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Ghasemahmad Z, Mrvelj A, Panditi R, Sharma B, Perumal KD, Wenstrup JJ. Emotional vocalizations alter behaviors and neurochemical release into the amygdala. eLife 2024; 12:RP88838. [PMID: 39008352 PMCID: PMC11249735 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88838] [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: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA), a brain center of emotional expression, contributes to acoustic communication by first interpreting the meaning of social sounds in the context of the listener's internal state, then organizing the appropriate behavioral responses. We propose that modulatory neurochemicals such as acetylcholine (ACh) and dopamine (DA) provide internal-state signals to the BLA while an animal listens to social vocalizations. We tested this in a vocal playback experiment utilizing highly affective vocal sequences associated with either mating or restraint, then sampled and analyzed fluids within the BLA for a broad range of neurochemicals and observed behavioral responses of adult male and female mice. In male mice, playback of restraint vocalizations increased ACh release and usually decreased DA release, while playback of mating sequences evoked the opposite neurochemical release patterns. In non-estrus female mice, patterns of ACh and DA release with mating playback were similar to males. Estrus females, however, showed increased ACh, associated with vigilance, as well as increased DA, associated with reward-seeking. Experimental groups that showed increased ACh release also showed the largest increases in an aversive behavior. These neurochemical release patterns and several behavioral responses depended on a single prior experience with the mating and restraint behaviors. Our results support a model in which ACh and DA provide contextual information to sound analyzing BLA neurons that modulate their output to downstream brain regions controlling behavioral responses to social vocalizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Ghasemahmad
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Hearing Research Group, Northeast Ohio Medical UniversityRootstownUnited States
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State UniversityKentUnited States
- Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State UniversityKentUnited States
| | - Aaron Mrvelj
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Hearing Research Group, Northeast Ohio Medical UniversityRootstownUnited States
| | - Rishitha Panditi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Hearing Research Group, Northeast Ohio Medical UniversityRootstownUnited States
| | - Bhavya Sharma
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Hearing Research Group, Northeast Ohio Medical UniversityRootstownUnited States
| | - Karthic Drishna Perumal
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Hearing Research Group, Northeast Ohio Medical UniversityRootstownUnited States
| | - Jeffrey J Wenstrup
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Hearing Research Group, Northeast Ohio Medical UniversityRootstownUnited States
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State UniversityKentUnited States
- Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State UniversityKentUnited States
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2
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Shi K, Quass GL, Rogalla MM, Ford AN, Czarny JE, Apostolides PF. Population coding of time-varying sounds in the nonlemniscal inferior colliculus. J Neurophysiol 2024; 131:842-864. [PMID: 38505907 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00013.2024] [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: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The inferior colliculus (IC) of the midbrain is important for complex sound processing, such as discriminating conspecific vocalizations and human speech. The IC's nonlemniscal, dorsal "shell" region is likely important for this process, as neurons in these layers project to higher-order thalamic nuclei that subsequently funnel acoustic signals to the amygdala and nonprimary auditory cortices, forebrain circuits important for vocalization coding in a variety of mammals, including humans. However, the extent to which shell IC neurons transmit acoustic features necessary to discern vocalizations is less clear, owing to the technical difficulty of recording from neurons in the IC's superficial layers via traditional approaches. Here, we use two-photon Ca2+ imaging in mice of either sex to test how shell IC neuron populations encode the rate and depth of amplitude modulation, important sound cues for speech perception. Most shell IC neurons were broadly tuned, with a low neurometric discrimination of amplitude modulation rate; only a subset was highly selective to specific modulation rates. Nevertheless, neural network classifier trained on fluorescence data from shell IC neuron populations accurately classified amplitude modulation rate, and decoding accuracy was only marginally reduced when highly tuned neurons were omitted from training data. Rather, classifier accuracy increased monotonically with the modulation depth of the training data, such that classifiers trained on full-depth modulated sounds had median decoding errors of ∼0.2 octaves. Thus, shell IC neurons may transmit time-varying signals via a population code, with perhaps limited reliance on the discriminative capacity of any individual neuron.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The IC's shell layers originate a "nonlemniscal" pathway important for perceiving vocalization sounds. However, prior studies suggest that individual shell IC neurons are broadly tuned and have high response thresholds, implying a limited reliability of efferent signals. Using Ca2+ imaging, we show that amplitude modulation is accurately represented in the population activity of shell IC neurons. Thus, downstream targets can read out sounds' temporal envelopes from distributed rate codes transmitted by populations of broadly tuned neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiwen Shi
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Kresge Hearing Research Institute, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Gunnar L Quass
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Kresge Hearing Research Institute, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Meike M Rogalla
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Kresge Hearing Research Institute, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Alexander N Ford
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Kresge Hearing Research Institute, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Jordyn E Czarny
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Kresge Hearing Research Institute, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Pierre F Apostolides
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Kresge Hearing Research Institute, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
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Abstract
