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Protti-Sánchez F, Corrales Parada CD, Mayer U, Rowland HM. Activation of the Nucleus Taeniae of the Amygdala by Umami Taste in Domestic Chicks (Gallus gallus). Front Physiol 2022; 13:897931. [PMID: 35694389 PMCID: PMC9178096 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.897931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In chickens, the sense of taste plays an important role in detecting nutrients and choosing feed. The molecular mechanisms underlying the taste-sensing system of chickens are well studied, but the neural mechanisms underlying taste reactivity have received less attention. Here we report the short-term taste behaviour of chickens towards umami and bitter (quinine) taste solutions and the associated neural activity in the nucleus taeniae of the amygdala, nucleus accumbens and lateral septum. We found that chickens had more contact with and drank greater volumes of umami than bitter or a water control, and that chicks displayed increased head shaking in response to bitter compared to the other tastes. We found that there was a higher neural activity, measured as c-Fos activation, in response to umami taste in the right hemisphere of the nucleus taeniae of the amygdala. In the left hemisphere, there was a higher c-Fos activation of the nucleus taeniae of the amygdala in response to bitter than in the right hemisphere. Our findings provide clear evidence that chickens respond differently to umami and bitter tastes, that there is a lateralised response to tastes at the neural level, and reveals a new function of the avian nucleus taeniae of the amygdala as a region processing reward information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Protti-Sánchez
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
- *Correspondence: Francesca Protti-Sánchez,
| | | | - Uwe Mayer
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
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2
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Xiao Q, Güntürkün O. “Prefrontal” Neuronal Foundations of Visual Asymmetries in Pigeons. Front Physiol 2022; 13:882597. [PMID: 35586719 PMCID: PMC9108483 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.882597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study was conducted in order to reveal the possibly lateralized processes in the avian nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL), a functional analogue to the mammalian prefrontal cortex, during a color discrimination task. Pigeons are known to be visually lateralized with a superiority of the left hemisphere/right eye for visual feature discriminations. While animals were working on a color discrimination task, we recorded single visuomotor neurons in left and right NCL. As expected, pigeons learned faster and responded more quickly when seeing the stimuli with their right eyes. Our electrophysiological recordings discovered several neuronal properties of NCL neurons that possibly contributed to this behavioral asymmetry. We found that the speed of stimulus encoding was identical between left and right NCL but action generation was different. Here, most left hemispheric NCL neurons reached their peak activities shortly before response execution. In contrast, the majority of right hemispheric neurons lagged behind and came too late to control the response. Thus, the left NCL dominated the animals’ behavior not by a higher efficacy of encoding, but by being faster in monopolizing the operant response. A further asymmetry concerned the hemisphere-specific integration of input from the contra- and ipsilateral eye. The left NCL was able to integrate and process visual input from the ipsilateral eye to a higher degree and thus achieved a more bilateral representation of two visual fields. We combine these novel findings with those from previous publications to come up with a working hypothesis that could explain how hemispheric asymmetries for visual feature discrimination in birds are realized by a sequential buildup of lateralized neuronal response properties in the avian forebrain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Xiao
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Research, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Qian Xiao, ; Onur Güntürkün, , https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4173-5233
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- *Correspondence: Qian Xiao, ; Onur Güntürkün, , https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4173-5233
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3
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Perez EC, Meurisse M, Hervé L, Georgelin M, Constantin P, Cornilleau F, Love SA, Lévy F, Calandreau L, Bertin A. Object and food novelty induce distinct patterns of c-fos immunoreactivity in amygdala and striatum in domestic male chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus). Behav Brain Res 2020; 381:112453. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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4
