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MacDonald A, Hebling A, Wei XP, Yackle K. The breath shape controls intonation of mouse vocalizations. eLife 2024; 13:RP93079. [PMID: 38963785 PMCID: PMC11223766 DOI: 10.7554/elife.93079] [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: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Intonation in speech is the control of vocal pitch to layer expressive meaning to communication, like increasing pitch to indicate a question. Also, stereotyped patterns of pitch are used to create distinct sounds with different denotations, like in tonal languages and, perhaps, the 10 sounds in the murine lexicon. A basic tone is created by exhalation through a constricted laryngeal voice box, and it is thought that more complex utterances are produced solely by dynamic changes in laryngeal tension. But perhaps, the shifting pitch also results from altering the swiftness of exhalation. Consistent with the latter model, we describe that intonation in most vocalization types follows deviations in exhalation that appear to be generated by the re-activation of the cardinal breathing muscle for inspiration. We also show that the brainstem vocalization central pattern generator, the iRO, can create this breath pattern. Consequently, ectopic activation of the iRO not only induces phonation, but also the pitch patterns that compose most of the vocalizations in the murine lexicon. These results reveal a novel brainstem mechanism for intonation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alastair MacDonald
- Department of Physiology, University of California-San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Alina Hebling
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California-San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Xin Paul Wei
- Department of Physiology, University of California-San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California-San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Kevin Yackle
- Department of Physiology, University of California-San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
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2
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Hersh TA, Ravignani A, Whitehead H. Cetaceans are the next frontier for vocal rhythm research. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2313093121. [PMID: 38814875 PMCID: PMC11194516 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313093121] [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: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
While rhythm can facilitate and enhance many aspects of behavior, its evolutionary trajectory in vocal communication systems remains enigmatic. We can trace evolutionary processes by investigating rhythmic abilities in different species, but research to date has largely focused on songbirds and primates. We present evidence that cetaceans-whales, dolphins, and porpoises-are a missing piece of the puzzle for understanding why rhythm evolved in vocal communication systems. Cetaceans not only produce rhythmic vocalizations but also exhibit behaviors known or thought to play a role in the evolution of different features of rhythm. These behaviors include vocal learning abilities, advanced breathing control, sexually selected vocal displays, prolonged mother-infant bonds, and behavioral synchronization. The untapped comparative potential of cetaceans is further enhanced by high interspecific diversity, which generates natural ranges of vocal and social complexity for investigating various evolutionary hypotheses. We show that rhythm (particularly isochronous rhythm, when sounds are equally spaced in time) is prevalent in cetacean vocalizations but is used in different contexts by baleen and toothed whales. We also highlight key questions and research areas that will enhance understanding of vocal rhythms across taxa. By coupling an infraorder-level taxonomic assessment of vocal rhythm production with comparisons to other species, we illustrate how broadly comparative research can contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the prevalence, evolution, and possible functions of rhythm in animal communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor A. Hersh
- Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University, Newport, OR97365
- Comparative Bioacoustics Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen6525 XD, The Netherlands
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, HalifaxNS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Andrea Ravignani
- Comparative Bioacoustics Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen6525 XD, The Netherlands
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus8000, Denmark
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome00185, Italy
| | - Hal Whitehead
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, HalifaxNS B3H 4R2, Canada
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3
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MacDonald A, Hebling A, Wei XP, Yackle K. The breath shape controls intonation of mouse vocalizations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.16.562597. [PMID: 37904912 PMCID: PMC10614923 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.16.562597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Intonation in speech is the control of vocal pitch to layer expressive meaning to communication, like increasing pitch to indicate a question. Also, stereotyped patterns of pitch are used to create distinct sounds with different denotations, like in tonal languages and, perhaps, the ten sounds in the murine lexicon. A basic tone is created by exhalation through a constricted laryngeal voice box, and it is thought that more complex utterances are produced solely by dynamic changes in laryngeal tension. But perhaps, the shifting pitch also results from altering the swiftness of exhalation. Consistent with the latter model, we describe that intonation in most vocalization types follows deviations in exhalation that appear to be generated by the re-activation of the cardinal breathing muscle for inspiration. We also show that the brainstem vocalization central pattern generator, the iRO, can create this breath pattern. Consequently, ectopic activation of the iRO not only induces phonation, but also the pitch patterns that compose most of the vocalizations in the murine lexicon. These results reveal a novel brainstem mechanism for intonation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alastair MacDonald
- Department of Physiology, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143
| | - Alina Hebling
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Xin Paul Wei
- Department of Physiology, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Kevin Yackle
- Department of Physiology, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143
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4
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Perrodin C, Verzat C, Bendor D. Courtship behaviour reveals temporal regularity is a critical social cue in mouse communication. eLife 2023; 12:RP86464. [PMID: 38149925 PMCID: PMC10752583 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86464] [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: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
While animals navigating the real world face a barrage of sensory input, their brains evolved to perceptually compress multidimensional information by selectively extracting the features relevant for survival. Notably, communication signals supporting social interactions in several mammalian species consist of acoustically complex sequences of vocalisations. However, little is known about what information listeners extract from such time-varying sensory streams. Here, we utilise female mice's natural behavioural response to male courtship songs to identify the relevant acoustic dimensions used in their social decisions. We found that females were highly sensitive to disruptions of song temporal regularity and preferentially approached playbacks of intact over rhythmically irregular versions of male songs. In contrast, female behaviour was invariant to manipulations affecting the songs' sequential organisation or the spectro-temporal structure of individual syllables. The results reveal temporal regularity as a key acoustic cue extracted by mammalian listeners from complex vocal sequences during goal-directed social behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Perrodin
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Colombine Verzat
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Idiap Research InstituteMartignySwitzerland
| | - Daniel Bendor
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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5
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Glass TJ, Lenell C, Fisher EH, Yang Q, Connor NP. Ultrasonic vocalization phenotypes in the Ts65Dn and Dp(16)1Yey mouse models of Down syndrome. Physiol Behav 2023; 271:114323. [PMID: 37573959 PMCID: PMC10592033 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114323] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is a developmental disorder associated with a high incidence of challenges in vocal communication. DS can involve medical co-morbidities and structural social factors that may impact communication outcomes, which can present difficulties for the study of vocal communication challenges. Mouse models of DS may be used to study vocal communication differences associated with this syndrome and allow for greater control and consistency of environmental factors. Prior work has demonstrated differences in ultrasonic vocalization (USV) of the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS at a young adult age, however it is not known how USV characteristics are manifested at mature ages. Given that the aging process and age-related co-morbidities may also impact communication in DS, addressing this gap in knowledge may be of value for efforts to understand communication difficulties in DS across the lifespan. The current study hypothesized that the Ts65Dn and Dp(16)1Yey mouse models of DS would demonstrate differences in multiple measures of USV communication at a mature adult age of 5 months. METHODS Ts65Dn mice (n = 16) and euploid controls (n = 19), as well as Dp(16)1Yey mice (n = 20) and wild-type controls (n = 22), were evaluated at 5 months of age for USV production using a mating paradigm. Video footage of USV sessions were analyzed to quantify social behaviors of male mice during USV testing sessions. USV recordings were analyzed using Deepsqueak software to identify 10 vocalization types, which were quantified for 11 acoustic measures. RESULTS Ts65Dn, but not Dp(16)1Yey, showed significantly lower proportions of USVs classified as Step Up, Short, and Frequency Steps, and significantly higher proportions of USVs classified as Inverted U, than euploid controls. Both Ts65Dn and Dp(16)1Yey groups had significantly greater values for power and tonality for USVs than respective control groups. While Ts65Dn showed lower frequencies than controls, Dp(16)1Yey showed higher frequencies than controls. Finally, Ts65Dn showed reductions in a measure of complexity for some call types. No significant differences between genotype groups were identified in analysis of behaviors during testing sessions. CONCLUSION While both Ts65Dn and Dp(16)1Yey show significant differences in USV measures at 5 months of age, of the two models, Ts65Dn shows a relatively greater numbers of differences. Characterization of communication phenotypes in mouse models of DS may be helpful in laying the foundation for future translational advances in the area of communication difficulties associated with DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany J Glass
- Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Charles Lenell
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, USA
| | - Erin H Fisher
- Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Qiuyu Yang
- Department of Surgery, Statistical Analysis and Research Programming Core, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Nadine P Connor
- Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
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6
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Gan-Or B, London M. Cortical circuits modulate mouse social vocalizations. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade6992. [PMID: 37774030 PMCID: PMC10541007 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade6992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Vocalizations provide a means of communication with high fidelity and information rate for many species. Diencephalon and brainstem neural circuits have been shown to control mouse vocal production; however, the role of cortical circuits in this process is debatable. Using electrical and optogenetic stimulation, we identified a cortical region in the anterior cingulate cortex in which stimulation elicits ultrasonic vocalizations. Moreover, fiber photometry showed an increase in Ca2+ dynamics preceding vocal initiation, whereas optogenetic suppression in this cortical area caused mice to emit fewer vocalizations. Last, electrophysiological recordings indicated a differential increase in neural activity in response to female social exposure dependent on vocal output. Together, these results indicate that the cortex is a key node in the neuronal circuits controlling vocal behavior in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Gan-Or
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences and Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
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7
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Verga L, Kotz SA, Ravignani A. The evolution of social timing. Phys Life Rev 2023; 46:131-151. [PMID: 37419011 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2023.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Sociality and timing are tightly interrelated in human interaction as seen in turn-taking or synchronised dance movements. Sociality and timing also show in communicative acts of other species that might be pleasurable, but also necessary for survival. Sociality and timing often co-occur, but their shared phylogenetic trajectory is unknown: How, when, and why did they become so tightly linked? Answering these questions is complicated by several constraints; these include the use of divergent operational definitions across fields and species, the focus on diverse mechanistic explanations (e.g., physiological, neural, or cognitive), and the frequent adoption of anthropocentric theories and methodologies in comparative research. These limitations hinder the development of an integrative framework on the evolutionary trajectory of social timing and make comparative studies not as fruitful as they could be. Here, we outline a theoretical and empirical framework to test contrasting hypotheses on the evolution of social timing with species-appropriate paradigms and consistent definitions. To facilitate future research, we introduce an initial set of representative species and empirical hypotheses. The proposed framework aims at building and contrasting evolutionary trees of social timing toward and beyond the crucial branch represented by our own lineage. Given the integration of cross-species and quantitative approaches, this research line might lead to an integrated empirical-theoretical paradigm and, as a long-term goal, explain why humans are such socially coordinated animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Verga
- Comparative Bioacoustic Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
| | - Sonja A Kotz
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Andrea Ravignani
- Comparative Bioacoustic Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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8
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Jefferson SJ, Gregg I, Dibbs M, Liao C, Wu H, Davoudian PA, Woodburn SC, Wehrle PH, Sprouse JS, Sherwood AM, Kaye AP, Pittenger C, Kwan AC. 5-MeO-DMT modifies innate behaviors and promotes structural neural plasticity in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:1257-1266. [PMID: 37015972 PMCID: PMC10354037 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01572-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Serotonergic psychedelics are gaining increasing interest as potential therapeutics for a range of mental illnesses. Compounds with short-lived subjective effects may be clinically useful because dosing time would be reduced, which may improve patient access. One short-acting psychedelic is 5-MeO-DMT, which has been associated with improvement in depression and anxiety symptoms in early phase clinical studies. However, relatively little is known about the behavioral and neural mechanisms of 5-MeO-DMT, particularly the durability of its long-term effects. Here we characterized the effects of 5-MeO-DMT on innate behaviors and dendritic architecture in mice. We showed that 5-MeO-DMT induces a dose-dependent increase in head-twitch response that is shorter in duration than that induced by psilocybin at all doses tested. 5-MeO-DMT also substantially suppresses social ultrasonic vocalizations produced during mating behavior. 5-MeO-DMT produces long-lasting increases in dendritic spine density in the mouse medial frontal cortex that are driven by an elevated rate of spine formation. However, unlike psilocybin, 5-MeO-DMT did not affect the size of dendritic spines. These data provide insights into the behavioral and neural consequences underlying the action of 5-MeO-DMT and highlight similarities and differences with those of psilocybin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Jefferson
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Ian Gregg
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Mark Dibbs
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Clara Liao
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Hao Wu
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Pasha A Davoudian
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Samuel C Woodburn
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Patrick H Wehrle
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | | | | | - Alfred P Kaye
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
- VA National Center for PTSD Clinical Neuroscience Division, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA
| | - Christopher Pittenger
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Alex C Kwan
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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9
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Sterling ML, Teunisse R, Englitz B. Rodent ultrasonic vocal interaction resolved with millimeter precision using hybrid beamforming. eLife 2023; 12:e86126. [PMID: 37493217 PMCID: PMC10522333 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) fulfill an important role in communication and navigation in many species. Because of their social and affective significance, rodent USVs are increasingly used as a behavioral measure in neurodevelopmental and neurolinguistic research. Reliably attributing USVs to their emitter during close interactions has emerged as a difficult, key challenge. If addressed, all subsequent analyses gain substantial confidence. We present a hybrid ultrasonic tracking system, Hybrid Vocalization Localizer (HyVL), that synergistically integrates a high-resolution acoustic camera with high-quality ultrasonic microphones. HyVL is the first to achieve millimeter precision (~3.4-4.8 mm, 91% assigned) in localizing USVs, ~3× better than other systems, approaching the physical limits (mouse snout ~10 mm). We analyze mouse courtship interactions and demonstrate that males and females vocalize in starkly different relative spatial positions, and that the fraction of female vocalizations has likely been overestimated previously due to imprecise localization. Further, we find that when two male mice interact with one female, one of the males takes a dominant role in the interaction both in terms of the vocalization rate and the location relative to the female. HyVL substantially improves the precision with which social communication between rodents can be studied. It is also affordable, open-source, easy to set up, can be integrated with existing setups, and reduces the required number of experiments and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max L Sterling
- Computational Neuroscience Lab, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Visual Neuroscience Lab, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Ruben Teunisse
- Computational Neuroscience Lab, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Bernhard Englitz
- Computational Neuroscience Lab, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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10
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Nocon JC, Gritton HJ, James NM, Mount RA, Qu Z, Han X, Sen K. Parvalbumin neurons enhance temporal coding and reduce cortical noise in complex auditory scenes. Commun Biol 2023; 6:751. [PMID: 37468561 PMCID: PMC10356822 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05126-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortical representations supporting many cognitive abilities emerge from underlying circuits comprised of several different cell types. However, cell type-specific contributions to rate and timing-based cortical coding are not well-understood. Here, we investigated the role of parvalbumin neurons in cortical complex scene analysis. Many complex scenes contain sensory stimuli which are highly dynamic in time and compete with stimuli at other spatial locations. Parvalbumin neurons play a fundamental role in balancing excitation and inhibition in cortex and sculpting cortical temporal dynamics; yet their specific role in encoding complex scenes via timing-based coding, and the robustness of temporal representations to spatial competition, has not been investigated. Here, we address these questions in auditory cortex of mice using a cocktail party-like paradigm, integrating electrophysiology, optogenetic manipulations, and a family of spike-distance metrics, to dissect parvalbumin neurons' contributions towards rate and timing-based coding. We find that suppressing parvalbumin neurons degrades cortical discrimination of dynamic sounds in a cocktail party-like setting via changes in rapid temporal modulations in rate and spike timing, and over a wide range of time-scales. Our findings suggest that parvalbumin neurons play a critical role in enhancing cortical temporal coding and reducing cortical noise, thereby improving representations of dynamic stimuli in complex scenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Carlo Nocon
- Neurophotonics Center, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
- Hearing Research Center, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
| | - Howard J Gritton
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, 61820, IL, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, 61820, IL, USA
| | - Nicholas M James
- Neurophotonics Center, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
- Hearing Research Center, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
| | - Rebecca A Mount
- Neurophotonics Center, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
- Hearing Research Center, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
| | - Zhili Qu
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, 61820, IL, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, 61820, IL, USA
| | - Xue Han
- Neurophotonics Center, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
- Hearing Research Center, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
| | - Kamal Sen
- Neurophotonics Center, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA.