In recent years, the impact of prenatal sound on development, notably for programming individual phenotypes for postnatal conditions, has increasingly been revealed. However, the mechanisms through which sound affects physiology and development remain mostly unexplored. Here, I gather evidence from neurobiology, developmental biology, cellular biology and bioacoustics to identify the most plausible modes of action of sound on developing embryos. First, revealing often-unsuspected plasticity, I discuss how prenatal sound may shape auditory system development and determine individuals' later capacity to receive acoustic information. I also consider the impact of hormones, including thyroid hormones, glucocorticoids and androgen, on auditory plasticity. Second, I review what is known about sound transduction to other - non-auditory - brain regions, and its potential to input on classical developmental programming pathways. Namely, the auditory pathway has direct anatomical and functional connectivity to the hippocampus, amygdala and/or hypothalamus, in mammals, birds and anurans. Sound can thus trigger both immediate and delayed responses in these limbic regions, which are specific to the acoustic stimulus and its biological relevance. Third, beyond the brain, I briefly consider the possibility for sound to directly affect cellular functioning, based on evidence in earless organisms (e.g. plants) and cell cultures. Together, the multi-disciplinary evidence gathered here shows that the brain is wired to allow multiple physiological and developmental effects of sound. Overall, there are many unexplored, but possible, pathways for sound to impact even primitive or immature organisms. Throughout, I identify the most promising research avenues for unravelling the processes of acoustic developmental programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mylene M Mariette
- Doñana Biological Station EBD-CSIC, 41092 Seville, Spain
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia
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4
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Yoshino-Hashizawa K, Nishiuchi Y, Hiragochi M, Kihara M, Kobayasi KI, Hiryu S. The distress context of social calls evokes a fear response in the bat Pipistrellus abramus. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb246271. [PMID: 37921105 PMCID: PMC10714146 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246271] [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: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Bats primarily use sound information, including echolocation, for social communication. Bats under stressful conditions, for example when confronted by a predator, will emit aggressive social calls. The presentation of aggressive social calls, including distress calls (DCs), is known to increase heart rate (fH), but how this change in fH is related to the bat's sound perception and how this evokes behaviors such as the fear response is unknown. Herein, we show that the perception of a distress context induces freezing behavior as a fear response in bats. We found that bats responded by freezing and displayed increased fH when they were presented with a conspecific donor bat in a distress situation evoked by gentle poking with a cotton swab. In addition, when we presented two types of auditory oddball paradigms with different probabilities of DCs and echolocation calls (ECs), the bats' fH increased when DCs were presented as deviant or control stimuli within standard ECs but did not increase when DCs were presented as standard stimuli. These results suggest that the situational context created by the frequency of sound presentation, rather than simply a single sound feature, induces fH increases and freezing as fear responses in bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuki Yoshino-Hashizawa
- Graduate School of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara-Miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
| | - Yuna Nishiuchi
- Graduate School of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara-Miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
| | - Midori Hiragochi
- Graduate School of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara-Miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
| | - Motoki Kihara
- Graduate School of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara-Miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
| | - Kohta I. Kobayasi
- Graduate School of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara-Miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
| | - Shizuko Hiryu
- Graduate School of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara-Miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
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5
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Jia G, Bai S, Lin Y, Wang X, Zhu L, Lyu C, Sun G, An K, Roe AW, Li X, Gao L. Representation of conspecific vocalizations in amygdala of awake marmosets. Natl Sci Rev 2023; 10:nwad194. [PMID: 37818111 PMCID: PMC10561708 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwad194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Human speech and animal vocalizations are important for social communication and animal survival. Neurons in the auditory pathway are responsive to a range of sounds, from elementary sound features to complex acoustic sounds. For social communication, responses to distinct patterns of vocalization are usually highly specific to an individual conspecific call, in some species. This includes the specificity of sound patterns and embedded biological information. We conducted single-unit recordings in the amygdala of awake marmosets and presented calls used in marmoset communication, calls of other species and calls from specific marmoset individuals. We found that some neurons (47/262) in the amygdala distinguished 'Phee' calls from vocalizations of other animals and other types of marmoset vocalizations. Interestingly, a subset of Phee-responsive neurons (22/47) also exhibited selectivity to one out of the three Phees from two different 'caller' marmosets. Our findings suggest that, while it has traditionally been considered the key structure in the limbic system, the amygdala also represents a critical stage of socially relevant auditory perceptual processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoqiang Jia
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310029, China
| | - Siyi Bai
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310029, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Yingxu Lin
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310029, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310029, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Lin Zhu
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310029, China
| | - Chenfei Lyu
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310029, China
| | - Guanglong Sun
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310029, China
| | - Kang An
- College of Information, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 201418, China
| | - Anna Wang Roe
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310029, China
- MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Xinjian Li
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310029, China
- MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310020, China
| | - Lixia Gao
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310029, China
- MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
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Shi K, Quass GL, Rogalla MM, Ford AN, Czarny JE, Apostolides PF. Population coding of time-varying sounds in the non-lemniscal Inferior Colliculus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.14.553263. [PMID: 37645904 PMCID: PMC10461978 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.14.553263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