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Xia X, Fan L, Cheng C, Yao R, Deng H, Zhao D, Li H, Jiang T. Interspecies Differences in the Connectivity of Ventral Striatal Components Between Humans and Macaques. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:623. [PMID: 31258468 PMCID: PMC6587664 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the evolutionarily conserved functions of the ventral striatal components have been used as a priori knowledge for further study, whether these functions are conserved between species remains unclear. In particular, whether macroscopic connectivity supports this given the disproportionate volumetric differences between species in the brain regions that project to the ventral striatum, including the prefrontal and limbic areas, has not been established In this study, the human and macaque striatum was first tractographically parcellated to define the ventral striatum and its two subregions, the nucleus accumbens (Acb)-like and the neurochemically unique domains of the Acb and putamen (NUDAPs)-like divisions. Our results revealed a similar topographical distribution of the connectivity-based ventral striatal components in the two primate brains. Successively, a set of targets was extracted to construct a connectivity fingerprint to characterize these parcellation results, enabling cross-species comparisons. Our results indicated that the connectivity fingerprints of the ventral striatum-like divisions were dissimilar in the two species. We localized this difference to specific targets to analyze possible interspecies functional modifications. Our results also revealed interspecies-convergent connectivity ratio fingerprints of the target group to these two ventral striatum-like subregions. This convergence may suggest synchronous connectional changes of these ventral striatal components during primate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoluan Xia
- College of Information and Computer, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, China
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lingzhong Fan
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Cheng
- College of Information and Computer, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, China
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rong Yao
- College of Information and Computer, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, China
| | - HongXia Deng
- College of Information and Computer, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, China
| | - Dongqin Zhao
- Experimental Teaching Center, Shanxi University of Finance and Economics, Taiyuan, China
| | - Haifang Li
- College of Information and Computer, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, China
| | - Tianzi Jiang
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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5
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de Haas EN, van der Eijk JA. Where in the serotonergic system does it go wrong? Unravelling the route by which the serotonergic system affects feather pecking in chickens. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 95:170-188. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Zebunke M, Kreiser M, Melzer N, Langbein J, Puppe B. Better, Not Just More-Contrast in Qualitative Aspects of Reward Facilitates Impulse Control in Pigs. Front Psychol 2018; 9:2099. [PMID: 30459682 PMCID: PMC6232270 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Delay-of-gratification paradigms, such as the famous "Marshmallow Test," are designed to investigate the complex cognitive concepts of self-control and impulse control in humans and animals. Such tests determine whether a subject will demonstrate impulse control by choosing a large, delayed reward over an immediate, but smaller reward. Documented relationships between impulsive behavior and aggression in humans and animals suggest important implications for farm animal husbandry and welfare, especially in terms of inadequate social behavior, tail biting and maternal behavior. In a preliminary study, we investigated whether the extent of impulse control would differ between quantitatively and qualitatively different aspects of reward in pigs. Twenty female piglets were randomly divided into two groups, with 10 piglets each. After a preference test to determine individual reward preference among six different food items, a discrimination test was conducted to train for successful discrimination between different amounts of reward (one piece vs. four pieces) and different qualitative aspects of reward (highly preferred vs. least preferred food item). Then, an increasing delay (2, 4, 8, 16, 24, 32 s) was introduced for the larger/highly preferred reward. Each piglet could choose to get the smaller/least preferred reward immediately or to wait for the larger/highly preferred reward. Piglets showed clear differences in their preference for food items. Moreover, the "quality group" displayed faster learning in the discrimination test (number of sessions until 90% of the animals completed the discrimination test: "quality group"-3 days vs. "quantity group"-5 days) and reached a higher level of impulse control in the delay-of-gratification test compared to the "quantity group" (maximum delay that was mastered: "quality group"-24 s vs. "quantity group"-8 s). These results demonstrate that impulse control is present in piglets but that the opportunity to get a highly preferred reward is more valued than the opportunity to get more of a given reward. This outcome also underlines the crucial role of motivation in cognitive test paradigms. Further investigations will examine whether impulse control is related to traits that are relevant to animal husbandry and welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Zebunke
- Institute of Genetics and Biometry, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, Germany
- Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Maren Kreiser
- Institute of Genetics and Biometry, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, Germany
- Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, Germany
- Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Nina Melzer
- Institute of Genetics and Biometry, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Jan Langbein
- Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Birger Puppe
- Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, Germany
- Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
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7