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA.
- Hearing Research Center, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA.
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11
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Jourjine N, Woolfolk ML, Sanguinetti-Scheck JI, Sabatini JE, McFadden S, Lindholm AK, Hoekstra HE. Two pup vocalization types are genetically and functionally separable in deer mice. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1237-1248.e4. [PMID: 36893759 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.02.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
Vocalization is a widespread social behavior in vertebrates that can affect fitness in the wild. Although many vocal behaviors are highly conserved, heritable features of specific vocalization types can vary both within and between species, raising the questions of why and how some vocal behaviors evolve. Here, using new computational tools to automatically detect and cluster vocalizations into distinct acoustic categories, we compare pup isolation calls across neonatal development in eight taxa of deer mice (genus Peromyscus) and compare them with laboratory mice (C57BL6/J strain) and free-living, wild house mice (Mus musculus domesticus). Whereas both Peromyscus and Mus pups produce ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), Peromyscus pups also produce a second call type with acoustic features, temporal rhythms, and developmental trajectories that are distinct from those of USVs. In deer mice, these lower frequency "cries" are predominantly emitted in postnatal days one through nine, whereas USVs are primarily made after day 9. Using playback assays, we show that cries result in a more rapid approach by Peromyscus mothers than USVs, suggesting a role for cries in eliciting parental care early in neonatal development. Using a genetic cross between two sister species of deer mice exhibiting large, innate differences in the acoustic structure of cries and USVs, we find that variation in vocalization rate, duration, and pitch displays different degrees of genetic dominance and that cry and USV features can be uncoupled in second-generation hybrids. Taken together, this work shows that vocal behavior can evolve quickly between closely related rodent species in which vocalization types, likely serving distinct functions in communication, are controlled by distinct genetic loci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Jourjine
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Science, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Maya L Woolfolk
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Science, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Juan I Sanguinetti-Scheck
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Science, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - John E Sabatini
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Science, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Sade McFadden
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Science, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Anna K Lindholm
- Department of Evolutionary Biology & Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse, 190 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Hopi E Hoekstra
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Science, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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12
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Möhrle D, Yuen M, Zheng A, Haddad FL, Allman BL, Schmid S. Characterizing maternal isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations in a gene-environment interaction rat model for autism. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2023:e12841. [PMID: 36751016 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Deficits in social communication and language development belong to the earliest diagnostic criteria of autism spectrum disorders. Of the many risk factors for autism spectrum disorder, the contactin-associated protein-like 2 gene, CNTNAP2, is thought to be important for language development. The present study used a rat model to investigate the potential compounding effects of autism spectrum disorder risk gene mutation and environmental challenges, including breeding conditions or maternal immune activation during pregnancy, on early vocal communication in the offspring. Maternal isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations from Cntnap2 wildtype and knockout rats at selected postnatal days were analyzed for their acoustic, temporal and syntax characteristics. Cntnap2 knockout pups from heterozygous breeding showed normal numbers and largely similar temporal structures of ultrasonic vocalizations to wildtype controls, whereas both parameters were affected in homozygously bred knockouts. Homozygous breeding further exacerbated altered pitch and transitioning between call types found in Cntnap2 knockout pups from heterozygous breeding. In contrast, the effect of maternal immune activation on the offspring's vocal communication was confined to call type syntax, but left ultrasonic vocalization acoustic and temporal organization intact. Our results support the "double-hit hypothesis" of autism spectrum disorder risk gene-environment interactions and emphasize that complex features of vocal communication are a useful tool for identifying early autistic-like features in rodent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorit Möhrle
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Megan Yuen
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alice Zheng
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Faraj L Haddad
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brian L Allman
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Susanne Schmid
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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13
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Pranic NM, Kornbrek C, Yang C, Cleland TA, Tschida KA. Rates of ultrasonic vocalizations are more strongly related than acoustic features to non-vocal behaviors in mouse pups. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:1015484. [PMID: 36600992 PMCID: PMC9805956 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1015484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mouse pups produce. ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in response to isolation from the nest (i.e., isolation USVs). Rates and acoustic features of isolation USVs change dramatically over the first two weeks of life, and there is also substantial variability in the rates and acoustic features of isolation USVs at a given postnatal age. The factors that contribute to within age variability in isolation USVs remain largely unknown. Here, we explore the extent to which non-vocal behaviors of mouse pups relate to the within age variability in rates and acoustic features of their USVs. We recorded non-vocal behaviors of isolated C57BL/6J mouse pups at four postnatal ages (postnatal days 5, 10, 15, and 20), measured rates of isolation USV production, and applied a combination of pre-defined acoustic feature measurements and an unsupervised machine learning-based vocal analysis method to examine USV acoustic features. When we considered different categories of non-vocal behavior, our analyses revealed that mice in all postnatal age groups produce higher rates of isolation USVs during active non-vocal behaviors than when lying still. Moreover, rates of isolation USVs are correlated with the intensity (i.e., magnitude) of non-vocal body and limb movements within a given trial. In contrast, USVs produced during different categories of non-vocal behaviors and during different intensities of non-vocal movement do not differ substantially in their acoustic features. Our findings suggest that levels of behavioral arousal contribute to within age variability in rates, but not acoustic features, of mouse isolation USVs.
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14
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Kelley DB. Convergent and divergent neural circuit architectures that support acoustic communication. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:976789. [PMID: 36466364 PMCID: PMC9712726 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.976789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Vocal communication is used across extant vertebrates, is evolutionarily ancient, and been maintained, in many lineages. Here I review the neural circuit architectures that support intraspecific acoustic signaling in representative anuran, mammalian and avian species as well as two invertebrates, fruit flies and Hawaiian crickets. I focus on hindbrain motor control motifs and their ties to respiratory circuits, expression of receptors for gonadal steroids in motor, sensory, and limbic neurons as well as divergent modalities that evoke vocal responses. Hindbrain and limbic participants in acoustic communication are highly conserved, while forebrain participants have diverged between anurans and mammals, as well as songbirds and rodents. I discuss the roles of natural and sexual selection in driving speciation, as well as exaptation of circuit elements with ancestral roles in respiration, for producing sounds and driving rhythmic vocal features. Recent technical advances in whole brain fMRI across species will enable real time imaging of acoustic signaling partners, tying auditory perception to vocal production.
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15
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Stoumpou V, Vargas CDM, Schade PF, Boyd JL, Giannakopoulos T, Jarvis ED. Analysis of Mouse Vocal Communication (AMVOC): a deep, unsupervised method for rapid detection, analysis and classification of ultrasonic vocalisations. BIOACOUSTICS 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2022.2099973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Stoumpou
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - César D. M. Vargas
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics of Language, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peter F. Schade
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics of Language, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Laboratory of Neural Systems, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - J. Lomax Boyd
- Berman Institute of Bioethics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Theodoros Giannakopoulos
- Computational Intelligence Lab, Institute of Informatics and Telecommunications, National Center of Scientific Research 'Demokritos', Athens, Greece
| | - Erich D. Jarvis
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics of Language, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
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16
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Karigo T. Gaining insights into the internal states of the rodent brain through vocal communications. Neurosci Res 2022; 184:1-8. [PMID: 35908736 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2022.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Animals display various behaviors during social interactions. Social behaviors have been proposed to be driven by the internal states of the animals, reflecting their emotional or motivational states. However, the internal states that drive social behaviors are complex and difficult to interpret. Many animals, including mice, use vocalizations for communication in various social contexts. This review provides an overview of current understandings of mouse vocal communications, its underlying neural circuitry, and the potential to use vocal communications as a readout for the animal's internal states during social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomomi Karigo
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18,TianQiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena CA 91125, USA; Present address: Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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17
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Autistic-like behavioral effects of prenatal stress in juvenile Fmr1 mice: the relevance of sex differences and gene-environment interactions. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7269. [PMID: 35508566 PMCID: PMC9068699 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11083-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the most common heritable form of mental retardation and monogenic cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). FXS is due to a mutation in the X-linked FMR1 gene and is characterized by motor, cognitive and social alterations, mostly overlapping with ASD behavioral phenotypes. The severity of these symptoms and their timing may be exacerbated and/or advanced by environmental adversity interacting with the genetic mutation. We therefore tested the effects of the prenatal exposure to unpredictable chronic stress on the behavioral phenotype of juveniles of both sexes in the Fmr1 knock-out (KO) mouse model of FXS. Mice underwent behavioral tests at 7-8 weeks of age, that is, when most of the relevant behavioral alterations are absent or mild in Fmr1-KOs. Stress induced the early appearance of deficits in spontaneous alternation in KO male mice, without exacerbating the behavioral phenotype of mutant females. In males stress also altered social interaction and communication, but mostly in WT mice, while in females it induced effects on locomotion and communication in mice of both genotypes. Our data therefore highlight the sex-dependent relevance of early environmental stressors to interact with genetic factors to influence the appearance of selected FXS- and ASD-like phenotypes.