The inferior colliculus (IC) of the midbrain is important for complex sound processing, such as discriminating conspecific vocalizations and human speech. The IC's non-lemniscal, dorsal "shell" region is likely important for this process, as neurons in these layers project to higher-order thalamic nuclei that subsequently funnel acoustic signals to the amygdala and non-primary auditory cortices; forebrain circuits important for vocalization coding in a variety of mammals, including humans. However, the extent to which shell IC neurons transmit acoustic features necessary to discern vocalizations is less clear, owing to the technical difficulty of recording from neurons in the IC's superficial layers via traditional approaches. Here we use 2-photon Ca2+ imaging in mice of either sex to test how shell IC neuron populations encode the rate and depth of amplitude modulation, important sound cues for speech perception. Most shell IC neurons were broadly tuned, with a low neurometric discrimination of amplitude modulation rate; only a subset were highly selective to specific modulation rates. Nevertheless, neural network classifier trained on fluorescence data from shell IC neuron populations accurately classified amplitude modulation rate, and decoding accuracy was only marginally reduced when highly tuned neurons were omitted from training data. Rather, classifier accuracy increased monotonically with the modulation depth of the training data, such that classifiers trained on full-depth modulated sounds had median decoding errors of ~0.2 octaves. Thus, shell IC neurons may transmit time-varying signals via a population code, with perhaps limited reliance on the discriminative capacity of any individual neuron.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiwen Shi
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, Department of Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109
| | - Gunnar L. Quass
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, Department of Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109
| | - Meike M. Rogalla
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, Department of Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109
| | - Alexander N. Ford
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, Department of Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109
| | - Jordyn E. Czarny
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, Department of Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109
| | - Pierre F. Apostolides
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, Department of Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109
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7
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Voytenko S, Shanbhag S, Wenstrup J, Galazyuk A. Intracellular recordings reveal integrative function of the basolateral amygdala in acoustic communication. J Neurophysiol 2023; 129:1334-1343. [PMID: 37098994 PMCID: PMC10202475 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00103.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The amygdala, a brain center of emotional expression, contributes to appropriate behavior responses during acoustic communication. In support of that role, the basolateral amygdala (BLA) analyzes the meaning of vocalizations through the integration of multiple acoustic inputs with information from other senses and an animal's internal state. The mechanisms underlying this integration are poorly understood. This study focuses on the integration of vocalization-related inputs to the BLA from auditory centers during this processing. We used intracellular recordings of BLA neurons in unanesthetized big brown bats that rely heavily on a complex vocal repertoire during social interactions. Postsynaptic and spiking responses of BLA neurons were recorded to three vocal sequences that are closely related to distinct behaviors (appeasement, low-level aggression, and high-level aggression) and have different emotional valence. Our novel findings are that most BLA neurons showed postsynaptic responses to one or more vocalizations (31 of 46) but that many fewer neurons showed spiking responses (8 of 46). The spiking responses were more selective than postsynaptic potential (PSP) responses. Furthermore, vocal stimuli associated with either positive or negative valence were similarly effective in eliciting excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs), inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs), and spiking responses. This indicates that BLA neurons process both positive- and negative-valence vocal stimuli. The greater selectivity of spiking responses than PSP responses suggests an integrative role for processing within the BLA to enhance response specificity in acoustic communication.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The amygdala plays an important role in social communication by sound, but little is known about how it integrates diverse auditory inputs to form selective responses to social vocalizations. We show that BLA neurons receive inputs that are responsive to both negative- and positive-affect vocalizations but their spiking outputs are fewer and highly selective for vocalization type. Our work demonstrates that BLA neurons perform an integrative function in shaping appropriate behavioral responses to social vocalizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergiy Voytenko
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, United States
| | - Sharad Shanbhag
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, United States
- Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States
| | - Jeffrey Wenstrup
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, United States
- Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States
| | - Alexander Galazyuk
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, United States
- Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States
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8
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Salles A, Neunuebel J. What do mammals have to say about the neurobiology of acoustic communication? MOLECULAR PSYCHOLOGY : BRAIN, BEHAVIOR, AND SOCIETY 2023; 2:5. [PMID: 38827277 PMCID: PMC11141777 DOI: 10.12688/molpsychol.17539.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Auditory communication is crucial across taxa, including humans, because it enables individuals to convey information about threats, food sources, mating opportunities, and other social cues necessary for survival. Comparative approaches to auditory communication will help bridge gaps across taxa and facilitate our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying this complex task. In this work, we briefly review the field of auditory communication processing and the classical champion animal, the songbird. In addition, we discuss other mammalian species that are advancing the field. In particular, we emphasize mice and bats, highlighting the characteristics that may inform how we think about communication processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angeles Salles
- Biological Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Joshua Neunuebel
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
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9
