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Pusch R, Packheiser J, Azizi AH, Sevincik CS, Rose J, Cheng S, Stüttgen MC, Güntürkün O. Working memory performance is tied to stimulus complexity. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1119. [PMID: 37923920 PMCID: PMC10624839 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05486-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Working memory is the cognitive capability to maintain and process information over short periods. Behavioral and computational studies have shown that visual information is associated with working memory performance. However, the underlying neural correlates remain unknown. To identify how visual information affects working memory performance, we conducted behavioral experiments in pigeons (Columba livia) and single unit recordings in the avian prefrontal analog, the nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL). Complex pictures featuring luminance, spatial and color information, were associated with higher working memory performance compared to uniform gray pictures in conjunction with distinct neural coding patterns. For complex pictures, we found a multiplexed neuronal code displaying visual and value-related features that switched to a representation of the upcoming choice during a delay period. When processing gray stimuli, NCL neurons did not multiplex and exclusively represented the choice already during stimulus presentation and throughout the delay period. The prolonged representation possibly resulted in a decay of the memory trace ultimately leading to a decrease in performance. In conclusion, we found that high stimulus complexity is associated with neuronal multiplexing of the working memory representation possibly allowing a facilitated read-out of the neural code resulting in enhancement of working memory performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Pusch
- Department of Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44780, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Julian Packheiser
- Department of Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44780, Bochum, Germany
- Social Brain Lab, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Amir Hossein Azizi
- Department of Systems Biology, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII), Karaj, Iran
| | - Celil Semih Sevincik
- Department of Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Jonas Rose
- Neural Basis of Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sen Cheng
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Maik C Stüttgen
- Institute of Pathophysiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Duesbergweg 6, D-55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Department of Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44780, Bochum, Germany
- Research Center One Health Ruhr, Research Alliance Ruhr, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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2
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Hahn LA, Rose J. Executive Control of Sequence Behavior in Pigeons Involves Two Distinct Brain Regions. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0296-22.2023. [PMID: 36849259 PMCID: PMC9997693 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0296-22.2023] [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: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Executive functions arise from multiple regions of the brain acting in concert. To facilitate such cross-regional computations, the brain is organized into distinct executive networks, like the frontoparietal network. Despite similar cognitive abilities across many domains, little is known about such executive networks in birds. Recent advances in avian fMRI have shown a possible subset of regions, including the nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) and the lateral part of medial intermediate nidopallium (NIML), that may contribute to complex cognition, forming an action control system of pigeons. We investigated the neuronal activity of NCL and NIML. Single-cell recordings were obtained during the execution of a complex sequential motor task that required executive control to stop executing one behavior and continue with a different one. We compared the neuronal activity of NIML to NCL and found that both regions fully processed the ongoing sequential execution of the task. Differences arose from how behavioral outcome was processed. Our results indicate that NCL takes on a role in evaluating outcome, while NIML is more tightly associated with ongoing sequential steps. Importantly, both regions seem to contribute to overall behavioral output as parts of a possible avian executive network, crucial for behavioral flexibility and decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Alexander Hahn
- Neural Basis of Learning, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Jonas Rose
- Neural Basis of Learning, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
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3
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Herold C, Ockermann PN, Amunts K. Behavioral Training Related Neurotransmitter Receptor Expression Dynamics in the Nidopallium Caudolaterale and the Hippocampal Formation of Pigeons. Front Physiol 2022; 13:883029. [PMID: 35600306 PMCID: PMC9114877 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.883029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning and memory are linked to dynamic changes at the level of synapses in brain areas that are involved in cognitive tasks. For example, changes in neurotransmitter receptors are prerequisite for tuning signals along local circuits and long-range networks. However, it is still unclear how a series of learning events promotes plasticity within the system of neurotransmitter receptors and their subunits to shape information processing at the neuronal level. Therefore, we investigated the expression of different glutamatergic NMDA (GRIN) and AMPA (GRIA) receptor subunits, the GABAergic GABARG2 subunit, dopaminergic DRD1, serotonergic 5HTR1A and noradrenergic ADRA1A receptors in the pigeon’s brain. We studied the nidopallium caudolaterale, the avian analogue of the prefrontal