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18
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Abstract
Social interactions can bolster and protect memory performance. However, the relationship between social stimuli and individually learned memories remains enigmatic. Our work reveals that exposure to a stressed, naïve nonfamiliar conspecific or to the ambient olfactory–auditory cues of a recently stressed familiar conspecific induces reactivation of the cellular ensembles associated with a fear memory in the hippocampus. Artificially stimulating the hippocampal ensemble active during the social experience induces fearful behaviors in animals that have previously acquired a negative memory, revealing the interaction between individual history and social experience. The neural resurgence of fear-driving ensembles during social experiences leads to a context-specific enhancement of fear recall. Our findings provide evidence that unlike direct stressors, social stimuli reactivate and amplify an individual’s memories. For group-living animals, the social environment provides salient experience that can weaken or strengthen aspects of cognition such as memory recall. Although the cellular substrates of individually acquired fear memories in the dentate gyrus (DG) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) have been well-studied and recent work has revealed circuit mechanisms underlying the encoding of social experience, the processes by which social experience interacts with an individual’s memories to alter recall remain unknown. Here we show that stressful social experiences enhance the recall of previously acquired fear memories in male but not female mice, and that social buffering of conspecifics’ distress blocks this enhancement. Activity-dependent tagging of cells in the DG during fear learning revealed that these ensembles were endogenously reactivated during the social experiences in males, even after extinction. These reactivated cells were shown to be functional components of engrams, as optogenetic stimulation of the cells active during the social experience in previously fear-conditioned and not naïve animals was sufficient to drive fear-related behaviors. Taken together, our findings suggest that social experiences can reactivate preexisting engrams to thereby strengthen discrete memories.
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19
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Turk AZ, Bishop M, Adeck A, SheikhBahaei S. Astrocytic modulation of central pattern generating motor circuits. Glia 2022; 70:1506-1519. [PMID: 35212422 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Central pattern generators (CPGs) generate the rhythmic and coordinated neural features necessary for the proper conduction of complex behaviors. In particular, CPGs are crucial for complex motor behaviors such as locomotion, mastication, respiration, and vocal production. While the importance of these networks in modulating behavior is evident, the mechanisms driving these CPGs are still not fully understood. On the other hand, accumulating evidence suggests that astrocytes have a significant role in regulating the function of some of these CPGs. Here, we review the location, function, and role of astrocytes in locomotion, respiration, and mastication CPGs and propose that, similarly, astrocytes may also play a significant role in the vocalization CPG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariana Z Turk
- Neuron-Glia Signaling and Circuits Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Mitchell Bishop
- Neuron-Glia Signaling and Circuits Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Afuh Adeck
- Neuron-Glia Signaling and Circuits Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Shahriar SheikhBahaei
- Neuron-Glia Signaling and Circuits Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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20
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Sainburg T, Gentner TQ. Toward a Computational Neuroethology of Vocal Communication: From Bioacoustics to Neurophysiology, Emerging Tools and Future Directions. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:811737. [PMID: 34987365 PMCID: PMC8721140 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.811737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently developed methods in computational neuroethology have enabled increasingly detailed and comprehensive quantification of animal movements and behavioral kinematics. Vocal communication behavior is well poised for application of similar large-scale quantification methods in the service of physiological and ethological studies. This review describes emerging techniques that can be applied to acoustic and vocal communication signals with the goal of enabling study beyond a small number of model species. We review a range of modern computational methods for bioacoustics, signal processing, and brain-behavior mapping. Along with a discussion of recent advances and techniques, we include challenges and broader goals in establishing a framework for the computational neuroethology of vocal communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Sainburg
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Center for Academic Research & Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Timothy Q. Gentner
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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21
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Henry MJ, Cook PF, de Reus K, Nityananda V, Rouse AA, Kotz SA. An ecological approach to measuring synchronization abilities across the animal kingdom. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200336. [PMID: 34420382 PMCID: PMC8380968 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In this perspective paper, we focus on the study of synchronization abilities across the animal kingdom. We propose an ecological approach to studying nonhuman animal synchronization that begins from observations about when, how and why an animal might synchronize spontaneously with natural environmental rhythms. We discuss what we consider to be the most important, but thus far largely understudied, temporal, physical, perceptual and motivational constraints that must be taken into account when designing experiments to test synchronization in nonhuman animals. First and foremost, different species are likely to be sensitive to and therefore capable of synchronizing at different timescales. We also argue that it is fruitful to consider the latent flexibility of animal synchronization. Finally, we discuss the importance of an animal's motivational state for showcasing synchronization abilities. We demonstrate that the likelihood that an animal can successfully synchronize with an environmental rhythm is context-dependent and suggest that the list of species capable of synchronization is likely to grow when tested with ecologically honest, species-tuned experiments. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Synchrony and rhythm interaction: from the brain to behavioural ecology’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly J Henry
- Research Group 'Neural and Environmental Rhythms', Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Grüneburgweg 14, 60322 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Peter F Cook
- Department of Psychology, New College of Florida, 5800 Bayshore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34234, USA
| | - Koen de Reus
- Comparative Bioacoustics Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Wundtlaan 1, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Artificial Intelligence Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Boulevard de la Plaine 9, 1050 Ixelles, Belgium
| | - Vivek Nityananda
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Andrew A Rouse
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, 419 Boston Ave, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Sonja A Kotz
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
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22
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Scott KJ, Tashakori-Sabzevar F, Bilkey DK. Maternal immune activation alters the sequential structure of ultrasonic communications in male rats. Brain Behav Immun Health 2021; 16:100304. [PMID: 34589796 PMCID: PMC8474666 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) is a risk factor for schizophrenia and many of the symptoms and neurodevelopmental changes associated with this disorder have been modelled in the rodent. While several previous studies have reported that rodent ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are affected by MIA, no previous study has examined whether MIA affects the way that individual USVs occur over time to produce vocalisation sequences. The sequential aspect of this behaviour may be particularly important because changes in sequencing mechanisms have been proposed as a core deficit in schizophrenia. The present research generates MIA with POLY I:C administered to pregnant Sprague-Dawley rat dams at GD15. Male pairs of MIA adult offspring or pairs of their saline controls were placed into a two-chamber apparatus where they were separated from each other by a perforated plexiglass barrier. USVs were recorded for a period of 10 min and automated detection and call review were used to classify short call types in the nominal 50 kHz band of social affiliative calls. Our data show that the duration of these 50-kHz USVs is longer in MIA rat pairs and the time between calls is shorter. Furthermore, the transition probability between call pairs was different in the MIA animals compared to the control group, indicating alterations in sequential behaviour. These results provide the first evidence that USV call sequencing is altered by the MIA intervention and suggest that further investigations of these temporally extended aspects of USV production are likely to reveal useful information about the mechanisms that underlie sequence generation. This is particularly important given previous research suggesting that sequencing deficits may have a significant impact on both behaviour and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David K. Bilkey
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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23
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Volodin IA, Yurlova DD, Ilchenko OG, Volodina EV. Ontogeny of audible squeaks in yellow steppe lemming Eolagurus luteus: trend towards shorter and low-frequency calls is reminiscent of those in ultrasonic vocalization. BMC ZOOL 2021; 6:27. [PMID: 37170373 PMCID: PMC10127023 DOI: 10.1186/s40850-021-00092-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Rodents are thought to be produced their human-audible calls (AUDs, below 20 kHz) with phonation mechanism based on vibration of the vocal folds, whereas their ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs, over 20 kHz) are produced with aerodynamic whistle mechanism. Despite of different production mechanisms, the acoustic parameters (duration and fundamental frequency) of AUDs and USVs change in the same direction along ontogeny in collared lemming Dicrostonyx groenlandicus and fat-tailed gerbil Pachyuromys duprasi. We hypothesize that this unidirectional trend of AUDs and USVs is a common rule in rodents and test whether the AUDs of yellow steppe lemmings Eolagurus luteus would display the same ontogenetic trajectory (towards shorter and low-frequency calls) as their USVs, studied previously in the same laboratory colony.