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Macias S, Bakshi K, Troyer T, Smotherman M. The prefrontal cortex of the Mexican free-tailed bat is more selective to communication calls than primary auditory cortex. J Neurophysiol 2022; 128:634-648. [PMID: 35975923 PMCID: PMC9448334 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00436.2021] [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: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we examined the auditory responses of a prefrontal area, the frontal auditory field (FAF), of an echolocating bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) and presented a comparative analysis of the neuronal response properties between the FAF and the primary auditory cortex (A1). We compared single-unit responses from the A1 and the FAF elicited by pure tones, downward frequency-modulated sweeps (dFMs), and species-specific vocalizations. Unlike the A1, FAFs were not frequency tuned. However, progressive increases in dFM sweep rate elicited a systematic increase of response precision, a phenomenon that does not take place in the A1. Call selectivity was higher in the FAF versus A1. We calculated the neuronal spectrotemporal receptive fields (STRFs) and spike-triggered averages (STAs) to predict responses to the communication calls and provide an explanation for the differences in call selectivity between the FAF and A1. In the A1, we found a high correlation between predicted and evoked responses. However, we did not generate reasonable STRFs in the FAF, and the prediction based on the STAs showed lower correlation coefficient than that of the A1. This suggests nonlinear response properties in the FAF that are stronger than the linear response properties in the A1. Stimulating with a call sequence increased call selectivity in the A1, but it remained unchanged in the FAF. These data are consistent with a role for the FAF in assessing distinctive acoustic features downstream of A1, similar to the role proposed for primate ventrolateral prefrontal cortex.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In this study, we examined the neuronal responses of a frontal cortical area in an echolocating bat to behaviorally relevant acoustic stimuli and compared them with those in the primary auditory cortex (A1). In contrast to the A1, neurons in the bat frontal auditory field are not frequency tuned but showed a higher selectivity for social signals such as communication calls. The results presented here indicate that the frontal auditory field may represent an additional processing center for behaviorally relevant sounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvio Macias
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Kushal Bakshi
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Todd Troyer
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Michael Smotherman
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
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10
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Wilson KM, Arquilla AM, Rosales-Torres KM, Hussein M, Chan MG, Razak KA, Saltzman W. Neural responses to pup calls and pup odors in California mouse fathers and virgin males. Behav Brain Res 2022; 434:114024. [PMID: 35882277 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The onset of mammalian maternal care is associated with plasticity in neural processing of infant-related sensory stimuli; however, little is known about sensory plasticity associated with fatherhood. We quantified behavioral and neural responses of virgin males and new fathers to olfactory and auditory stimuli from young, unfamiliar pups in the biparental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus). Each male was exposed for 10minutes to one of four combinations of a chemosensory stimulus (pup-scented or unscented cotton [control]) and an auditory stimulus (pup vocalizations or white noise [control]). Behavior did not differ between fathers and virgins during exposure to sensory stimuli or during the following hour; however, males in both groups were more active both during and after exposure to pup-related stimuli compared to control stimuli. Fathers had lower expression of Fos in the main olfactory bulbs (MOB) but higher expression in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis medial division, ventral part (STMV) compared to virgins. Lastly, males had higher Fos expression in MPOA when exposed to pup odor compared to control stimuli, and when exposed to pup odor and pup calls compared to pup calls only or control stimuli. These findings suggest that the onset of fatherhood alters activity of MOB, MPOA and STMV and that pup odors and vocalizations have additive or synergistic effects on males' behavior and MPOA activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerianne M Wilson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA USA.
| | - April M Arquilla
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA USA
| | - Kelsey M Rosales-Torres
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA USA
| | - Manal Hussein
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA USA
| | - May G Chan
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA USA
| | - Khaleel A Razak
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA USA; Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Wendy Saltzman
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA USA
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11
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Abstract
Bats are social mammals that display a wide array of social communication calls. Among them, it is common for most bats species to emit distress, agonistic, appeasement and infant isolation calls. Big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) are no different: They are gregarious animals living in colonies that can comprise hundreds of individuals. These bats live in North America and, typically found roosting in man-made structures like barns and attics, are considered common. They are insectivorous laryngeal echolocators, and while their calls and associated brain mechanisms in echolocation are well-documented, much less is known about their neural systems for analyzing social vocalizations. In this work we review what we know about the social lives of big brown bats and propose how to consolidate the nomenclature used to describe their social vocalizations. Furthermore, we discuss the next steps in the characterization of the social structure of this species and how these studies will advance both research in neuroethology and ecology of big brown bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Montoya
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Yelim Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Angeles Salles
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
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12
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Salles A, Marino Lee S, Moss CF. Sound evoked fos-like immunoreactivity in the big brown bat. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2022; 12:197-202. [PMID: 35746972 PMCID: PMC9210485 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2022.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Most bat species have highly developed audio-vocal systems, which allow them to adjust the features of echolocation calls that are optimized for different sonar tasks, such as detecting, localizing, discriminating and tracking targets. Furthermore, bats can also produce a wide array of social calls to communicate with conspecifics. The acoustic properties of some social calls differ only subtly from echolocation calls, yet bats have the ability to distinguish them and reliably produce appropriate behavioral responses. Little is known about the underlying neural processes that enable the correct classification of bat social communication sounds. One approach to this question is to identify the brain regions that are involved in the processing of sounds that carry behavioral relevance. Here, we present preliminary data on neuronal activation, as measured by c-fos expression, in big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) exposed to either social calls, echolocation calls or kept in silence. We focused our investigation on five relevant brain areas; three within the canonical auditory pathway (auditory cortex, inferior colliculus and medial geniculate body) and two that are involved in the processing of emotive stimulus content (amygdala and nucleus accumbens). In this manuscript we report c-fos staining of the areas of interest after exposure to conspecific calls. We discuss future work designed to overcome experimental limitations and explore whether c-fos staining reveals anatomical segregation of neurons activated by echolocation and social call categories.