cortex, and the hippocampal formation, after training the birds in a rewarded stimulus-response association (SR) task and in a simultaneous-matching-to-sample (SMTS) task. The results show that receptor expression changed differentially after behavioral training compared to an untrained control group. In the nidopallium caudolaterale, GRIN2B, GRIA3, GRIA4, DRD1D, and ADRA1A receptor expression was altered after SR training and remained constantly decreased after the SMTS training protocol, while GRIA2 and DRD1A decreased only under the SR condition. In the hippocampal formation, GRIN2B decreased and GABARG2 receptor expression increased after SR training. After SMTS sessions, GRIN2B remained decreased, GABARG2 remained increased if compared to the control group. None of the investigated receptors differed directly between both conditions, although differentially altered. The changes in both regions mostly occur in favor of the stimulus response task. Thus, the present data provide evidence that neurotransmitter receptor expression dynamics play a role in the avian prefrontal cortex and the hippocampal formation for behavioral training and is uniquely, regionally and functionally associated to cognitive processes including learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Herold
- C. & O. Vogt-Institute for Brain Research, Medical Faculty, University Hospital and Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Philipp N Ockermann
- C. & O. Vogt-Institute for Brain Research, Medical Faculty, University Hospital and Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Katrin Amunts
- C. & O. Vogt-Institute for Brain Research, Medical Faculty, University Hospital and Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine INM-1, Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
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4
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Behroozi M, Helluy X, Ströckens F, Gao M, Pusch R, Tabrik S, Tegenthoff M, Otto T, Axmacher N, Kumsta R, Moser D, Genc E, Güntürkün O. Event-related functional MRI of awake behaving pigeons at 7T. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4715. [PMID: 32948772 PMCID: PMC7501281 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18437-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal-fMRI is a powerful method to understand neural mechanisms of cognition, but it remains a major challenge to scan actively participating small animals under low-stress conditions. Here, we present an event-related functional MRI platform in awake pigeons using single-shot RARE fMRI to investigate the neural fundaments for visually-guided decision making. We established a head-fixated Go/NoGo paradigm, which the animals quickly learned under low-stress conditions. The animals were motivated by water reward and behavior was assessed by logging mandibulations during the fMRI experiment with close to zero motion artifacts over hundreds of repeats. To achieve optimal results, we characterized the species-specific hemodynamic response function. As a proof-of-principle, we run a color discrimination task and discovered differential neural networks for Go-, NoGo-, and response execution-phases. Our findings open the door to visualize the neural fundaments of perceptual and cognitive functions in birds-a vertebrate class of which some clades are cognitively on par with primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Behroozi
- Department of Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Xavier Helluy
- Department of Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
- Department of Neurophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Felix Ströckens
- Department of Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Meng Gao
- Department of Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Roland Pusch
- Department of Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sepideh Tabrik
- Department of Neurology, BG-University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr University Bochum, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany
| | - Martin Tegenthoff
- Department of Neurology, BG-University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr University Bochum, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany
| | - Tobias Otto
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Nikolai Axmacher
- Department of Neuropsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Robert Kumsta
- Department of Genetic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Dirk Moser
- Department of Genetic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Erhan Genc
- Department of Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), 44139, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Department of Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany.
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5
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Spatial planning with long visual range benefits escape from visual predators in complex naturalistic environments. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3057. [PMID: 32546681 PMCID: PMC7298009 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16102-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
It is uncontroversial that land animals have more elaborated cognitive abilities than their aquatic counterparts such as fish. Yet there is no apparent a-priori reason for this. A key cognitive faculty is planning. We show that in visually guided predator-prey interactions, planning provides a significant advantage, but only on land. During animal evolution, the water-to-land transition resulted in a massive increase in visual range. Simulations of behavior identify a specific type of terrestrial habitat, clustered open and closed areas (savanna-like), where the advantage of planning peaks. Our computational experiments demonstrate how this patchy terrestrial structure, in combination with enhanced visual range, can reveal and hide agents as a function of their movement and create a selective benefit for imagining, evaluating, and selecting among possible future scenarios-in short, for planning. The vertebrate invasion of land may have been an important step in their cognitive evolution.
