on-line” regulation implicates FoxP2 in ongoing vocal processes, but its role in the auditory-based maintenance of learned vocalization has not been examined. To test this, we overexpressed FoxP2 in both hearing and deafened adult zebra finches and assessed effects on song sung alone versus songs directed to females. In intact birds singing alone, no changes were detected between songs of males expressing FoxP2 or a GFP construct in area X, consistent with the marked stability of mature song in this species. In contrast, songs of males overexpressing FoxP2 became more variable and were less preferable to females, unlike responses to songs of GFP-expressing control males. In deafened birds, song deteriorated more rapidly following FoxP2 overexpression relative to GFP controls. Together, these experiments suggest that behavior-driven FoxP2 expression and auditory feedback interact to precisely maintain learned vocalizations.
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25
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Dopaminergic regulation of vocal-motor plasticity and performance. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2019; 54:127-133. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2018.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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26
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Polomova J, Lukacova K, Bilcik B, Kubikova L. Is neurogenesis in two songbird species related to their song sequence variability? Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20182872. [PMID: 30963944 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurogenesis takes part in the adult songbird brain and new neurons are integrated into the forebrain including defined areas involved in the control of song learning and production. It has been suggested that the new neurons in the song system might enable vocal variability. Here, we examined the basal levels of neurogenesis in two songbird species, zebra finch ( Taeniopygia guttata) and Bengalese finch ( Lonchura striata var. domestica), which do not learn new song elements as adults but differ in the level of song sequence variability. We found that Bengalese finches had less linear and stereotyped song sequence and a higher number of newborn cells in the neurogenic subventricular zone (SVZ) as well as the number of newly born neurons incorporated into the vocal nucleus HVC (used as a proper name) in comparison to zebra finches. Importantly, this vocal sequence variability in Bengalese finches correlated with the number of new neurons in the vocal nucleus HVC and more plastic song was associated with higher neuronal incorporation. In summary, our data support the hypothesis that newly generated neurons facilitate behavioural variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justina Polomova
- Centre of Biosciences, Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences , Bratislava , Slovakia
| | - Kristina Lukacova
- Centre of Biosciences, Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences , Bratislava , Slovakia
| | - Boris Bilcik
- Centre of Biosciences, Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences , Bratislava , Slovakia
| | - Lubica Kubikova
- Centre of Biosciences, Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences , Bratislava , Slovakia
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27
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The Avian Basal Ganglia Are a Source of Rapid Behavioral Variation That Enables Vocal Motor Exploration. J Neurosci 2018; 38:9635-9647. [PMID: 30249800 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2915-17.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The basal ganglia (BG) participate in aspects of reinforcement learning that require evaluation and selection of motor programs associated with improved performance. However, whether the BG additionally contribute to behavioral variation ("motor exploration") that forms the substrate for such learning remains unclear. In songbirds, a tractable system for studying BG-dependent skill learning, a role for the BG in generating exploratory variability, has been challenged by the finding that lesions of Area X, the song-specific component of the BG, have no lasting effects on several forms of vocal variability that have been studied. Here we demonstrate that lesions of Area X in adult male zebra finches (Taeniopygia gutatta) permanently eliminate rapid within-syllable variation in fundamental frequency (FF), which can act as motor exploration to enable reinforcement-driven song learning. In addition, we found that this within-syllable variation is elevated in juveniles and in adults singing alone, conditions that have been linked to enhanced song plasticity and elevated neural variability in Area X. Consistent with a model that variability is relayed from Area X, via its cortical target, the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium (LMAN), to influence song motor circuitry, we found that lesions of LMAN also eliminate within-syllable variability. Moreover, we found that electrical perturbation of LMAN can drive fluctuations in FF that mimic naturally occurring within-syllable variability. Together, these results demonstrate that the BG are a central source of rapid behavioral variation that can serve as motor exploration for vocal learning.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Many complex motor skills, such as speech, are not innately programmed but are learned gradually through trial and error. Learning involves generating exploratory variability in action ("motor exploration") and evaluating subsequent performance to acquire motor programs that lead to improved performance. Although it is well established that the basal ganglia (BG) process signals relating to action evaluation and selection, whether and how the BG promote exploratory motor variability remain unclear. We investigated this question in songbirds, which learn to produce complex vocalizations through trial and error. In contrast with previous studies that did not find effects of BG lesions on vocal motor variability, we demonstrate that the BG are an essential source of rapid behavioral variation linked to vocal learning.