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13
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Bálint A, Eleőd H, Magyari L, Kis A, Gácsi M. Differences in dogs' event-related potentials in response to human and dog vocal stimuli; a non-invasive study. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211769. [PMID: 35401994 PMCID: PMC8984299 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in the field of canine neuro-cognition allow for the non-invasive research of brain mechanisms in family dogs. Considering the striking similarities between dog's and human (infant)'s socio-cognition at the behavioural level, both similarities and differences in neural background can be of particular relevance. The current study investigates brain responses of n = 17 family dogs to human and conspecific emotional vocalizations using a fully non-invasive event-related potential (ERP) paradigm. We found that similarly to humans, dogs show a differential ERP response depending on the species of the caller, demonstrated by a more positive ERP response to human vocalizations compared to dog vocalizations in a time window between 250 and 650 ms after stimulus onset. A later time window between 800 and 900 ms also revealed a valence-sensitive ERP response in interaction with the species of the caller. Our results are, to our knowledge, the first ERP evidence to show the species sensitivity of vocal neural processing in dogs along with indications of valence sensitive processes in later post-stimulus time periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Bálint
- MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Huba Eleőd
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Biology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Lilla Magyari
- MTA-ELTE ‘Lendület’ Neuroethology of Communication Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Social Studies, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Anna Kis
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences,Budapest, Hungary
| | - Márta Gácsi
- MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
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14
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Domínguez-Borràs J, Vuilleumier P. Amygdala function in emotion, cognition, and behavior. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2022; 187:359-380. [PMID: 35964983 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-823493-8.00015-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala is a core structure in the anterior medial temporal lobe, with an important role in several brain functions involving memory, emotion, perception, social cognition, and even awareness. As a key brain structure for saliency detection, it triggers and controls widespread modulatory signals onto multiple areas of the brain, with a great impact on numerous aspects of adaptive behavior. Here we discuss the neural mechanisms underlying these functions, as established by animal and human research, including insights provided in both healthy and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Domínguez-Borràs
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology & Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patrik Vuilleumier
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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15
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Olfactory learning and memory in the greater short-nosed fruit bat Cynopterus sphinx: the influence of conspecifics distress calls. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2021; 207:667-679. [PMID: 34426872 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-021-01505-2] [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: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
This study was designed to test whether Cynopterus sphinx distress calls influence olfactory learning and memory in conspecifics. Bats were exposed to distress calls/playbacks (PBs) of distress calls/modified calls and were then trained to novel odors. Bats exposed to distress calls/PBs made significantly fewer feeding attempts and bouts of PBs exposed to modified calls, which significantly induced the expression of c-Fos in the caudomedial neostriatum (NCM) and the amygdala compared to bats exposed to modified calls and trained controls. However, the expression of c-Fos in the hippocampus was not significantly different between the experimental groups. Further, protein phosphatase-1 (PP-1) expression was significantly lower, and the expression levels of E1A homologue of CREB-binding protein (CBP) (P300), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its tyrosine kinase B1 (TrkB1) receptor were significantly higher in the hippocampus of control/bats exposed to modified calls compared to distress calls/PBs of distress call-exposed bats. Exposure to the call possibly alters the reciprocal interaction between the amygdala and the hippocampus, accordingly regulating the expression levels of PP1, P300 and BDNF and its receptor TrkB1 following training to the novel odor. Thus, the learning and memory consolidation processes were disrupted and showed fewer feeding attempts and bouts. This model may be helpful for understanding the contributions of stressful social communications to human disorders.
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16
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Michael V, Goffinet J, Pearson J, Wang F, Tschida K, Mooney R. Circuit and synaptic organization of forebrain-to-midbrain pathways that promote and suppress vocalization. eLife 2020; 9:e63493. [PMID: 33372655 PMCID: PMC7793624 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals vocalize only in certain behavioral contexts, but the circuits and synapses through which forebrain neurons trigger or suppress vocalization remain unknown. Here, we used transsynaptic tracing to identify two populations of inhibitory neurons that lie upstream of neurons in the periaqueductal gray (PAG) that gate the production of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in mice (i.e. PAG-USV neurons). Activating PAG-projecting neurons in the preoptic area of the hypothalamus (POAPAG neurons) elicited USV production in the absence of social cues. In contrast, activating PAG-projecting neurons in the central-medial boundary zone of the amygdala (AmgC/M-PAG neurons) transiently suppressed USV production without disrupting non-vocal social behavior. Optogenetics-assisted circuit mapping in brain slices revealed that POAPAG neurons directly inhibit PAG interneurons, which in turn inhibit PAG-USV neurons, whereas AmgC/M-PAG neurons directly inhibit PAG-USV neurons. These experiments identify two major forebrain inputs to the PAG that trigger and suppress vocalization, respectively, while also establishing the synaptic mechanisms through which these neurons exert opposing behavioral effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Michael
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | - Jack Goffinet
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | - John Pearson
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | | | - Richard Mooney
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
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17