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von Eugen K, Tabrik S, Güntürkün O, Ströckens F. A comparative analysis of the dopaminergic innervation of the executive caudal nidopallium in pigeon, chicken, zebra finch, and carrion crow. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:2929-2955. [PMID: 32020608 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Despite the long, separate evolutionary history of birds and mammals, both lineages developed a rich behavioral repertoire of remarkably similar executive control generated by distinctly different brains. The seat for executive functioning in birds is the nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) and the mammalian equivalent is known as the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Both are densely innervated by dopaminergic fibers, and are an integration center of sensory input and motor output. Whereas the variation of the PFC has been well documented in different mammalian orders, we know very little about the NCL across the avian clade. In order to investigate whether this structure adheres to species-specific variations, this study aimed to describe the trajectory of the NCL in pigeon, chicken, carrion crow and zebra finch. We employed immunohistochemistry to map dopaminergic innervation, and executed a Gallyas stain to visualize the dorsal arcopallial tract that runs between the NCL and the arcopallium. Our analysis showed that whereas the trajectory of the NCL in the chicken is highly comparable to the pigeon, the two Passeriformes show a strikingly different pattern. In both carrion crow and zebra finch, we identified four different subareas of high dopaminergic innervation that span the entire caudal forebrain. Based on their sensory input, motor output, and involvement in dopamine-related cognitive control of the delineated areas here, we propose that at least three morphologically different subareas constitute the NCL in these songbirds. Thus, our study shows that comparable to the PFC in mammals, the NCL in birds varies considerably across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaya von Eugen
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sepideh Tabrik
- Neurologische Klinik, Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil GmbH, Bochum, Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Felix Ströckens
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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7
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Li M, Liang Y, Yang L, Wang H, Yang Z, Zhao K, Shang Z, Wan H. Automatic bad channel detection in implantable brain-computer interfaces using multimodal features based on local field potentials and spike signals. Comput Biol Med 2020; 116:103572. [DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2019.103572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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8
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Dykes M, Porter B, Colombo M. Neurons in the pigeon nidopallium caudolaterale, but not the corticoidea dorsolateralis, display value and effort discounting activity. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15677. [PMID: 31666634 PMCID: PMC6821692 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52216-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
We recorded from single neurons in two areas of the pigeon brain while birds were required to peck a stimulus indicating either a high effort task or a low effort task would follow. Upon completion of the task the birds received the same reward. We found that activity in the nidopallium caudolaterale, an area equivalent to the mammalian prefrontal cortex, was modulated by the value of the reward that would be received based on how much effort was required to obtain it. Value coding was most prominent during the presentation of the stimulus indicating a high or low effort task, and in the delay period immediately prior to carrying out the effort task. In contrast, activity in the corticoidea dorsolateralis was not modulated by value, however, population firing patterns suggest that it may be involved in associating actions with outcomes. Our findings support the view that activity in the nidopallium caudolaterale reflects value of reward as a function of effort discounting and as such may serve functions similar to the mammalian anterior cingulate cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline Dykes
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
| | - Blake Porter
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Michael Colombo
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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9
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Zhao K, Nie J, Yang L, Liu X, Shang Z, Wan H. Hippocampus-nidopallium caudolaterale interactions exist in the goal-directed behavior of pigeon. Brain Res Bull 2019; 153:257-265. [PMID: 31541677 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2019.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Avian hippocampus (Hp) and nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) are believed to play key roles in goal-directed behavior. However, it is still unclear whether there are interactions between the two brain regions in the goal-directed behavior of pigeons. To investigate the interactions between the Hp and the NCL in the goal-directed behavior, we recorded local field potential (LFP) signals from the two regions simultaneously when the pigeons performed a goal-directed decision-making task. Amplitude-amplitude coupling analysis revealed that the coupling value between the LFP recorded from the Hp and that from the NCL increased significantly (P < 0.05) in slow gamma-band (40-60 Hz) during the turning area. In addition, the LFP functional network analysis demonstrated the LFP functional connections between the Hp and the NCL increased significantly (P < 0.05) in the turning area. The result of partial directed coherence (PDC) analysis showed that the predominant direction of information flow is thought to be from the Hp to the NCL. These findings suggest that there are causal functional interactions between the Hp and the NCL by which information is transmitted between the two regions relevant to goal-directed behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Zhao
- School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Brain-Computer Interface Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Jiejie Nie
- School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Brain-Computer Interface Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Lifang Yang
- School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Brain-Computer Interface Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Xinyu Liu
- School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Brain-Computer Interface Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China; School of Intelligent Manufacturing, Huanghuai University, Zhumadian, 463000, China
| | - Zhigang Shang
- School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Brain-Computer Interface Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China.
| | - Hong Wan
- School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Brain-Computer Interface Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China.