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28
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Neuroplasticity in the cerebello-thalamo-basal ganglia pathway: A longitudinal in vivo MRI study in male songbirds. Neuroimage 2018; 181:190-202. [PMID: 29981906 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Similar to human speech, bird song is controlled by several pathways including a cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical (C-BG-T-C) loop. Neurotoxic disengagement of the basal ganglia component, i.e. Area X, induces long-term changes in song performance, while most of the lesioned area regenerates within the first months. Importantly however, the timing and spatial extent of structural neuroplastic events potentially affecting other constituents of the C-BG-T-C loop is not clear. We designed a longitudinal MRI study where changes in brain structure were evaluated relative to the time after neurotoxic lesioning or to vocal performance. By acquiring both Diffusion Tensor Imaging and 3-dimensional anatomical scans, we were able to track alterations in respectively intrinsic tissue properties and local volume. Voxel-based statistical analyses revealed structural remodeling remote to the lesion, i.e. in the thalamus and, surprisingly, the cerebellum, both peaking within the first two months after lesioning Area X. Voxel-wise correlations between song performance and MRI parameters uncovered intriguing brain-behavior relationships in several brain areas pertaining to the C-BG-T-C loop supervising vocal motor control. Our results clearly point to structural neuroplasticity in the cerebellum induced by basal ganglia (striatal) damage and might point to the existence of a human-like cerebello-thalamic-basal ganglia pathway capable of modifying vocal motor output.
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29
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Murdoch D, Chen R, Goldberg JH. Place preference and vocal learning rely on distinct reinforcers in songbirds. Sci Rep 2018; 8:6766. [PMID: 29712967 PMCID: PMC5928228 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25112-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In reinforcement learning (RL) agents are typically tasked with maximizing a single objective function such as reward. But it remains poorly understood how agents might pursue distinct objectives at once. In machines, multiobjective RL can be achieved by dividing a single agent into multiple sub-agents, each of which is shaped by agent-specific reinforcement, but it remains unknown if animals adopt this strategy. Here we use songbirds to test if navigation and singing, two behaviors with distinct objectives, can be differentially reinforced. We demonstrate that strobe flashes aversively condition place preference but not song syllables. Brief noise bursts aversively condition song syllables but positively reinforce place preference. Thus distinct behavior-generating systems, or agencies, within a single animal can be shaped by correspondingly distinct reinforcement signals. Our findings suggest that spatially segregated vocal circuits can solve a credit assignment problem associated with multiobjective learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Don Murdoch
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Ruidong Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Jesse H Goldberg
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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30
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Zhou X, Fu X, Lin C, Zhou X, Liu J, Wang L, Zhang X, Zuo M, Fan X, Li D, Sun Y. Remodeling of Dendritic Spines in the Avian Vocal Motor Cortex Following Deafening Depends on the Basal Ganglia Circuit. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:2820-2830. [PMID: 27166173 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Deafening elicits a deterioration of learned vocalization, in both humans and songbirds. In songbirds, learned vocal plasticity has been shown to depend on the basal ganglia-cortical circuit, but the underlying cellular basis remains to be clarified. Using confocal imaging and electron microscopy, we examined the effect of deafening on dendritic spines in avian vocal motor cortex, the robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA), and investigated the role of the basal ganglia circuit in motor cortex plasticity. We found rapid structural changes to RA dendritic spines in response to hearing loss, accompanied by learned song degradation. In particular, the morphological characters of RA spine synaptic contacts between 2 major pathways were altered differently. However, experimental disruption of the basal ganglia circuit, through lesions in song-specialized basal ganglia nucleus Area X, largely prevented both the observed changes to RA dendritic spines and the song deterioration after hearing loss. Our results provide cellular evidence to highlight a key role of the basal ganglia circuit in the motor cortical plasticity that underlies learned vocal plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhou
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Laboratory of Neuroscience and Brain Development, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xin Fu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Laboratory of Neuroscience and Brain Development, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Chun Lin
- Department of Biology, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
| | - Xiaojuan Zhou