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Belekhova MG, Kenigfest NB, Chmykhova NM. Evolutionary Formation and Functional
Significance
of the Core–Belt Pattern of Neural Organization of Rostral Auditory
Centers in Vertebrates. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093020040018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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18
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Niemczura AC, Grimsley JM, Kim C, Alkhawaga A, Poth A, Carvalho A, Wenstrup JJ. Physiological and Behavioral Responses to Vocalization Playback in Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:155. [PMID: 33033474 PMCID: PMC7490332 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In mice, the caller’s production of social vocalizations has been extensively studied but the effect of these vocalizations on the listener is less understood, with playback studies to date utilizing one vocalization category or listeners of one sex. This study examines how several categories of mouse vocalizations affect listeners of both sexes to better understand the communicative functions of these vocal categories. We examined physiological and behavioral responses of male and female CBA/CaJ mice to playback of four social vocalization categories: ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), low-frequency harmonic calls, mid-frequency vocalizations, and noisy calls. Based on the conditions under which these calls are emitted, we hypothesized that playback of these vocal categories would have differential effects on the listeners. In females, playback of all four vocalization categories increased stress hormone levels (corticosterone), but only the non-USV categories increased corticosterone in males. The magnitude of corticosterone increase in non-USV trials was greater in females than in males. In open field tests, all four vocal categories decreased central ambulation in males and females, indicating an increase in anxiety-related behavior. Further, we found that the proportions of USVs emitted by subjects, but not their overall calling rates, were affected by playback of some vocal categories, suggesting that vocalization categories have different communication content. These results show that, even in the absence of behavioral and acoustic contextual features, each vocal category evokes physiological and behavioral responses in mice, with some differences in responses as a function of the listener’s sex and playback signal. These findings suggest that at least some of the vocal categories have distinct communicative functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra C Niemczura
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, United States.,School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| | - Jasmine M Grimsley
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, United States.,School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| | - Chae Kim
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, United States
| | - Ahmad Alkhawaga
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, United States
| | - Austin Poth
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, United States
| | - Alyssa Carvalho
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, United States
| | - Jeffrey J Wenstrup
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, United States.,School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States.,Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
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19
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Hechavarría JC, Jerome Beetz M, García-Rosales F, Kössl M. Bats distress vocalizations carry fast amplitude modulations that could represent an acoustic correlate of roughness. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7332. [PMID: 32355293 PMCID: PMC7192923 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64323-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Communication sounds are ubiquitous in the animal kingdom, where they play a role in advertising physiological states and/or socio-contextual scenarios. Human screams, for example, are typically uttered in fearful contexts and they have a distinctive feature termed as "roughness", which depicts amplitude fluctuations at rates from 30-150 Hz. In this article, we report that the occurrence of fast acoustic periodicities in harsh sounding vocalizations is not unique to humans. A roughness-like structure is also present in vocalizations emitted by bats (species Carollia perspicillata) in distressful contexts. We report that 47.7% of distress calls produced by bats carry amplitude fluctuations at rates ~1.7 kHz (>10 times faster than temporal modulations found in human screams). In bats, rough-like vocalizations entrain brain potentials and are more effective in accelerating the bats' heart rate than slow amplitude modulated sounds. Our results are consistent with a putative role of fast amplitude modulations (roughness in humans) for grabbing the listeners attention in situations in which the emitter is in distressful, potentially dangerous, contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio C Hechavarría
- Institut für Zellbiologie und Neurowissenschaft, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/M., Germany.
| | - M Jerome Beetz
- Institut für Zellbiologie und Neurowissenschaft, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/M., Germany
- Zoology II Emmy-Noether Animal Navigation Group, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Manfred Kössl
- Institut für Zellbiologie und Neurowissenschaft, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/M., Germany
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20
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Ito T, Yamamoto R, Furuyama T, Hase K, Kobayasi KI, Hiryu S, Honma S. Three forebrain structures directly inform the auditory midbrain of echolocating bats. Neurosci Lett 2019; 712:134481. [PMID: 31494222 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2019.134481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Echolocating bats emit various types of vocalizations for navigation and communication, and need to pay attention to vocal sounds. Projections from forebrain centers to auditory centers are involved in the attention to vocalizations, with the inferior colliculus (IC) being the main target of the projections. Here, using a retrograde tracer, we demonstrate that three forebrain structures, namely, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), amygdala, and auditory cortex (AC), send direct descending projections to the central nucleus of IC. We found that all three structures projected to the bilateral IC. A comparison of the patterns of retrogradely labeled cells across animals suggests that the ipsilateral AC-IC projection is topographically organized, whereas mPFC-IC or amygdala-IC projections did not show clear topographic organization. Together with evidence from previous studies, these results suggest that three descending projections to the IC form loops between the forebrain and IC to make attention to various vocal sounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsufumi Ito
- Department of Anatomy, Kanazawa Medical University, Uchinada, Ishikawa, 920-0293, Japan.