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10
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Packheiser J, Güntürkün O, Pusch R. Renewal of extinguished behavior in pigeons (Columba livia) does not require memory consolidation of acquisition or extinction in a free-operant appetitive conditioning paradigm. Behav Brain Res 2019; 370:111947. [PMID: 31102600 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.111947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Extinction learning is a fundamental capacity for adaptive and flexible behavior. As extinguished conditioned responding is prone to relapse under certain conditions, the necessity of memory consolidation for recovery phenomena to occur has been highlighted recently. Several studies have demonstrated that both acquisition and extinction training need to be properly consolidated for a relapse of the original acquired memory trace to occur. Does this imply that extinguished responses cannot relapse before memory consolidation? To answer this question, we investigated the renewal effect subsequent to an immediate or a delayed (24 h) extinction in a discriminative operant conditioning paradigm. In three different experiments, we could show (1) that acquisition learning does not need to be long-term consolidated for the occurrence of renewal, (2) that the offset of extinction training is a reliable marker for extinction recall in a free-operant extinction learning paradigm where organisms undergo consecutive acquisition training, extinction training as well as testing of conditioned responding and (3), that immediate and long-term consolidated renewal do not demonstrate any qualitative difference in terms of the behavioral output. Our results indicate on the behavioral level that the inhibitory nature of extinction is already present in free-operant learning paradigms and that it does not seem to be affected by the absence of long-term memory consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Packheiser
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany.
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
| | - Roland Pusch
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
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11
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Azizi AH, Pusch R, Koenen C, Klatt S, Bröker F, Thiele S, Kellermann J, Güntürkün O, Cheng S. Emerging category representation in the visual forebrain hierarchy of pigeons (Columba livia). Behav Brain Res 2019; 356:423-434. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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12
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13
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Goal-directed behavior elevates gamma oscillations in nidopallium caudolaterale of pigeon. Brain Res Bull 2018; 137:10-16. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2017.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2017] [Revised: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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14
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Veit L, Hartmann K, Nieder A. Spatially Tuned Neurons in Corvid Nidopallium Caudolaterale Signal Target Position During Visual Search. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:1103-1112. [PMID: 26656724 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv299] [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] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The avian pallial endbrain area nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) shows important similarities to mammalian prefrontal cortex in connectivity, dopamine neurochemistry, and function. Neuronal processing in NCL has been studied with respect to sensory, cognitive, and reward information, but little is known about its role in more direct control of motor behavior. We investigated NCL activity during the choice period of a delayed match-to-sample task, as 2 trained crows searched and selected a previously remembered visual target among an array of 4 pictures. The crows exhibited behavioral response patterns consistent with serial visual search. Many single NCL neurons were spatially tuned to specific target positions during visual search and directed motor behavior. Moreover, single NCL neurons dynamically changed their tuning properties to represent different behaviorally relevant task variables across the trial. In consecutive task periods, single neurons responded to visual stimuli, stored stimulus information in working memory, guided goal-directed behavior depending on the remembered target picture, and encoded trial outcomes. This flexible encoding of all task-relevant aspects in the executive control of goal-directed behavior represents a striking convergence to neuronal encoding in primate prefrontal cortex. These data highlight key properties of associative endbrain areas underlying flexible cognitive behavior in corvids and primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Veit
- Animal Physiology, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Konstantin Hartmann
- Animal Physiology, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Nieder
- Animal Physiology, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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15
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Chen Y, Liu X, Li S, Wan H. Decoding Pigeon Behavior Outcomes Using Functional Connections among Local Field Potentials. COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND NEUROSCIENCE 2018; 2018:3505371. [PMID: 29666632 PMCID: PMC5832173 DOI: 10.1155/2018/3505371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Revised: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies indicate that the local field potential (LFP) carries information about an animal's behavior, but issues regarding whether there are any relationships between the LFP functional networks and behavior tasks as well as whether it is possible to employ LFP network features to decode the behavioral outcome in a single trial remain unresolved. In this study, we developed a network-based method to decode the behavioral outcomes in pigeons by using the functional connectivity strength values among LFPs recorded from the nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL). In our method, the functional connectivity strengths were first computed based on the synchronization likelihood. Second, the strength values were unwrapped into row vectors and their dimensions were then reduced by principal component analysis. Finally, the behavioral outcomes in single trials were decoded using leave-one-out combined with the k-nearest neighbor method. The results showed that the LFP functional network based on the gamma-band was related to the goal-directed behavior of pigeons. Moreover, the accuracy of the network features (74 ± 8%) was significantly higher than that of the power features (61 ± 12%). The proposed method provides a powerful tool for decoding animal behavior outcomes using a neural functional network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Chen
- School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xinyu Liu
- School of Information Engineering, Huanghuai University, Zhumadian, Henan, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Brain-Computer Interface Technology, School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Shan Li
- School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Hong Wan
- School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Brain-Computer Interface Technology, School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
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Veit L, Pidpruzhnykova G, Nieder A. Learning Recruits Neurons Representing Previously Established Associations in the Corvid Endbrain. J Cogn Neurosci 2017; 29:1712-1724. [PMID: 28557688 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Crows quickly learn arbitrary associations. As a neuronal correlate of this behavior, single neurons in the corvid endbrain area nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) change their response properties during association learning. In crows performing a delayed association task that required them to map both familiar and novel sample pictures to the same two choice pictures, NCL neurons established a common, prospective code for associations. Here, we report that neuronal tuning changes during learning were not distributed equally in the recorded population of NCL neurons. Instead, such learning-related changes relied almost exclusively on neurons which were already encoding familiar associations. Only in such neurons did behavioral improvements during learning of novel associations coincide with increasing selectivity over the learning process. The size and direction of selectivity for familiar and newly learned associations were highly correlated. These increases in selectivity for novel associations occurred only late in the delay period. Moreover, NCL neurons discriminated correct from erroneous trial outcome based on feedback signals at the end of the trial, particularly in newly learned associations. Our results indicate that task-relevant changes during association learning are not distributed within the population of corvid NCL neurons but rather are restricted to a specific group of association-selective neurons. Such association neurons in the multimodal cognitive integration area NCL likely play an important role during highly flexible behavior in corvids.