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Laboratory of Neuroscience and Brain Development, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Jin Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Laboratory of Neuroscience and Brain Development, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Li Wang
- Center for Biological Imaging (CBI), Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xinwen Zhang
- Department of Biology, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
| | - Mingxue Zuo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Laboratory of Neuroscience and Brain Development, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xiaolong Fan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Laboratory of Neuroscience and Brain Development, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Dapeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
| | - Yingyu Sun
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Laboratory of Neuroscience and Brain Development, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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31
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Chakraborty M, Chen LF, Fridel EE, Klein ME, Senft RA, Sarkar A, Jarvis ED. Overexpression of human NR2B receptor subunit in LMAN causes stuttering and song sequence changes in adult zebra finches. Sci Rep 2017; 7:942. [PMID: 28432288 PMCID: PMC5430713 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00519-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) learn to produce songs in a manner reminiscent of spoken language development in humans. One candidate gene implicated in influencing learning is the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subtype 2B glutamate receptor (NR2B). Consistent with this idea, NR2B levels are high in the song learning nucleus LMAN (lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium) during juvenile vocal learning, and decreases to low levels in adults after learning is complete and the song becomes more stereotyped. To test for the role of NR2B in generating song plasticity, we manipulated NR2B expression in LMAN of adult male zebra finches by increasing its protein levels to those found in juvenile birds, using a lentivirus containing the full-length coding sequence of the human NR2B subunit. We found that increased NR2B expression in adult LMAN induced increases in song sequence diversity and slower song tempo more similar to juvenile songs, but also increased syllable repetitions similar to stuttering. We did not observe these effects in control birds with overexpression of NR2B outside of LMAN or with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) in LMAN. Our results suggest that low NR2B subunit expression in adult LMAN is important in conserving features of stereotyped adult courtship song.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukta Chakraborty
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
| | - Liang-Fu Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Emma E Fridel
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Marguerita E Klein
- Neurotransgenic Laboratory, Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Rebecca A Senft
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.,Department of Neurobiology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Abhra Sarkar
- Department of Statistical Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Erich D Jarvis
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA. .,Laboratory of Neurogenetics of Language, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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32
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Murphy K, James LS, Sakata JT, Prather JF. Advantages of comparative studies in songbirds to understand the neural basis of sensorimotor integration. J Neurophysiol 2017; 118:800-816. [PMID: 28331007 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00623.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensorimotor integration is the process through which the nervous system creates a link between motor commands and associated sensory feedback. This process allows for the acquisition and refinement of many behaviors, including learned communication behaviors such as speech and birdsong. Consequently, it is important to understand fundamental mechanisms of sensorimotor integration, and comparative analyses of this process can provide vital insight. Songbirds offer a powerful comparative model system to study how the nervous system links motor and sensory information for learning and control. This is because the acquisition, maintenance, and control of birdsong critically depend on sensory feedback. Furthermore, there is an incredible diversity of song organizations across songbird species, ranging from songs with simple, stereotyped sequences to songs with complex sequencing of vocal gestures, as well as a wide diversity of song repertoire sizes. Despite this diversity, the neural circuitry for song learning, control, and maintenance remains highly similar across species. Here, we highlight the utility of songbirds for the analysis of sensorimotor integration and the insights about mechanisms of sensorimotor integration gained by comparing different songbird species. Key conclusions from this comparative analysis are that variation in song sequence complexity seems to covary with the strength of feedback signals in sensorimotor circuits and that sensorimotor circuits contain distinct representations of elements in the vocal repertoire, possibly enabling evolutionary variation in repertoire sizes. We conclude our review by highlighting important areas of research that could benefit from increased comparative focus, with particular emphasis on the integration of new technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karagh Murphy