| | - Ryo Yamamoto
- Department of Physiology, Kanazawa Medical University, Uchinada, Ishikawa, 920-0293, Japan
| | - Takafumi Furuyama
- Department of Physiology, Kanazawa Medical University, Uchinada, Ishikawa, 920-0293, Japan; Neuroethology and Bioengineering Laboratory, Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0394, Japan
| | - Kazuma Hase
- Neuroethology and Bioengineering Laboratory, Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0394, Japan
| | - Kohta I Kobayasi
- Neuroethology and Bioengineering Laboratory, Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0394, Japan
| | - Shizuko Hiryu
- Neuroethology and Bioengineering Laboratory, Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0394, Japan
| | - Satoru Honma
- Department of Anatomy, Kanazawa Medical University, Uchinada, Ishikawa, 920-0293, Japan
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21
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López-Jury L, Mannel A, García-Rosales F, Hechavarria JC. Modified synaptic dynamics predict neural activity patterns in an auditory field within the frontal cortex. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 51:1011-1025. [PMID: 31630441 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14600] [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] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Frontal areas of the mammalian cortex are thought to be important for cognitive control and complex behaviour. These areas have been studied mostly in humans, non-human primates and rodents. In this article, we present a quantitative characterization of response properties of a frontal auditory area responsive to sound in the brain of Carollia perspicillata, the frontal auditory field (FAF). Bats are highly vocal animals, and they constitute an important experimental model for studying the auditory system. We combined electrophysiology experiments and computational simulations to compare the response properties of auditory neurons found in the bat FAF and auditory cortex (AC) to simple sounds (pure tones). Anatomical studies have shown that the latter provides feedforward inputs to the former. Our results show that bat FAF neurons are responsive to sounds, and however, when compared to AC neurons, they presented sparser, less precise spiking and longer-lasting responses. Based on the results of an integrate-and-fire neuronal model, we suggest that slow, subthreshold, synaptic dynamics can account for the activity pattern of neurons in the FAF. These properties reflect the general function of the frontal cortex and likely result from its connections with multiple brain regions, including cortico-cortical projections from the AC to the FAF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana López-Jury
- Institut für Zellbiologie und Neurowissenschaft, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Adrian Mannel
- Institut für Zellbiologie und Neurowissenschaft, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | | | - Julio C Hechavarria
- Institut für Zellbiologie und Neurowissenschaft, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
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22
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Multidimensional Neural Selectivity in the Primate Amygdala. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0153-19.2019. [PMID: 31533960 PMCID: PMC6791828 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0153-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The amygdala contributes to multiple functions including attention allocation, sensory processing, decision-making, and the elaboration of emotional behaviors. The diversity of functions attributed to the amygdala is reflected in the response selectivity of its component neurons. Previous work claimed that subsets of neurons differentiate between broad categories of stimuli (e.g., objects vs faces, rewards vs punishment), while other subsets are narrowly specialized to respond to individual faces or facial features (e.g., eyes). Here we explored the extent to which the same neurons contribute to more than one neural subpopulation in a task that activated multiple functions of the amygdala. The subjects (Macaca mulatta) watched videos depicting conspecifics or inanimate objects, and learned by trial and error to choose the individuals or objects associated with the highest rewards. We found that the same neurons responded selectively to two or more of the following task events or stimulus features: (1) alerting, task-related stimuli (fixation icon, video start, and video end); (2) reward magnitude; (3) stimulus categories (social vs nonsocial); and (4) stimulus-unique features (faces, eyes). A disproportionate number of neurons showed selectivity for all of the examined stimulus features and task events. These results suggest that neurons that appear specialized and uniquely tuned to specific stimuli (e.g., face cells, eye cells) are likely to respond to multiple other types of stimuli or behavioral events, if/when these become behaviorally relevant in the context of a complex task. This multidimensional selectivity supports a flexible, context-dependent evaluation of inputs and subsequent decision making based on the activity of the same neural ensemble.
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23
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Hörpel SG, Firzlaff U. Processing of fast amplitude modulations in bat auditory cortex matches communication call-specific sound features. J Neurophysiol 2019; 121:1501-1512. [PMID: 30785811 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00748.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Bats use a large repertoire of calls for social communication. In the bat Phyllostomus discolor, social communication calls are often characterized by sinusoidal amplitude and frequency modulations with modulation frequencies in the range of 100-130 Hz. However, peaks in mammalian auditory cortical modulation transfer functions are typically limited to modulation frequencies below 100 Hz. We investigated the coding of sinusoidally amplitude modulated sounds in auditory cortical neurons in P. discolor by constructing rate and temporal modulation transfer functions. Neuronal responses to playbacks of various communication calls were additionally recorded and compared with the neurons' responses to sinusoidally amplitude-modulated sounds. Cortical neurons in the posterior dorsal field of the auditory cortex were tuned to unusually high modulation frequencies: rate modulation transfer functions often peaked around 130 Hz (median: 87 Hz), and the median of the highest modulation frequency that evoked significant phase-locking was also 130 Hz. Both values are much higher than reported from the auditory cortex of other mammals, with more than 51% of the units preferring modulation frequencies exceeding 100 Hz. Conspicuously, the fast modulations preferred by the neurons match the fast amplitude and frequency modulations of prosocial, and mostly of aggressive, communication calls in P. discolor. We suggest that the preference for fast amplitude modulations in the P. discolor dorsal auditory cortex serves to reliably encode the fast modulations seen in their communication calls. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Neural processing of temporal sound features is crucial for the analysis of communication calls. In bats, these calls are often characterized by fast temporal envelope modulations. Because auditory cortex neurons typically encode only low modulation frequencies, it is unclear how species-specific vocalizations are cortically processed. We show that auditory cortex neurons in the bat Phyllostomus discolor encode fast temporal envelope modulations. This property improves response specificity to communication calls and thus might support species-specific communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Gareth Hörpel