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Kops M, Kjaer J, Güntürkün O, Westphal K, Korte-Bouws G, Olivier B, Korte S, Bolhuis J. Brain monoamine levels and behaviour of young and adult chickens genetically selected on feather pecking. Behav Brain Res 2017; 327:11-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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8
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Xin Q, Ogura Y, Uno L, Matsushima T. Selective contribution of the telencephalic arcopallium to the social facilitation of foraging efforts in the domestic chick. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 45:365-380. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Revised: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Qiuhong Xin
- Graduate School of Life Science; Hokkaido University; Sapporo Japan
| | - Yukiko Ogura
- JSPS Fellow (PD); Japan Society for Promotion of Sciences; Tokyo Japan
- Department of Psychiatry; Graduate School of Medicine; Hokkaido University; Sapporo Japan
| | - Leo Uno
- Graduate School of Life Science; Hokkaido University; Sapporo Japan
| | - Toshiya Matsushima
- Department of Biology; Faculty of Science; Hokkaido University; N10-W8, Kita-ku Sapporo 060-0810 Japan
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9
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Wen C, Ogura Y, Matsushima T. Striatal and Tegmental Neurons Code Critical Signals for Temporal-Difference Learning of State Value in Domestic Chicks. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:476. [PMID: 27877100 PMCID: PMC5099172 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
To ensure survival, animals must update the internal representations of their environment in a trial-and-error fashion. Psychological studies of associative learning and neurophysiological analyses of dopaminergic neurons have suggested that this updating process involves the temporal-difference (TD) method in the basal ganglia network. However, the way in which the component variables of the TD method are implemented at the neuronal level is unclear. To investigate the underlying neural mechanisms, we trained domestic chicks to associate color cues with food rewards. We recorded neuronal activities from the medial striatum or tegmentum in a freely behaving condition and examined how reward omission changed neuronal firing. To compare neuronal activities with the signals assumed in the TD method, we simulated the behavioral task in the form of a finite sequence composed of discrete steps of time. The three signals assumed in the simulated task were the prediction signal, the target signal for updating, and the TD-error signal. In both the medial striatum and tegmentum, the majority of recorded neurons were categorized into three types according to their fitness for three models, though these neurons tended to form a continuum spectrum without distinct differences in the firing rate. Specifically, two types of striatal neurons successfully mimicked the target signal and the prediction signal. A linear summation of these two types of striatum neurons was a good fit for the activity of one type of tegmental neurons mimicking the TD-error signal. The present study thus demonstrates that the striatum and tegmentum can convey the signals critically required for the TD method. Based on the theoretical and neurophysiological studies, together with tract-tracing data, we propose a novel model to explain how the convergence of signals represented in the striatum could lead to the computation of TD error in tegmental dopaminergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chentao Wen
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido UniversitySapporo, Japan
| | - Yukiko Ogura
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido UniversitySapporo, Japan
- Japan Society for Promotion of SciencesTokyo, Japan
| | - Toshiya Matsushima
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido UniversitySapporo, Japan
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10
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Zachar G, Tóth AS, Balogh M, Csillag A. Effect of nucleus accumbens lesions on socially motivated behaviour of young domestic chicks. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 45:1606-1612. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Revised: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Zachar
- Department of Anatomy; Histology and Embryology; Semmelweis University; 58 Tűzoltó u Budapest 1094 Hungary
| | - András Sebestyén Tóth
- Department of Anatomy; Histology and Embryology; Semmelweis University; 58 Tűzoltó u Budapest 1094 Hungary
| | - Márton Balogh
- Department of Anatomy; Histology and Embryology; Semmelweis University; 58 Tűzoltó u Budapest 1094 Hungary
| | - András Csillag
- Department of Anatomy; Histology and Embryology; Semmelweis University; 58 Tűzoltó u Budapest 1094 Hungary
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11
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Mizuyama R, Uno L, Matsushima T. Food variance and temporal discounting in socially foraging chicks. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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12