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming; and
| | - Logan S James
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jon T Sakata
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jonathan F Prather
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming; and
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33
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Focal expression of mutant huntingtin in the songbird basal ganglia disrupts cortico-basal ganglia networks and vocal sequences. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:E1720-7. [PMID: 26951661 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1523754113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The basal ganglia (BG) promote complex sequential movements by helping to select elementary motor gestures appropriate to a given behavioral context. Indeed, Huntington's disease (HD), which causes striatal atrophy in the BG, is characterized by hyperkinesia and chorea. How striatal cell loss alters activity in the BG and downstream motor cortical regions to cause these disorganized movements remains unknown. Here, we show that expressing the genetic mutation that causes HD in a song-related region of the songbird BG destabilizes syllable sequences and increases overall vocal activity, but leave the structure of individual syllables intact. These behavioral changes are paralleled by the selective loss of striatal neurons and reduction of inhibitory synapses on pallidal neurons that serve as the BG output. Chronic recordings in singing birds revealed disrupted temporal patterns of activity in pallidal neurons and downstream cortical neurons. Moreover, reversible inactivation of the cortical neurons rescued the disorganized vocal sequences in transfected birds. These findings shed light on a key role of temporal patterns of cortico-BG activity in the regulation of complex motor sequences and show how a genetic mutation alters cortico-BG networks to cause disorganized movements.
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34
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Konopka G, Roberts TF. Animal Models of Speech and Vocal Communication Deficits Associated With Psychiatric Disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2016; 79:53-61. [PMID: 26232298 PMCID: PMC4666779 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2014] [Revised: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 07/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Disruptions in speech, language, and vocal communication are hallmarks of several neuropsychiatric disorders, most notably autism spectrum disorders. Historically, the use of animal models to dissect molecular pathways and connect them to behavioral endophenotypes in cognitive disorders has proven to be an effective approach for developing and testing disease-relevant therapeutics. The unique aspects of human language compared with vocal behaviors in other animals make such an approach potentially more challenging. However, the study of vocal learning in species with analogous brain circuits to humans may provide entry points for understanding this human-specific phenotype and diseases. We review animal models of vocal learning and vocal communication and specifically link phenotypes of psychiatric disorders to relevant model systems. Evolutionary constraints in the organization of neural circuits and synaptic plasticity result in similarities in the brain mechanisms for vocal learning and vocal communication. Comparative approaches and careful consideration of the behavioral limitations among different animal models can provide critical avenues for dissecting the molecular pathways underlying cognitive disorders that disrupt speech, language, and vocal communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve Konopka
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
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35
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Belyk M, Pfordresher PQ, Liotti M, Brown S. The Neural Basis of Vocal Pitch Imitation in Humans. J Cogn Neurosci 2015; 28:621-35. [PMID: 26696298 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Vocal imitation is a phenotype that is unique to humans among all primate species, and so an understanding of its neural basis is critical in explaining the emergence of both speech and song in human evolution. Two principal neural models of vocal imitation have emerged from a consideration of nonhuman animals. One hypothesis suggests that putative mirror neurons in the inferior frontal gyrus pars opercularis of Broca's area may be important for imitation. An alternative hypothesis derived from the study of songbirds suggests that the corticostriate motor pathway performs sensorimotor processes that are specific to vocal imitation. Using fMRI with a sparse event-related sampling design, we investigated the neural basis of vocal imitation in humans by comparing imitative vocal production of pitch sequences with both nonimitative vocal production and pitch discrimination. The strongest difference between these tasks was found in the putamen bilaterally, providing a striking parallel to the role of the analogous region in songbirds. Other areas preferentially activated during imitation included the orofacial motor cortex, Rolandic operculum, and SMA, which together outline the corticostriate motor loop. No differences were seen in the inferior frontal gyrus. The corticostriate system thus appears to be the central pathway for vocal imitation in humans, as predicted from an analogy with songbirds.