- Chair of Zoology, Department of Animal Sciences, Technical University of Munich , Freising , Germany
| | - Uwe Firzlaff
- Chair of Zoology, Department of Animal Sciences, Technical University of Munich , Freising , Germany
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24
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Rodenas-Cuadrado PM, Mengede J, Baas L, Devanna P, Schmid TA, Yartsev M, Firzlaff U, Vernes SC. Mapping the distribution of language related genes FoxP1, FoxP2, and CntnaP2 in the brains of vocal learning bat species. J Comp Neurol 2018; 526:1235-1266. [PMID: 29297931 PMCID: PMC5900884 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Genes including FOXP2, FOXP1, and CNTNAP2, have been implicated in human speech and language phenotypes, pointing to a role in the development of normal language‐related circuitry in the brain. Although speech and language are unique to humans a comparative approach is possible by addressing language‐relevant traits in animal systems. One such trait, vocal learning, represents an essential component of human spoken language, and is shared by cetaceans, pinnipeds, elephants, some birds and bats. Given their vocal learning abilities, gregarious nature, and reliance on vocalizations for social communication and navigation, bats represent an intriguing mammalian system in which to explore language‐relevant genes. We used immunohistochemistry to detail the distribution of FoxP2, FoxP1, and Cntnap2 proteins, accompanied by detailed cytoarchitectural histology in the brains of two vocal learning bat species; Phyllostomus discolor and Rousettus aegyptiacus. We show widespread expression of these genes, similar to what has been previously observed in other species, including humans. A striking difference was observed in the adult P. discolor bat, which showed low levels of FoxP2 expression in the cortex that contrasted with patterns found in rodents and nonhuman primates. We created an online, open‐access database within which all data can be browsed, searched, and high resolution images viewed to single cell resolution. The data presented herein reveal regions of interest in the bat brain and provide new opportunities to address the role of these language‐related genes in complex vocal‐motor and vocal learning behaviors in a mammalian model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro M Rodenas-Cuadrado
- Neurogenetics of Vocal Communication Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, 6500 AH, The Netherlands
| | - Janine Mengede
- Neurogenetics of Vocal Communication Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, 6500 AH, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Baas
- Neurogenetics of Vocal Communication Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, 6500 AH, The Netherlands
| | - Paolo Devanna
- Neurogenetics of Vocal Communication Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, 6500 AH, The Netherlands
| | - Tobias A Schmid
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 94720
| | - Michael Yartsev
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 94720.,Department of Bioengineering, UC Berkeley, 306 University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720
| | - Uwe Firzlaff
- Department Tierwissenschaften, Lehrstuhl für Zoologie, TU München, München, 85354, Germany
| | - Sonja C Vernes
- Neurogenetics of Vocal Communication Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, 6500 AH, The Netherlands.,Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Nijmegen, 6525 EN, The Netherlands
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25
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Vocal sequences suppress spiking in the bat auditory cortex while evoking concomitant steady-state local field potentials. Sci Rep 2016; 6:39226. [PMID: 27976691 PMCID: PMC5156950 DOI: 10.1038/srep39226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms by which the mammalian brain copes with information from natural vocalization streams remain poorly understood. This article shows that in highly vocal animals, such as the bat species Carollia perspicillata, the spike activity of auditory cortex neurons does not track the temporal information flow enclosed in fast time-varying vocalization streams emitted by conspecifics. For example, leading syllables of so-called distress sequences (produced by bats subjected to duress) suppress cortical spiking to lagging syllables. Local fields potentials (LFPs) recorded simultaneously to cortical spiking evoked by distress sequences carry multiplexed information, with response suppression occurring in low frequency LFPs (i.e. 2–15 Hz) and steady-state LFPs occurring at frequencies that match the rate of energy fluctuations in the incoming sound streams (i.e. >50 Hz). Such steady-state LFPs could reflect underlying synaptic activity that does not necessarily lead to cortical spiking in response to natural fast time-varying vocal sequences.
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26
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Fujii TG, Ikebuchi M, Okanoya K. Auditory Responses to Vocal Sounds in the Songbird Nucleus Taeniae of the Amygdala and the Adjacent Arcopallium. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2016; 87:275-89. [PMID: 27529803 DOI: 10.1159/000447233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Many species of animals communicate with others through vocalizations. Over time, these species have evolved mechanisms to respond to biologically relevant vocal sounds via adaptive behaviors. Songbirds provide a good opportunity to search for the neural basis of this adaptation, because they interact with others through a variety of vocalizations in complex social relationships. The nucleus taeniae of the amygdala (TnA) is a structure located in the ventromedial arcopallium, which is akin to the mammalian medial amygdala. Studies on the anatomy and function of this nucleus have led to the speculation that the TnA is one of the possible neural substrates that represents the relevance of acoustic stimuli related to behavior. However, neural responses in this nucleus to auditory stimuli have not been studied in depth. To give a detailed description about auditory responses of the TnA in the songbird, we conducted neural recordings from the TnA and the adjacent arcopallium in adult male and female Bengalese finches under anesthesia. The birds were exposed to auditory stimuli including natural vocalizations as well as synthesized noise. We demonstrated that a substantial population of neurons in the TnA and the adjacent arcopallium responded to vocal sounds and that some neurons were selectively activated to specific stimuli. Proportions of responsive cells and stimulus-selective cells were larger in males than in females. In addition, a larger ratio of selective cells was observed in the arcopallium compared to the TnA. These findings support the idea that neuronal activity in the TnA and the neighboring area represents behavioral relevance of sounds. Further studies in electrophysiology combined with evidence from other fields, such as region-specific gene expression patterns, are required to fully understand the functions of the TnA as well as the evolution of the amygdala in songbirds and vertebrate animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko G Fujii
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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