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Heimovics SA, Prior NH, Ma C, Soma KK. Rapid Effects of an Aggressive Interaction on Dehydroepiandrosterone, Testosterone and Oestradiol Levels in the Male Song Sparrow Brain: a Seasonal Comparison. J Neuroendocrinol 2016; 28:12345. [PMID: 26648568 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2015] [Revised: 11/10/2015] [Accepted: 11/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Across vertebrates, aggression is robustly expressed during the breeding season when circulating testosterone is elevated, and testosterone activates aggression either directly or after aromatisation into 17β-oestradiol (E2 ) in the brain. In some species, such as the song sparrow, aggressive behaviour is also expressed at high levels during the nonbreeding season, when circulating testosterone is non-detectable. At this time, the androgen precursor dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is metabolised within the brain into testosterone and/or E2 to promote aggression. In the present study, we used captive male song sparrows to test the hypothesis that an acute agonistic interaction during the nonbreeding season, but not during the breeding season, would alter steroid levels in the brain. Nonbreeding and breeding subjects were exposed to either a laboratory simulated territorial intrusion (L-STI) or an empty cage for only 5 min. Immediately afterwards, the brain was rapidly collected and flash frozen. The Palkovits punch technique was used to microdissect specific brain regions implicated in aggressive behaviour. Solid phase extraction followed by radioimmunoassay was used to quantify DHEA, testosterone and E2 in punches. Overall, levels of DHEA, testosterone and E2 were higher in brain tissue than in plasma. Local testosterone and E2 levels in the preoptic area, anterior hypothalamus and nucleus taeniae of the amygdala were significantly higher in the breeding season than the nonbreeding season and were not affected by the L-STI. Unexpectedly, subjects that were dominant in the L-STI had lower levels of DHEA in the anterior hypothalamus and medial striatum in both seasons and lower levels of DHEA in the nucleus taeniae of the amygdala in the breeding season only. Taken together, these data suggest that local levels of DHEA in the brain are very rapidly modulated by social interactions in a context and region-specific pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Heimovics
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, St Paul, MN, USA
| | - N H Prior
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - C Ma
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - K K Soma
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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Ogura Y, Izumi T, Yoshioka M, Matsushima T. Dissociation of the neural substrates of foraging effort and its social facilitation in the domestic chick. Behav Brain Res 2015; 294:162-76. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.07.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2015] [Revised: 07/04/2015] [Accepted: 07/27/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Mayer U, Pecchia T, Bingman VP, Flore M, Vallortigara G. Hippocampus and medial striatum dissociation during goal navigation by geometry or features in the domestic chick: An immediate early gene study. Hippocampus 2015; 26:27-40. [DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/24/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Uwe Mayer
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC); University of Trento; Piazza Manifattura 1 Rovereto (TN) Italy
| | - Tommaso Pecchia
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC); University of Trento; Piazza Manifattura 1 Rovereto (TN) Italy
| | - Verner Peter Bingman
- Department of Psychology and J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience; Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University; Bowling Green Ohio
| | - Michele Flore
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC); University of Trento; Piazza Manifattura 1 Rovereto (TN) Italy
| | - Giorgio Vallortigara
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC); University of Trento; Piazza Manifattura 1 Rovereto (TN) Italy
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Amita H, Matsushima T. Competitor suppresses neuronal representation of food reward in the nucleus accumbens/medial striatum of domestic chicks. Behav Brain Res 2014; 268:139-49. [PMID: 24726841 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2013] [Revised: 03/31/2014] [Accepted: 04/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
To investigate the role of social contexts in controlling the neuronal representation of food reward, we recorded single neuron activity in the medial striatum/nucleus accumbens of domestic chicks and examined whether activities differed between two blocks with different contexts. Chicks were trained in an operant task to associate light-emitting diode color cues with three trial types that differed in the type of food reward: no reward (S-), a small reward/short-delay option (SS), and a large reward/long-delay alternative (LL). Amount and duration of reward were set such that both of SS and LL were chosen roughly equally. Neurons showing distinct cue-period activity in rewarding trials (SS and LL) were identified during an isolation block, and activity patterns were compared with those recorded from the same neuron during a subsequent pseudo-competition block in which another chick was allowed to forage in the same area, but was separated by a transparent window. In some neurons, cue-period activity was lower in the pseudo-competition block, and the difference was not ascribed to the number of repeated trials. Comparison at neuronal population level revealed statistically significant suppression in the pseudo-competition block in both SS and LL trials, suggesting that perceived competition generally suppressed the representation of cue-associated food reward. The delay- and reward-period activities, however, did not significantly different between blocks. These results demonstrate that visual perception of a competitive forager per se weakens the neuronal representation of predicted food reward. Possible functional links to impulse control are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidetoshi Amita
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, N10-W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan; JSPS Fellow (Japan Society for Promotion of Sciences), Ichiban-cho 8, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8471, Japan.
| | - Toshiya Matsushima
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, N10-W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan.