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Starosta S, Bartetzko I, Stüttgen MC, Güntürkün O. Integration of contextual cues into memory depends on "prefrontal" N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2017; 144:19-26. [PMID: 28559170 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2017.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Revised: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Every learning event is embedded in a context, but not always does the context become an integral part of the memory; however, for extinction learning it usually does, resulting in context-specific conditioned responding. The neuronal mechanisms underlying contextual control have been mainly investigated for Pavlovian fear extinction with a focus on hippocampal structures. However, the initial acquisition of novel responses can be subject to contextual control as well, although the neuronal mechanisms are mostly unknown. Here, we tested the hypothesis that contextual control of acquisition depends on glutamatergic transmission underlying executive functions in forebrain areas, e.g. by shifting attention to critical cues. Thus, we antagonized N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors with 2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (AP5) in the pigeon nidopallium caudolaterale, the functional analogue of mammalian prefrontal cortex, during the concomitant acquisition and extinction of conditioned responding to two different stimuli. This paradigm has previously been shown to lead to contextual control over extinguished as well as non-extinguished responding. NMDA receptor blockade resulted in an impairment of extinction learning, but left the acquisition of responses to a novel stimulus unaffected. Critically, when responses were tested in a different context in the retrieval phase, we observed that NMDA receptor blockade led to the abolishment of contextual control over acquisition performance. This result is predicted by a model describing response inclination as the product of associative strength and contextual gain. In this model, learning under AP5 leads to a change in the contextual gain on the learned association, possibly via the modulation of attentional mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Starosta
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
| | - Isabelle Bartetzko
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Maik C Stüttgen
- Institute of Pathophysiology & Focus Program Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
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Liu X, Wan H, Li S, Shang Z, Shi L. The role of nidopallium caudolaterale in the goal-directed behavior of pigeons. Behav Brain Res 2017; 326:112-120. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.02.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2016] [Revised: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Gökhan N, Neuwirth LS, Meehan EF. The effects of low dose MK-801 administration on NMDAR dependent executive functions in pigeons. Physiol Behav 2017; 173:243-251. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Revised: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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Manns M, Krause C, Gao M. It takes two to tango: hemispheric integration in pigeons requires both hemispheres to solve a transitive inference task. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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21
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Johnston M, Anderson C, Colombo M. Neural correlates of sample-coding and reward-coding in the delay activity of neurons in the entopallium and nidopallium caudolaterale of pigeons ( Columba livia ). Behav Brain Res 2017; 317:382-392. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Revised: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 10/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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22
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Neurons in the pigeon caudolateral nidopallium differentiate Pavlovian conditioned stimuli but not their associated reward value in a sign-tracking paradigm. Sci Rep 2016; 6:35469. [PMID: 27762287 PMCID: PMC5071861 DOI: 10.1038/srep35469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals exploit visual information to identify objects, form stimulus-reward associations, and prepare appropriate behavioral responses. The nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL), an associative region of the avian endbrain, contains neurons exhibiting prominent response modulation during presentation of reward-predicting visual stimuli, but it is unclear whether neural activity represents valuation signals, stimulus properties, or sensorimotor contingencies. To test the hypothesis that NCL neurons represent stimulus value, we subjected pigeons to a Pavlovian sign-tracking paradigm in which visual cues predicted rewards differing in magnitude (large vs. small) and delay to presentation (short vs. long). Subjects' strength of conditioned responding to visual cues reliably differentiated between predicted reward types and thus indexed valuation. The majority of NCL neurons discriminated between visual cues, with discriminability peaking shortly after stimulus onset and being maintained at lower levels throughout the stimulus presentation period. However, while some cells' firing rates correlated with reward value, such neurons were not more frequent than expected by chance. Instead, neurons formed discernible clusters which differed in their preferred visual cue. We propose that this activity pattern constitutes a prerequisite for using visual information in more complex situations e.g. requiring value-based choices.