Results
We examined for acoustic variables 1200 audible squeaks emitted during 480-s isolation-and-handling procedure by 120 individual yellow steppe lemmings (at 12 age classes from neonates to breeding adults, 10 individuals per age class, up to 10 calls per individual, each individual tested once). We found that the ontogenetic pathway of the audible squeaks, towards shorter and lower frequency calls, was the same as the pathway of USVs revealed during 120-s isolation procedure in a previous study in the same laboratory population. Developmental milestone for the appearance of mature patterns of the squeaks (coinciding with eyes opening at 9–12 days of age), was the same as previously documented for USVs. Similar with ontogeny of USVs, the chevron-like squeaks were prevalent in neonates whereas the squeaks with upward contour were prevalent after the eyes opening.
Conclusion
This study confirms a hypothesis of common ontogenetic trajectory of call duration and fundamental frequency for AUDs and USVs within species in rodents. This ontogenetic trajectory is not uniform across species.
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24
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Chen J, Markowitz JE, Lilascharoen V, Taylor S, Sheurpukdi P, Keller JA, Jensen JR, Lim BK, Datta SR, Stowers L. Flexible scaling and persistence of social vocal communication. Nature 2021; 593:108-113. [PMID: 33790464 PMCID: PMC9153763 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03403-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Innate vocal sounds such as laughing, screaming or crying convey one's feelings to others. In many species, including humans, scaling the amplitude and duration of vocalizations is essential for effective social communication1-3. In mice, female scent triggers male mice to emit innate courtship ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs)4,5. However, whether mice flexibly scale their vocalizations and how neural circuits are structured to generate flexibility remain largely unknown. Here we identify mouse neurons from the lateral preoptic area (LPOA) that express oestrogen receptor 1 (LPOAESR1 neurons) and, when activated, elicit the complete repertoire of USV syllables emitted during natural courtship. Neural anatomy and functional data reveal a two-step, di-synaptic circuit motif in which primary long-range inhibitory LPOAESR1 neurons relieve a clamp of local periaqueductal grey (PAG) inhibition, enabling excitatory PAG USV-gating neurons to trigger vocalizations. We find that social context shapes a wide range of USV amplitudes and bout durations. This variability is absent when PAG neurons are stimulated directly; PAG-evoked vocalizations are time-locked to neural activity and stereotypically loud. By contrast, increasing the activity of LPOAESR1 neurons scales the amplitude of vocalizations, and delaying the recovery of the inhibition clamp prolongs USV bouts. Thus, the LPOA disinhibition motif contributes to flexible loudness and the duration and persistence of bouts, which are key aspects of effective vocal social communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyi Chen
- Department of Neuroscience, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Varoth Lilascharoen
- Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sandra Taylor
- Department of Neuroscience, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Pete Sheurpukdi
- Department of Neuroscience, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jason A Keller
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | | | - Byung Kook Lim
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Lisa Stowers
- Department of Neuroscience, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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25
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Fonseca AH, Santana GM, Bosque Ortiz GM, Bampi S, Dietrich MO. Analysis of ultrasonic vocalizations from mice using computer vision and machine learning. eLife 2021; 10:59161. [PMID: 33787490 PMCID: PMC8057810 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mice emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) that communicate socially relevant information. To detect and classify these USVs, here we describe VocalMat. VocalMat is a software that uses image-processing and differential geometry approaches to detect USVs in audio files, eliminating the need for user-defined parameters. VocalMat also uses computational vision and machine learning methods to classify USVs into distinct categories. In a data set of >4000 USVs emitted by mice, VocalMat detected over 98% of manually labeled USVs and accurately classified ≈86% of the USVs out of 11 USV categories. We then used dimensionality reduction tools to analyze the probability distribution of USV classification among different experimental groups, providing a robust method to quantify and qualify the vocal repertoire of mice. Thus, VocalMat makes it possible to perform automated, accurate, and quantitative analysis of USVs without the need for user inputs, opening the opportunity for detailed and high-throughput analysis of this behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Ho Fonseca
- Laboratory of Physiology of Behavior, Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, United States.,Institute of Informatics, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Gustavo M Santana
- Laboratory of Physiology of Behavior, Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, United States.,Institute of Informatics, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Biological Sciences - Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Gabriela M Bosque Ortiz
- Laboratory of Physiology of Behavior, Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, United States.,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program, Graduate School in Arts and Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, United States
| | - Sérgio Bampi
- Institute of Informatics, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Marcelo O Dietrich
- Laboratory of Physiology of Behavior, Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, United States.,Graduate Program in Biological Sciences - Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program, Graduate School in Arts and Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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26
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Asokan MM, Williamson RS, Hancock KE, Polley DB. Inverted central auditory hierarchies for encoding local intervals and global temporal patterns. Curr Biol 2021; 31:1762-1770.e4. [PMID: 33609455 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.01.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
In sensory systems, representational features of increasing complexity emerge at successive stages of processing. In the mammalian auditory pathway, the clearest change from brainstem to cortex is defined by what is lost, not by what is gained, in that high-fidelity temporal coding becomes increasingly restricted to slower acoustic modulation rates.1,2 Here, we explore the idea that sluggish temporal processing is more than just an inability for fast processing, but instead reflects an emergent specialization for encoding sound features that unfold on very slow timescales.3,4 We performed simultaneous single unit ensemble recordings from three hierarchical stages of auditory processing in awake mice - the inferior colliculus (IC), medial geniculate body of the thalamus (MGB) and primary auditory cortex (A1). As expected, temporal coding of brief local intervals (0.001 - 0.1 s) separating consecutive noise bursts was robust in the IC and declined across MGB and A1. By contrast, slowly developing (∼1 s period) global rhythmic patterns of inter-burst interval sequences strongly modulated A1 spiking, were weakly captured by MGB neurons, and not at all by IC neurons. Shifts in stimulus regularity were not represented by changes in A1 spike rates, but rather in how the spikes were arranged in time. These findings show that low-level auditory neurons with fast timescales encode isolated sound features but not the longer gestalt, while the extended timescales in higher-level areas can facilitate sensitivity to slower contextual changes in the sensory environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meenakshi M Asokan
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston MA 02114 USA; Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114 USA
| | - Ross S Williamson
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston MA 02114 USA; Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114 USA
| | - Kenneth E Hancock
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston MA 02114 USA; Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114 USA
| | - Daniel B Polley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston MA 02114 USA; Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114 USA.