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16
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Kops MS, de Haas EN, Rodenburg TB, Ellen ED, Korte-Bouws GAH, Olivier B, Güntürkün O, Bolhuis JE, Korte SM. Effects of feather pecking phenotype (severe feather peckers, victims and non-peckers) on serotonergic and dopaminergic activity in four brain areas of laying hens (Gallus gallus domesticus). Physiol Behav 2013; 120:77-82. [PMID: 23911692 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2013] [Revised: 06/10/2013] [Accepted: 07/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Severe feather pecking (SFP) in laying hens is a detrimental behavior causing loss of feathers, skin damage and cannibalism. Previously, we have associated changes in frontal brain serotonin (5-HT) turnover and dopamine (DA) turnover with alterations in feather pecking behavior in young pullets (28-60 days). Here, brain monoamine levels were measured in adult laying hens; focusing on four brain areas that are involved in emotional behavior or are part of the basal ganglia-thalamopallial circuit, which is involved in obsessive compulsive disorders. Three behavioral phenotypes were studied: Severe Feather Peckers (SFPs), Victims of SFP, and Non-Peckers (NPs). Hens (33 weeks old) were sacrificed after a 5-min manual restraint test. SFPs had higher 5-HIAA levels and a higher serotonin turnover (5-HIAA/5-HT) in the dorsal thalamus than NPs, with intermediate levels in victims. NPs had higher 5-HT levels in the medial striatum than victims, with levels of SFPs in between. 5-HT turnover levels did not differ between phenotypes in medial striatum, arcopallium and hippocampus. DA turnover levels were not affected by feather pecking phenotype. These findings indicate that serotonergic neurotransmission in the dorsal thalamus and striatum of adult laying hens depends on differences in behavioral feather pecking phenotype, with, compared to non-pecking hens, changes in both SFP and their victims. Further identification of different SFP phenotypes is needed to elucidate the role of brain monoamines in SFP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjolein S Kops
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Utrecht University, Faculty of Science, P.O. Box 80082, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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17
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Goodson JL, Kingsbury MA. What's in a name? Considerations of homologies and nomenclature for vertebrate social behavior networks. Horm Behav 2013; 64:103-12. [PMID: 23722238 PMCID: PMC4038951 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2013] [Revised: 05/15/2013] [Accepted: 05/18/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral neuroendocrinology is an integrative discipline that spans a wide range of taxa and neural systems, and thus the appropriate designation of homology (sameness) across taxa is critical for clear communication and extrapolation of findings from one taxon to another. In the present review we address issues of homology that relate to neural circuits of social behavior and associated systems that mediate reward and aversion. We first address a variety of issues related to the so-called "social behavior network" (SBN), including homologies that are only partial (e.g., whereas the preoptic area of fish and amphibians contains the major vasopressin-oxytocin cell groups, these populations lie in the hypothalamus of other vertebrates). We also discuss recent evidence that clarifies anterior hypothalamus and periaqueductal gray homologies in birds. Finally, we discuss an expanded network model, the "social decision-making network" (SDM) which includes the mesolimbic dopamine system and other structures that provide an interface between the mesolimbic system and the SBN. This expanded model is strongly supported in mammals, based on a wide variety of evidence. However, it is not yet clear how readily the SDM can be applied as a pan-vertebrate model, given insufficient data on numerous proposed homologies and a lack of social behavior data for SDM components (beyond the SBN nodes) for amphibians, reptiles or fish. Functions of SDM components are also poorly known for birds. Nonetheless, we contend that the SDM model provides a very sound and important framework for the testing of many hypotheses in nonmammalian vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- James L Goodson
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
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Abe H, Takeuchi HA, Yamada S, Nakamura A, Nagao K, Nirasawa K, Ito S, Inoue-Murayama M. Characterization of the intronic VNTR polymorphisms found in a paralog of chicken serotonin transporter gene. Anim Sci J 2013; 84:281-8. [PMID: 23590500 DOI: 10.1111/asj.12011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2012] [Accepted: 07/24/2012] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Polymorphisms in the neurotransmitter-related genes can be a major source of behavioral variations. We searched for polymorphic sites in chicken neurotransmitter-related genes and identified two variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) loci encompassing the paralog of chicken serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT). Both intronic VNTR were highly polymorphic across chicken breeds and the other Galliformes species, even though predominant alleles were considerably different among breeds. One VNTR locus contained sequences complementary to a conserved motif of CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) within each repetitive unit, indicating that transcription of chicken 5-HTT paralog may be regulated by the CTCF protein. It is of great interest to contrast these results with previous knowledge on the human 5-HTT that also has CTCF binding sites in the repetitive units of intronic VNTR. Additionally, we measured the degree of impulsiveness in domestic chicks for their preference of immediate/small to large/delayed rewards. A significant difference in the impulsiveness score was detected between two chicken breeds (White Leghorn vs. Boris Brown; P < 0.01), as well as between White Leghorn chicks with different 5-HTT genotypes. These findings imply the possibility that 5-HTT VNTR genotypes may have some impact on chicks' impulsive choice by modifying the serotonergic neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideaki Abe