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Starosta S, Uengoer M, Bartetzko I, Lucke S, Güntürkün O, Stüttgen MC. Context specificity of both acquisition and extinction of a Pavlovian conditioned response. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 23:639-643. [PMID: 27918284 PMCID: PMC5066607 DOI: 10.1101/lm.043075.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
It is widely held that the extinction of a conditioned response is more context specific than its initial acquisition. One proposed explanation is that context serves to disambiguate the meaning of a stimulus. Using a procedure that equated the learning histories of the contexts, we show that the memory of an appetitive Pavlovian association can be highly context specific despite being unambiguous. This result is inconsistent with predictions of the Rescorla–Wagner model of learning but in line with configural accounts of contextual control of behavior. We propose an explanatory model in which context serves to modulate the gain of associative strength and which expands upon the configural idea of unitary representations of context and conditioned stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Starosta
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Metin Uengoer
- Faculty of Psychology, Section for Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-University Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany
| | - Isabelle Bartetzko
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Sara Lucke
- Faculty of Psychology, Section for Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-University Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Maik C Stüttgen
- Institute of Pathophysiology & Focus Program Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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24
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Güntürkün O, Bugnyar T. Cognition without Cortex. Trends Cogn Sci 2016; 20:291-303. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2016.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Revised: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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25
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Koenen C, Pusch R, Bröker F, Thiele S, Güntürkün O. Categories in the pigeon brain: A reverse engineering approach. J Exp Anal Behav 2015; 105:111-22. [DOI: 10.1002/jeab.179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Koenen
- Biopsychology; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience; Ruhr-University Bochum; Germany
- International Graduate School of Neuroscience; Ruhr-University Bochum; Germany
| | - Roland Pusch
- Biopsychology; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience; Ruhr-University Bochum; Germany
| | - Franziska Bröker
- Biopsychology; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience; Ruhr-University Bochum; Germany
| | - Samuel Thiele
- Biopsychology; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience; Ruhr-University Bochum; Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Biopsychology; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience; Ruhr-University Bochum; Germany
- International Graduate School of Neuroscience; Ruhr-University Bochum; Germany
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Lengersdorf D, Marks D, Uengoer M, Stüttgen MC, Güntürkün O. Blocking NMDA-receptors in the pigeon's "prefrontal" caudal nidopallium impairs appetitive extinction learning in a sign-tracking paradigm. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:85. [PMID: 25918502 PMCID: PMC4394694 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Extinction learning provides the ability to flexibly adapt to new contingencies by learning to inhibit previously acquired associations in a context-dependent manner. The neural networks underlying extinction learning were mostly studied in rodents using fear extinction paradigms. To uncover invariant properties of the neural basis of extinction learning, we employ pigeons as a model system. Since the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of mammals is a key structure for extinction learning, we assessed the role of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) in the nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL), the avian functional equivalent of mammalian PFC. Since NMDARs in PFC have been shown to be relevant for extinction learning, we locally antagonized NMDARs through 2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerianacid (APV) during extinction learning in a within-subject sign-tracking ABA-renewal paradigm. APV-injection slowed down extinction learning and in addition also caused a disinhibition of responding to a continuously reinforced control stimulus. In subsequent retrieval sessions, spontaneous recovery was increased while ABA renewal was unaffected. The effect of APV resembles that observed in studies of fear extinction with rodents, suggesting common neural substrates of extinction under both appetitive and aversive conditions and highlighting the similarity of mammalian PFC and the avian caudal nidopallium despite 300 million years of independent evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Lengersdorf
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University BochumBochum, Germany
| | - David Marks
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University BochumBochum, Germany
| | - Metin Uengoer
- Department of Psychology, Philipps-University MarburgMarburg, Germany
| | - Maik C. Stüttgen
- Institute of Pathophysiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg UniversityMainz, Germany
- Focus Program Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg UniversityMainz, Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University BochumBochum, Germany
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27