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27
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Urbanus BHA, Peter S, Fisher SE, De Zeeuw CI. Region-specific Foxp2 deletions in cortex, striatum or cerebellum cannot explain vocalization deficits observed in spontaneous global knockouts. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21631. [PMID: 33303861 PMCID: PMC7730140 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78531-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
FOXP2 has been identified as a gene related to speech in humans, based on rare mutations that yield significant impairments in speech at the level of both motor performance and language comprehension. Disruptions of the murine orthologue Foxp2 in mouse pups have been shown to interfere with production of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). However, it remains unclear which structures are responsible for these deficits. Here, we show that conditional knockout mice with selective Foxp2 deletions targeting the cerebral cortex, striatum or cerebellum, three key sites of motor control with robust neural gene expression, do not recapture the profile of pup USV deficits observed in mice with global disruptions of this gene. Moreover, we observed that global Foxp2 knockout pups show substantive reductions in USV production as well as an overproduction of short broadband noise “clicks”, which was not present in the brain region-specific knockouts. These data indicate that deficits of Foxp2 expression in the cortex, striatum or cerebellum cannot solely explain the disrupted vocalization behaviours in global Foxp2 knockouts. Our findings raise the possibility that the impact of Foxp2 disruption on USV is mediated at least in part by effects of this gene on the anatomical prerequisites for vocalizing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Saša Peter
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Simon E Fisher
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Chris I De Zeeuw
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. .,Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, KNAW, 1105 CA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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28
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Marconi MA, Nicolakis D, Abbasi R, Penn DJ, Zala SM. Ultrasonic courtship vocalizations of male house mice contain distinct individual signatures. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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29
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Postal O, Dupont T, Bakay W, Dominique N, Petit C, Michalski N, Gourévitch B. Spontaneous Mouse Behavior in Presence of Dissonance and Acoustic Roughness. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:588834. [PMID: 33132864 PMCID: PMC7578920 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.588834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
According to a novel hypothesis (Arnal et al., 2015, Current Biology 25:2051-2056), auditory roughness, or temporal envelope modulations between 30 and 150 Hz, are present in both natural and artificial human alarm signals, which boosts the detection of these alarms in various tasks. These results also shed new light on the unpleasantness of dissonant sounds to humans, which builds upon the high level of roughness present in such sounds. However, it is not clear whether this hypothesis also applies to other species, such as rodents. In particular, whether consonant/dissonant chords, and particularly whether auditory roughness, can trigger unpleasant sensations in mice remains unknown. Using an autonomous behavioral system, which allows the monitoring of mouse behavior over a period of weeks, we observed that C57Bl6J mice did not show any preference for consonant chords. In addition, we found that mice showed a preference for rough sounds over sounds having amplitude modulations in their temporal envelope outside the "rough" range. These results suggest that some emotional features carried by the acoustic temporal envelope are likely to be species-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Postal
- Institut de l’Audition, Institut Pasteur, INSERM, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, Collège Doctoral, Paris, France
| | - Typhaine Dupont
- Institut de l’Audition, Institut Pasteur, INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Warren Bakay
- Institut de l’Audition, Institut Pasteur, INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Noémi Dominique
- Institut de l’Audition, Institut Pasteur, INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Christine Petit
- Institut de l’Audition, Institut Pasteur, INSERM, Paris, France
- Syndrome de Usher et Autres Atteintes Rétino-Cochléaires, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
- Collège de France, Paris, France
| | | | - Boris Gourévitch
- Institut de l’Audition, Institut Pasteur, INSERM, Paris, France
- CNRS, Paris, France
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30
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Innate and plastic mechanisms for maternal behaviour in auditory cortex. Nature 2020; 587:426-431. [PMID: 33029014 PMCID: PMC7677212 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2807-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Infant cries evoke powerful responses in parents1–4. To what extent are parental animals intrinsically sensitive to neonatal vocalizations, or might instead learn about vocal cues for parenting responses? In mice, pup-naive virgins do not recognize the meaning of pup distress calls, but retrieve isolated pups to the nest following cohousing with a mother and litter5–9. Distress calls are variable, requiring co-caring virgins to generalize across calls for reliable retrieval10,11. Here we show that the onset of maternal behavior in mice results from interactions between intrinsic mechanisms and experience-dependent plasticity in auditory cortex. In maternal females, calls with inter-syllable intervals (ISIs) from 75:375 ms elicited pup retrieval, and cortical responses generalized across these ISIs. In contrast, naive virgins were behaviorally sensitive only to the most common (‘prototypical’) ISIs. Inhibitory and excitatory neural responses were initially mismatched in naive cortex, with untuned inhibition and overly-narrow excitation. During cohousing, excitatory responses broadened to represent a wider range of ISIs, while inhibitory tuning sharpened to form a perceptual boundary. We presented synthetic calls during cohousing and observed that neurobehavioral responses adjusted to match these statistics, a process requiring cortical activity and the hypothalamic oxytocin system. Neuroplastic mechanisms therefore build on an intrinsic sensitivity in mouse auditory cortex, enabling rapid plasticity for reliable parenting behavior.
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31
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Sainburg T, Thielk M, Gentner TQ. Finding, visualizing, and quantifying latent structure across diverse animal vocal repertoires. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1008228. [PMID: 33057332 PMCID: PMC7591061 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals produce vocalizations that range in complexity from a single repeated call to hundreds of unique vocal elements patterned in sequences unfolding over hours. Characterizing complex vocalizations can require considerable effort and a deep intuition about each species' vocal behavior. Even with a great deal of experience, human characterizations of animal communication can be affected by human perceptual biases. We present a set of computational methods for projecting animal vocalizations into low dimensional latent representational spaces that are directly learned from the spectrograms of vocal signals. We apply these methods to diverse datasets from over 20 species, including humans, bats, songbirds, mice, cetaceans, and nonhuman primates. Latent projections uncover complex features of data in visually intuitive and quantifiable ways, enabling high-powered comparative analyses of vocal acoustics. We introduce methods for analyzing vocalizations as both discrete sequences and as continuous latent variables. Each method can be used to disentangle complex spectro-temporal structure and observe long-timescale organization in communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Sainburg
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Academic Research & Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Marvin Thielk
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Timothy Q. Gentner
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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32
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Huebschman JL, Hodges SL, Reynolds CD, Nolan SO, Lugo JN. A single episode of early-life status epilepticus impacts neonatal ultrasonic vocalization behavior in the Fmr1 knockout mouse. Epilepsy Behav 2020; 111:107279. [PMID: 32693376 PMCID: PMC7541794 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a genetic disorder caused by a trinucleotide (CGG) expansion mutation in the Fmr1 gene located on the X chromosome. It is characterized by hyperactivity, increased anxiety, repetitive-stereotyped behaviors, and impaired language development. Many children diagnosed with FXS also experience seizures during their lifetime. However, the underlying etiology of the relationship between FXS and epilepsy is not fully understood. Ultrasonic vocalizations (UVs) are one tool that may be used to measure early behavioral changes in mouse pups. In the present study, neonatal UVs were analyzed as a measure of communicative behavior in a mouse model of FXS, both with and without early-life seizures (ELSs). On postnatal day (PD) 10, status epilepticus (SE) was induced via intraperitoneal injections of 0.5% kainic acid (2.0 mg/kg) in male Fmr1 knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice. On PD 12, all pups were temporarily isolated from their dam and UVs were recorded. Significant alterations were found in both spectral and temporal measures across genotype and seizure groups. Early-life seizure experience resulted in a significant increase in the quantity of UVs only in WT animals (p < 0.05). We also found that while there was no difference between genotypes in the total number of vocalizations made, calls produced by Fmr1 KO mice were significantly shorter and had a higher peak frequency compared with WT mice. Overall, these findings support the use of vocalization behavior as an early phenotypic marker and highlight the importance of utilizing double-hit models to better understand comorbid disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Huebschman
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Samantha L Hodges
- Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA
| | - Conner D Reynolds
- Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - Suzanne O Nolan
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Joaquin N Lugo
- Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA; Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA.