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8203, Japan
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Hoekzema E, Carmona S, Ramos-Quiroga JA, Canals C, Moreno A, Richarte Fernández V, Picado M, Bosch R, Duñó L, Soliva JC, Rovira M, Bulbena A, Tobeña A, Casas M, Vilarroya O. Stimulant drugs trigger transient volumetric changes in the human ventral striatum. Brain Struct Funct 2012. [PMID: 23184398 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-012-0481-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The ventral striatum (VStr) integrates mesolimbic dopaminergic and corticolimbic glutamatergic afferents and forms an essential component of the neural circuitry regulating impulsive behaviour. This structure represents a primary target of psychostimulant medication, the first-choice treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and is biochemically modified by these drugs in animals. However, the effects of stimulants on the human VStr remain to be determined. We acquired anatomical brain MRI scans from 23 never-medicated adult patients with ADHD, 31 adult patients with a history of stimulant treatment and 32 control subjects, and VStr volumes were determined using individual rater-blinded region of interest delineation on high-resolution neuroanatomical scans. Furthermore, we also extracted VStr volumes before and after methylphenidate treatment in a subsample of the medication-naïve adult patients as well as in 20 never-medicated children with ADHD. We observed smaller VStr volumes in adult patients with a history of stimulant treatment in comparison to never-medicated patients. Moreover, our longitudinal analyses uncovered a reduction of grey matter volume in the bilateral VStr in adult patients after exposure to methylphenidate, which was followed by volumetric recovery to control level. In children, the same pattern of VStr volume changes was observed after treatment with methylphenidate. These findings suggest that the altered VStr volumes previously observed in patients with ADHD may represent a transitory effect of stimulant exposure rather than an intrinsic feature of the disorder. More generally, these data show that stimulant drugs can render plastic volume changes in human VStr neuroanatomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elseline Hoekzema
- Unitat de Recerca en Neurociència Cognitiva, Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain,
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20
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Balázs D, Csillag A, Gerber G. l-aspartate effects on single neurons and interactions with glutamate in striatal slice preparation from chicken brain. Brain Res 2012; 1474:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.07.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2012] [Revised: 06/21/2012] [Accepted: 07/24/2012] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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21
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Matsunami S, Ogura Y, Amita H, Izumi T, Yoshioka M, Matsushima T. Behavioural and pharmacological effects of fluvoxamine on decision-making in food patches and the inter-temporal choices of domestic chicks. Behav Brain Res 2012; 233:577-86. [PMID: 22683919 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.05.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2012] [Revised: 05/22/2012] [Accepted: 05/28/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Behavioural effects of fluvoxamine (FLV, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) were examined in 1-2 week old domestic chicks. Chicks were tested in an I-shaped maze equipped with a feeder (ON feeder) that served 1 or 2 grains of millet at gradually increasing intervals, so that a depleting food patch was mimicked. By leaving the feeder, the food delivery program was reset, and chicks gained food at short intervals only after a travel to a dummy feeder (OFF feeder) placed on the opposite side of the maze. Chicks quickly learned to actively shuttle between the ON and the OFF feeders. FLV (intra-peritoneal injection, 20 mg/kg BW) acutely caused chicks to stay longer at the gradually depleting ON feeder. Inter-temporal choices were also tested, whereby two coloured beads were simultaneously presented, each associated with a small/short-delay reward or a large/long-delay alternative. FLV suppressed the choice of the short-delay option. It is suggested that an enhanced level of serotonin (5-HT) makes chicks more tolerant of the delayed food item in both behavioural paradigms. Furthermore, the decision to leave a depleting patch cannot be equated to choosing the long-delay option of the choice paradigm. Furthermore, FLV suppressed work efforts (velocity and running distance) in uncued shuttle and number of distress calls. In vivo microdialysis experiments revealed that FLV enhanced the extracellular concentration of 5-HT as well as dopamine (DA) locally in the medial striatum/nucleus accumbens. Underlying neuromodulatory mechanisms of behavioural control are examined in relation to locomotion, behavioural tolerance and interval timing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shohei Matsunami
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, N10-W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan.