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Lengersdorf D, Pusch R, Güntürkün O, Stüttgen MC. Neurons in the pigeon nidopallium caudolaterale signal the selection and execution of perceptual decisions. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 40:3316-27. [PMID: 25146245 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2014] [Revised: 06/24/2014] [Accepted: 07/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Sensory systems provide organisms with information on the current status of the environment, thus enabling adaptive behavior. The neural mechanisms by which sensory information is exploited for action selection are typically studied with mammalian subjects performing perceptual decision-making tasks, and most of what is known about these mechanisms at the single-neuron level is derived from cortical recordings in behaving monkeys. To explore the generality of neural mechanisms underlying perceptual decision making across species, we recorded single-neuron activity in the pigeon nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL), a non-laminated associative forebrain structure thought to be functionally equivalent to mammalian prefrontal cortex, while subjects performed a visual categorisation task. We found that, whereas the majority of NCL neurons unspecifically upregulated or downregulated activity during stimulus presentation, ~20% of neurons exhibited differential activity for the sample stimuli and predicted upcoming choices. Moreover, neural activity in these neurons was ramping up during stimulus presentation and remained elevated until a choice was initiated, a response pattern similar to that found in monkey prefrontal and parietal cortices in saccadic choice tasks. In addition, many NCL neurons coded for movement direction during choice execution and differentiated between choice outcomes (reward and punishment). Taken together, our results implicate the NCL in the selection and execution of operant responses, an interpretation resonating well with the results of previous lesion studies. The resemblance of the response patterns of NCL neurons to those observed in mammalian cortex suggests that, despite differing neural architectures, mechanisms for perceptual decision making are similar across classes of vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Lengersdorf
- Department of Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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28
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Mandelblat-Cerf Y, Las L, Denisenko N, Fee MS. A role for descending auditory cortical projections in songbird vocal learning. eLife 2014; 3. [PMID: 24935934 PMCID: PMC4113997 DOI: 10.7554/elife.02152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2013] [Accepted: 06/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many learned motor behaviors are acquired by comparing ongoing behavior with an internal representation of correct performance, rather than using an explicit external reward. For example, juvenile songbirds learn to sing by comparing their song with the memory of a tutor song. At present, the brain regions subserving song evaluation are not known. In this study, we report several findings suggesting that song evaluation involves an avian 'cortical' area previously shown to project to the dopaminergic midbrain and other downstream targets. We find that this ventral portion of the intermediate arcopallium (AIV) receives inputs from auditory cortical areas, and that lesions of AIV result in significant deficits in vocal learning. Additionally, AIV neurons exhibit fast responses to disruptive auditory feedback presented during singing, but not during nonsinging periods. Our findings suggest that auditory cortical areas may guide learning by transmitting song evaluation signals to the dopaminergic midbrain and/or other subcortical targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Mandelblat-Cerf
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Liora Las
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Natalia Denisenko
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Michale S Fee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
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29
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Starosta S, Stüttgen MC, Güntürkün O. Recording single neurons' action potentials from freely moving pigeons across three stages of learning. J Vis Exp 2014. [PMID: 24961391 DOI: 10.3791/51283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
While the subject of learning has attracted immense interest from both behavioral and neural scientists, only relatively few investigators have observed single-neuron activity while animals are acquiring an operantly conditioned response, or when that response is extinguished. But even in these cases, observation periods usually encompass only a single stage of learning, i.e. acquisition or extinction, but not both (exceptions include protocols employing reversal learning; see Bingman et al.(1) for an example). However, acquisition and extinction entail different learning mechanisms and are therefore expected to be accompanied by different types and/or loci of neural plasticity. Accordingly, we developed a behavioral paradigm which institutes three stages of learning in a single behavioral session and which is well suited for the simultaneous recording of single neurons' action potentials. Animals are trained on a single-interval forced choice task which requires mapping each of two possible choice responses to the presentation of different novel visual stimuli (acquisition). After having reached a predefined performance criterion, one of the two choice responses is no longer reinforced (extinction). Following a certain decrement in performance level, correct responses are reinforced again (reacquisition). By using a new set of stimuli in every session, animals can undergo the acquisition-extinction-reacquisition process repeatedly. Because all three stages of learning occur in a single behavioral session, the paradigm is ideal for the simultaneous observation of the spiking output of multiple single neurons. We use pigeons as model systems, but the task can easily be adapted to any other species capable of conditioned discrimination learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Starosta
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Biopsychology, Ruhr-University Bochum;
| | - Maik C Stüttgen
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Biopsychology, Ruhr-University Bochum
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Biopsychology, Ruhr-University Bochum
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30