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33
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Risueno-Segovia C, Hage SR. Theta Synchronization of Phonatory and Articulatory Systems in Marmoset Monkey Vocal Production. Curr Biol 2020; 30:4276-4283.e3. [PMID: 32888481 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Human speech shares a 3-8-Hz theta rhythm across all languages [1-3]. According to the frame/content theory of speech evolution, this rhythm corresponds to syllabic rates derived from natural mandibular-associated oscillations [4]. The underlying pattern originates from oscillatory movements of articulatory muscles [4, 5] tightly linked to periodic vocal fold vibrations [4, 6, 7]. Such phono-articulatory rhythms have been proposed as one of the crucial preadaptations for human speech evolution [3, 8, 9]. However, the evolutionary link in phono-articulatory rhythmicity between vertebrate vocalization and human speech remains unclear. From the phonatory perspective, theta oscillations might be phylogenetically preserved throughout all vertebrate clades [10-12]. From the articulatory perspective, theta oscillations are present in non-vocal lip smacking [1, 13, 14], teeth chattering [15], vocal lip smacking [16], and clicks and faux-speech [17] in non-human primates, potential evolutionary precursors for speech rhythmicity [1, 13]. Notably, a universal phono-articulatory rhythmicity similar to that in human speech is considered to be absent in non-human primate vocalizations, typically produced with sound modulations lacking concomitant articulatory movements [1, 9, 18]. Here, we challenge this view by investigating the coupling of phonatory and articulatory systems in marmoset vocalizations. Using quantitative measures of acoustic call structure, e.g., amplitude envelope, and call-associated articulatory movements, i.e., inter-lip distance, we show that marmosets display speech-like bi-motor rhythmicity. These oscillations are synchronized and phase locked at theta rhythms. Our findings suggest that oscillatory rhythms underlying speech production evolved early in the primate lineage, identifying marmosets as a suitable animal model to decipher the evolutionary and neural basis of coupled phono-articulatory movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Risueno-Segovia
- Neurobiology of Social Communication, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen Medical Center, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Graduate School of Neural & Behavioural Sciences - International Max Planck Research School, University of Tübingen, Österberg-Str. 3, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Steffen R Hage
- Neurobiology of Social Communication, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen Medical Center, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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34
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Agarwalla S, Arroyo NS, Long NE, O'Brien WT, Abel T, Bandyopadhyay S. Male-specific alterations in structure of isolation call sequences of mouse pups with 16p11.2 deletion. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2020; 19:e12681. [PMID: 32558237 PMCID: PMC7116069 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Revised: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
16p11.2 deletion is one of the most common gene copy variations that increases the susceptibility to autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. This syndrome leads to developmental delays, including speech impairment and delays in expressive language and communication skills. To study developmental impairment of vocal communication associated with 16p11.2 deletion syndrome, we used the 16p11.2del mouse model and performed an analysis of pup isolation calls (PICs). The earliest PICs at postnatal day 5 from 16p11.2del pups were found altered in a male‐specific fashion relative to wild‐type (WT) pups. Analysis of sequences of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) emitted by pups using mutual information between syllables at different positions in the USV spectrograms showed that dependencies exist between syllables in WT mice of both sexes. The order of syllables was not random; syllables were emitted in an ordered fashion. The structure observed in the WT pups was identified and the pattern of syllable sequences was considered typical for the mouse line. However, typical patterns were totally absent in the 16p11.2del male pups, showing on average random syllable sequences, while the 16p11.2del female pups had dependencies similar to the WT pups. Thus, we found that PICs were reduced in number in male 16p11.2 pups and their vocalizations lack the syllable sequence order emitted by WT males and females and 16p11.2 females. Therefore, our study is the first to reveal sex‐specific perinatal communication impairment in a mouse model of 16p11.2 deletion and applies a novel, more granular method of analysing the structure of USVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swapna Agarwalla
- Department of Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering, IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
| | - Noelle S Arroyo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Natalie E Long
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - William T O'Brien
- Department of Pharmacology/ITMAT, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ted Abel
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Sharba Bandyopadhyay
- Department of Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering, IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India.,Advanced Technology Development Centre (ATDC), IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
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35
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Yurlova DD, Volodin IA, Ilchenko OG, Volodina EV. Rapid development of mature vocal patterns of ultrasonic calls in a fast-growing rodent, the yellow steppe lemming (Eolagurus luteus). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228892. [PMID: 32045453 PMCID: PMC7015103 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) of laboratory rodents may serve as age-dependent indicators of emotional arousal and anxiety. Fast-growing Arvicolinae rodent species might be advantageous wild-type animal models for behavioural and medical research related to USV ontogeny. For the yellow steppe lemming Eolagurus luteus, only audible calls of adults were previously described. This study provides categorization and spectrographic analyses of 1176 USV calls emitted by 120 individual yellow steppe lemmings at 12 age classes, from birth to breeding adults over 90 days (d) of age, 10 individuals per age class, up to 10 USV calls per individual. The USV calls emerged since 1st day of pup life and occurred at all 12 age classes and in both sexes. The unified 2-min isolation procedure on an unfamiliar territory was equally applicable for inducing USV calls at all age classes. Rapid physical growth (1 g body weight gain per day from birth to 40 d of age) and the early (9-12 d) eyes opening correlated with the early (9-12 d) emergence of mature vocal patterns of USV calls. The mature vocal patterns included a prominent shift in percentages of chevron and upward contours of fundamental frequency (f0) and the changes in the acoustic variables of USV calls. Call duration was the longest at 1-4 d, significantly shorter at 9-12 d and did not between 9-12-d and older age classes. The maximum fundamental frequency (f0max) decreased with increase of age class, from about 50 kHz in neonates to about 40 kHz in adults. These ontogenetic pathways of USV duration and f0max (towards shorter and lower-frequency USV calls) were reminiscent of those in laboratory mice Mus musculus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria D. Yurlova
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State
University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ilya A. Volodin
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State
University, Moscow, Russia
- Scientific Research Department, Moscow Zoo, Moscow, Russia
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36
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Haney MM, Hamad A, Woldu HG, Ciucci M, Nichols N, Bunyak F, Lever TE. Recurrent laryngeal nerve transection in mice results in translational upper airway dysfunction. J Comp Neurol 2019; 528:574-596. [PMID: 31512255 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) is responsible for normal vocal-fold (VF) movement, and is at risk for iatrogenic injury during anterior neck surgical procedures in human patients. Injury, resulting in VF paralysis, may contribute to subsequent swallowing, voice, and respiratory dysfunction. Unfortunately, treatment for RLN injury does little to restore physiologic function of the VFs. Thus, we sought to create a mouse model with translational functional outcomes to further investigate RLN regeneration and potential therapeutic interventions. To do so, we performed ventral neck surgery in 21 C57BL/6J male mice, divided into two groups: Unilateral RLN Transection (n = 11) and Sham Injury (n = 10). Mice underwent behavioral assays to determine upper airway function at multiple time points prior to and following surgery. Transoral endoscopy, videofluoroscopy, ultrasonic vocalizations, and whole-body plethysmography were used to assess VF motion, swallow function, vocal function, and respiratory function, respectively. Affected outcome metrics, such as VF motion correlation, intervocalization interval, and peak inspiratory flow were identified to increase the translational potential of this model. Additionally, immunohistochemistry was used to investigate neuronal cell death in the nucleus ambiguus. Results revealed that RLN transection created ipsilateral VF paralysis that did not recover by 13 weeks postsurgery. Furthermore, there was evidence of significant vocal and respiratory dysfunction in the RLN transection group, but not the sham injury group. No significant differences in swallow function or neuronal cell death were found between the two groups. In conclusion, our mouse model of RLN injury provides several novel functional outcome measures to increase the translational potential of findings in preclinical animal studies. We will use this model and behavioral assays to assess various treatment options in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Haney
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Ali Hamad
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Henok G Woldu
- Department of Health Management & Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Michelle Ciucci
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.,Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Nicole Nichols
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Filiz Bunyak
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Teresa E Lever