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36
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Liu WC, Kohn J, Szwed SK, Pariser E, Sepe S, Haripal B, Oshimori N, Marsala M, Miyanohara A, Lee R. Human mutant huntingtin disrupts vocal learning in transgenic songbirds. Nat Neurosci 2015; 18:1617-22. [PMID: 26436900 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Speech and vocal impairments characterize many neurological disorders. However, the neurogenetic mechanisms of these disorders are not well understood, and current animal models do not have the necessary circuitry to recapitulate vocal learning deficits. We developed germline transgenic songbirds, zebra finches (Taneiopygia guttata) expressing human mutant huntingtin (mHTT), a protein responsible for the progressive deterioration of motor and cognitive function in Huntington's disease (HD). Although generally healthy, the mutant songbirds had severe vocal disorders, including poor vocal imitation, stuttering, and progressive syntax and syllable degradation. Their song abnormalities were associated with HD-related neuropathology and dysfunction of the cortical-basal ganglia (CBG) song circuit. These transgenics are, to the best of our knowledge, the first experimentally created, functional mutant songbirds. Their progressive and quantifiable vocal disorder, combined with circuit dysfunction in the CBG song system, offers a model for genetic manipulation and the development of therapeutic strategies for CBG-related vocal and motor disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Chun Liu
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jessica Kohn
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sarah K Szwed
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Eben Pariser
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sharon Sepe
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Bhagwattie Haripal
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Naoki Oshimori
- Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Martin Marsala
- Neurodegeneration Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Atsushi Miyanohara
- Vector Development Core Lab, UCSD School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Ramee Lee
- CHDI Management Inc., New York, New York, USA
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37
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James LS, Sakata JT. Predicting plasticity: acute context-dependent changes to vocal performance predict long-term age-dependent changes. J Neurophysiol 2015; 114:2328-39. [PMID: 26311186 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00688.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the factors that predict and guide variation in behavioral change can lend insight into mechanisms of motor plasticity and individual differences in behavior. The performance of adult birdsong changes with age in a manner that is similar to rapid context-dependent changes to song. To reveal mechanisms of vocal plasticity, we analyzed the degree to which variation in the direction and magnitude of age-dependent changes to Bengalese finch song could be predicted by variation in context-dependent changes. Using a repeated-measures design, we found that variation in age-dependent changes to the timing, sequencing, and structure of vocal elements ("syllables") was significantly predicted by variation in context-dependent changes. In particular, the degree to which the duration of intersyllable gaps, syllable sequencing at branch points, and fundamental frequency of syllables within spontaneous [undirected (UD)] songs changed over time was correlated with the degree to which these features changed from UD song to female-directed (FD) song in young-adult finches (FDyoung). As such, the structure of some temporal features of UD songs converged over time onto the structure of FDyoung songs. This convergence suggested that the FDyoung song could serve as a stable target for vocal motor plasticity. Consequently, we analyzed the stability of FD song and found that the temporal structure of FD song changed significantly over time in a manner similar to UD song. Because FD song is considered a state of heightened performance, these data suggest that age-dependent changes could reflect practice-related improvements in vocal motor performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan S James
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jon T Sakata
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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38
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Neef NE, Anwander A, Friederici AD. The Neurobiological Grounding of Persistent Stuttering: from Structure to Function. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2015; 15:63. [PMID: 26228377 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-015-0579-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole E Neef
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstr. 1a, 04103, Leipzig, Germany,
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39