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Coppola VJ, Spencer JM, Peterson RM, Bingman VP. Hippocampal lesions in homing pigeons do not impair feature-quality or feature-quantity discrimination. Behav Brain Res 2014; 260:83-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.11.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2013] [Revised: 11/22/2013] [Accepted: 11/24/2013] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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Transient inactivation of the pigeon hippocampus or the nidopallium caudolaterale during extinction learning impairs extinction retrieval in an appetitive conditioning paradigm. Behav Brain Res 2014; 265:93-100. [PMID: 24569011 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2013] [Revised: 02/14/2014] [Accepted: 02/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The majority of experiments exploring context-dependent extinction learning employ Pavlovian fear conditioning in rodents. Since mechanisms of appetitive and aversive learning are known to differ at the neuronal level, we sought to investigate extinction learning in an appetitive setting. Working with pigeons, we established a within-subject ABA renewal paradigm based on Rescorla (Q J Exp Psychol 61:1793) and combined it with pharmacological interventions during extinction. From the fear conditioning literature, it is known that both prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus are core structures for context-specific extinction learning. Accordingly, we transiently inactivated the nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL, a functional analogue of mammalian prefrontal cortex) and the hippocampus in separate experiments by intracranial infusion of the sodium-channel blocker tetrodotoxin immediately before extinction training. We find that TTX in both structures non-specifically suppresses conditioned responding, as revealed by a reduction of response rate to both the extinguished conditioned stimulus and a control stimulus which remained reinforced throughout the experiment. Furthermore, TTX during extinction training impaired later extinction retrieval assessed under drug-free conditions. This was true when responding to the extinguished stimulus was assessed in the context of extinction but not when tested in the context of acquisition, although both contexts were matched with respect to their history of conditioning. These results indicate that both NCL and hippocampus are involved in extinction learning under appetitive conditions or, more specifically, in the consolidation of extinction memory, and that their contribution to extinction is context-specific.
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32
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Schwarz JS, Sridharan D, Knudsen EI. Magnetic tracking of eye position in freely behaving chickens. Front Syst Neurosci 2013; 7:91. [PMID: 24312023 PMCID: PMC3833096 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2013.00091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2013] [Accepted: 10/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on the visual system of non-primates, such as birds and rodents, is increasing. Evidence that neural responses can differ dramatically between head-immobilized and freely behaving animals underlines the importance of studying visual processing in ethologically relevant contexts. In order to systematically study visual responses in freely behaving animals, an unobtrusive system for monitoring eye-in-orbit position in real time is essential. We describe a novel system for monitoring eye position that utilizes a head-mounted magnetic displacement sensor coupled with an eye-implanted magnet. This system is small, lightweight, and offers high temporal and spatial resolution in real time. We use the system to demonstrate the stability of the eye and the stereotypy of eye position during two different behavioral tasks in chickens. This approach offers a viable alternative to search coil and optical eye tracking techniques for high resolution tracking of eye-in-orbit position in behaving animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason S Schwarz
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford, CA, USA
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33
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Stüttgen MC, Kasties N, Lengersdorf D, Starosta S, Güntürkün O, Jäkel F. Suboptimal criterion setting in a perceptual choice task with asymmetric reinforcement. Behav Processes 2013; 96:59-70. [PMID: 23466903 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2013.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2012] [Revised: 12/18/2012] [Accepted: 02/18/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Performance on psychophysical tasks is influenced by a variety of non-sensory factors, most notably the magnitude or probability of reinforcement following correct responses. When reinforcement probability is unequal for hits and correct rejections, signal detection theory specifies an optimal decision criterion which maximizes the number of reinforcers. We subjected pigeons to a task in which six different stimuli (shades of gray) had to be assigned to one of two categories. Animals were confronted with asymmetric reinforcement schedules in which correct responses to five of the stimuli were reinforced with a probability of 0.5, while correct responses to the remaining stimulus were extinguished. The subjects' resultant choice probabilities clearly deviated from those predicted by a maximization account. More specifically, the magnitude of the choice bias increased with the distance of the to-be-extinguished stimulus to the category boundary, a pattern opposite to that posited by maximization. The present and a previous set of results in which animals performed optimally can be explained by a simple choice mechanism in which a variable decision criterion is constantly updated according to a leaky integration of incomes attained from both response options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maik C Stüttgen
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Biopsychology, University of Bochum, GAFO 05/620, Bochum, Germany.
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