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
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37
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Ravignani A, Dalla Bella S, Falk S, Kello CT, Noriega F, Kotz SA. Rhythm in speech and animal vocalizations: a cross-species perspective. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2019; 1453:79-98. [PMID: 31237365 PMCID: PMC6851814 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Why does human speech have rhythm? As we cannot travel back in time to witness how speech developed its rhythmic properties and why humans have the cognitive skills to process them, we rely on alternative methods to find out. One powerful tool is the comparative approach: studying the presence or absence of cognitive/behavioral traits in other species to determine which traits are shared between species and which are recent human inventions. Vocalizations of many species exhibit temporal structure, but little is known about how these rhythmic structures evolved, are perceived and produced, their biological and developmental bases, and communicative functions. We review the literature on rhythm in speech and animal vocalizations as a first step toward understanding similarities and differences across species. We extend this review to quantitative techniques that are useful for computing rhythmic structure in acoustic sequences and hence facilitate cross-species research. We report links between vocal perception and motor coordination and the differentiation of rhythm based on hierarchical temporal structure. While still far from a complete cross-species perspective of speech rhythm, our review puts some pieces of the puzzle together.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ravignani
- Artificial Intelligence LaboratoryVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
- Institute for Advanced StudyUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Simone Dalla Bella
- International Laboratory for BrainMusic and Sound Research (BRAMS)MontréalQuebecCanada
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of MontrealMontréalQuebecCanada
- Department of Cognitive PsychologyWarsawPoland
| | - Simone Falk
- International Laboratory for BrainMusic and Sound Research (BRAMS)MontréalQuebecCanada
- Laboratoire de Phonétique et Phonologie, UMR 7018, CNRS/Université Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris‐3Institut de Linguistique et Phonétique générales et appliquéesParisFrance
| | | | - Florencia Noriega
- Chair for Network DynamicsCenter for Advancing Electronics Dresden (CFAED), TU DresdenDresdenGermany
- CODE University of Applied SciencesBerlinGermany
| | - Sonja A. Kotz
- International Laboratory for BrainMusic and Sound Research (BRAMS)MontréalQuebecCanada
- Basic and Applied NeuroDynamics Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Neuropsychology and PsychopharmacologyMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtthe Netherlands
- Department of NeuropsychologyMax‐Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
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38
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Trevizan-Baú P, Dhingra RR, Burrows EL, Dutschmann M, Stanić D. Tauopathy in the periaqueductal gray, kölliker-fuse nucleus and nucleus retroambiguus is not predicted by ultrasonic vocalization in tau-P301L mice. Behav Brain Res 2019; 369:111916. [PMID: 31004684 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.111916] [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: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Upper airway and vocalization control areas such as the periaqueductal gray (PAG), kölliker-fuse nucleus (KF) and nucleus retroambiguus (NRA) are prone to developing tauopathy in mice expressing the mutant human tau P301L protein. Consequently, impaired ultrasonic vocalization (USV) previously identified in tau-P301L mice at the terminal disease stage of 8-9 months of age, was attributed to the presence of tauopathy in these regions. Our aim was to establish whether the onset of USV disorders manifest prior to the terminal stage, and if USV disorders are predictive of the presence of tauopathy in the PAG, KF and NRA. USVs produced by tau-P301L and wildtype mice aged 3-4, 5-6 or 8-9 months were recorded during male-female interaction. Immunohistochemistry was then performed to assess the presence or degree of tauopathy in the PAG, KF and NRA of mice displaying normal or abnormal USV patterns. Comparing various USV measurements, including the number, duration and frequency of calls, revealed no differences between tau-P301L and wildtype mice across all age groups, and linear discriminant analysis also failed to identify separate USV populations. Finally, the presence of tauopathy in the PAG, KF and NRA in individual tau-P301L mice did not reliably associate with USV disorders. Our findings that tauopathy in designated mammalian vocalization centres, such as the PAG, KF and NRA, did not associate with USV disturbances in tau-P301L mice questions whether USV phenotypes in this transgenic mouse are valid for studying tauopathy-related human voice and speech disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Trevizan-Baú
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Discovery Neuroscience Theme, Australia
| | - Rishi R Dhingra
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Discovery Neuroscience Theme, Australia
| | - Emma L Burrows
- Mental Health Theme, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Mathias Dutschmann
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Discovery Neuroscience Theme, Australia.
| | - Davor Stanić
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Discovery Neuroscience Theme, Australia.
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Takumi T, Tamada K, Hatanaka F, Nakai N, Bolton PF. Behavioral neuroscience of autism. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 110:60-76. [PMID: 31059731 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Several genetic causes of ASD have been identified and this has enabled researchers to construct mouse models. Mouse behavioral tests reveal impaired social interaction and communication, as well as increased repetitive behavior and behavioral inflexibility in these mice, which correspond to core behavioral deficits observed in individuals with ASD. However, the connection between these behavioral abnormalities and the underlying dysregulation in neuronal circuits and synaptic function is poorly understood. Moreover, different components of the ASD phenotype may be linked to dysfunction in different brain regions, making it even more challenging to chart the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in ASD. Here we summarize the research on mouse models of ASD and their contribution to understanding pathophysiological mechanisms. Specifically, we emphasize abnormal serotonin production and regulation, as well as the disruption in circadian rhythms and sleep that are observed in a subset of ASD, and propose that spatiotemporal disturbances in brainstem development may be a primary cause of ASD that propagates towards the cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toru Takumi
- RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
| | - Kota Tamada
- RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | | | - Nobuhiro Nakai
- RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Patrick F Bolton
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
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Wagner S, Lledo PM, Lazarini F. Assessing Olfaction Using Ultrasonic Vocalization Recordings in Mouse Pups with a Sono-olfactometer. Bio Protoc 2019; 9:e3170. [PMID: 33654976 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.3170] [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: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Olfaction is the first sensory modality to develop during fetal life in mammals, and plays a key role in the various behaviors of neonates such as feeding and social interaction. Odorant cues (i.e., mother or predator scents) can trigger potentiation or inhibition of ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) emitted by pups following their isolation. Here, we report how USV are inhibited by olfactory cues using a sono-olfactometer that has been designed to quantify precisely olfaction in pups congenitally infected by cytomegalovirus. This olfactory-driven behavioral test assesses the USV emitted in presence of unfamiliar odorants such as citral scent or adult male mouse scent. We measure the number of USV emitted as an index of odorant detection during the three periods of the 5-min isolation time of the pup into the sono-olfactometer: first period without any odorant, second period with odorant exposure and last period with exhaust odorant. This protocol can be easily used to reveal olfactory deficits in pups with altered olfactory system due to toxic lesions or infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Wagner
- Institut Pasteur, Perception and Memory Unit, UMR 3571, CNRS, Paris, F-75015, France
| | - Pierre-Marie Lledo
- Institut Pasteur, Perception and Memory Unit, UMR 3571, CNRS, Paris, F-75015, France
| | - Françoise Lazarini
- Institut Pasteur, Perception and Memory Unit, UMR 3571, CNRS, Paris, F-75015, France
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41
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Capacities and neural mechanisms for auditory statistical learning across species. Hear Res 2019; 376:97-110. [PMID: 30797628 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Statistical learning has been proposed as a possible mechanism by which individuals can become sensitive to the structures of language fundamental for speech perception. Since its description in human infants, statistical learning has been described in human adults and several non-human species as a general process by which animals learn about stimulus-relevant statistics. The neurobiology of statistical learning is beginning to be understood, but many questions remain about the underlying mechanisms. Why is the developing brain particularly sensitive to stimulus and environmental statistics, and what neural processes are engaged in the adult brain to enable learning from statistical regularities in the absence of external reward or instruction? This review will survey the statistical learning abilities of humans and non-human animals with a particular focus on communicative vocalizations. We discuss the neurobiological basis of statistical learning, and specifically what can be learned by exploring this process in both humans and laboratory animals. Finally, we describe advantages of studying vocal communication in rodents as a means to further our understanding of the cortical plasticity mechanisms engaged during statistical learning. We examine the use of rodents in the context of pup retrieval, which is an auditory-based and experience-dependent form of maternal behavior.
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