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Merullo DP, Cordes MA, Susan DeVries M, Stevenson SA, Riters LV. Neurotensin neural mRNA expression correlates with vocal communication and other highly-motivated social behaviors in male European starlings. Physiol Behav 2015; 151:155-61. [PMID: 26192712 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2015] [Revised: 07/14/2015] [Accepted: 07/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Vocalizations coordinate social interactions in many species and often are important for behaviors such as mate attraction or territorial defense. Although the neural circuitry underlying vocal communication is well-known for some animal groups, such as songbirds, the motivational processes that regulate vocal signals are not as clearly understood. Neurotensin (NT) is a neuropeptide implicated in motivation that can modulate the activity of dopaminergic neurons. Dopaminergic projections from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are key to mediating highly motivated, goal-directed behaviors, including sexually-motivated birdsong. However, the role of NT in modifying vocal communication or other social behaviors has not been well-studied. Here in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) we analyzed relationships between sexually-motivated song and NT and NT1 receptor (NTSR1) expression in VTA. Additionally, we examined NT and NTSR1 expression in four regions that receive dopaminergic projections from VTA and are involved in courtship song: the medial preoptic nucleus (POM), the lateral septum (LS), Area X, and HVC. Relationships between NT and NTSR1 expression and non-vocal courtship and agonistic behaviors were also examined. NT expression in Area X positively related to sexually-motivated song production. NT expression in POM positively correlated with non-vocal courtship behavior and agonistic behavior. NT expression in POM was greatest in males owning nesting sites, and the opposite pattern was observed for NTSR1 expression in LS. These results are the first to implicate NT in Area X in birdsong, and further highlight NT as a potential neuromodulator for the control of vocal communication and other social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin P Merullo
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| | - Melissa A Cordes
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - M Susan DeVries
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Sharon A Stevenson
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Lauren V Riters
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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40
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Matheson LE, Sun H, Sakata JT. Forebrain circuits underlying the social modulation of vocal communication signals. Dev Neurobiol 2015; 76:47-63. [PMID: 25959605 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2014] [Revised: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 05/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Across vertebrate species, signalers alter the structure of their communication signals based on the social context. For example, male Bengalese finches produce faster and more stereotyped songs when directing song to females (female-directed [FD] song) than when singing in isolation (undirected [UD] song), and such changes have been found to increase the attractiveness of a male's song. Despite the importance of such social influences, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the social modulation of communication signals. To this end, we analyzed differences in immediate early gene (EGR-1) expression when Bengalese finches produced FD or UD song. Relative to silent birds, EGR-1 expression was elevated in birds producing either FD or UD song throughout vocal control circuitry, including the interface nucleus of the nidopallium (NIf), HVC, the robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA), Area X, and the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium (LMAN). Moreover, EGR-1 expression was higher in HVC, RA, Area X, and LMAN in males producing UD song than in males producing FD song, indicating that social context modulated EGR-1 expression in these areas. However, EGR-1 expression was not significantly different between males producing FD or UD song in NIf, the primary vocal motor input into HVC, suggesting that context-dependent changes could arise de novo in HVC. The pattern of context-dependent differences in EGR-1 expression in the Bengalese finch was highly similar to that in the zebra finch and suggests that social context affects song structure by modulating activity throughout vocal control nuclei.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Herie Sun
- Department of Biology, McGill University
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Matheson LE, Sakata JT. Catecholaminergic contributions to vocal communication signals. Eur J Neurosci 2015; 41:1180-94. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2014] [Revised: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 03/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura E. Matheson
- Department of Biology; McGill University; Montreal QC H3A 1B1 Canada
| | - Jon T. Sakata
- Department of Biology; McGill University; Montreal QC H3A 1B1 Canada
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The effects of delayed auditory feedback revealed by bone conduction microphone in adult zebra finches. Sci Rep 2015; 5:8800. [PMID: 25739659 PMCID: PMC4350079 DOI: 10.1038/srep08800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2014] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Vocal control and learning are critically dependent on auditory feedback in songbirds and humans. Continuous delayed auditory feedback (cDAF) robustly disrupts speech fluency in normal humans and has ameliorative effects in some stutterers; however, evaluations of the effects of cDAF on songbirds are rare. We exposed singing young (141–151 days old) adult zebra finch males to high-amplitude cDAF. cDAF exposure was achieved by the recording of bone-conducted sounds using a piezoelectric accelerometer, which resulted in high-quality song recordings that were relatively uncontaminated by airborne sounds. Under this condition of cDAF, birds rapidly (2–6 days) changed their song syllable timing. The one bird for which we were able to maintain the accelerometer recordings over a long period of time recovered slowly over more than a month after cDAF was discontinued. These results demonstrate that cDAF can cause substantial changes in the motor program for syllable timing generation over short intervals of time in adult zebra finches.
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