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22
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Zachar G, Wagner Z, Tábi T, Bálint E, Szökő É, Csillag A. Differential Changes of Extracellular Aspartate and Glutamate in the Striatum of Domestic Chicken Evoked by High Potassium or Distress: An In Vivo Microdialysis Study. Neurochem Res 2012; 37:1730-7. [DOI: 10.1007/s11064-012-0783-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2011] [Revised: 04/01/2012] [Accepted: 04/12/2012] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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O'Connell LA, Hofmann HA. The vertebrate mesolimbic reward system and social behavior network: a comparative synthesis. J Comp Neurol 2012; 519:3599-639. [PMID: 21800319 DOI: 10.1002/cne.22735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 691] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
All animals evaluate the salience of external stimuli and integrate them with internal physiological information into adaptive behavior. Natural and sexual selection impinge on these processes, yet our understanding of behavioral decision-making mechanisms and their evolution is still very limited. Insights from mammals indicate that two neural circuits are of crucial importance in this context: the social behavior network and the mesolimbic reward system. Here we review evidence from neurochemical, tract-tracing, developmental, and functional lesion/stimulation studies that delineates homology relationships for most of the nodes of these two circuits across the five major vertebrate lineages: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and teleost fish. We provide for the first time a comprehensive comparative analysis of the two neural circuits and conclude that they were already present in early vertebrates. We also propose that these circuits form a larger social decision-making (SDM) network that regulates adaptive behavior. Our synthesis thus provides an important foundation for understanding the evolution of the neural mechanisms underlying reward processing and behavioral regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A O'Connell
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
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Kuenzel WJ, Medina L, Csillag A, Perkel DJ, Reiner A. The avian subpallium: new insights into structural and functional subdivisions occupying the lateral subpallial wall and their embryological origins. Brain Res 2011; 1424:67-101. [PMID: 22015350 PMCID: PMC3378669 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2011.09.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2011] [Revised: 09/16/2011] [Accepted: 09/17/2011] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The subpallial region of the avian telencephalon contains neural systems whose functions are critical to the survival of individual vertebrates and their species. The subpallial neural structures can be grouped into five major functional systems, namely the dorsal somatomotor basal ganglia; ventral viscerolimbic basal ganglia; subpallial extended amygdala including the central and medial extended amygdala and bed nuclei of the stria terminalis; basal telencephalic cholinergic and non-cholinergic corticopetal systems; and septum. The paper provides an overview of the major developmental, neuroanatomical and functional characteristics of the first four of these neural systems, all of which belong to the lateral telencephalic wall. The review particularly focuses on new findings that have emerged since the identity, extent and terminology for the regions were considered by the Avian Brain Nomenclature Forum. New terminology is introduced as appropriate based on the new findings. The paper also addresses regional similarities and differences between birds and mammals, and notes areas where gaps in knowledge occur for birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wayne J Kuenzel
- Department of Poultry Science, Poultry Science Center, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, USA.
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25
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Rattenborg NC, Martinez-Gonzalez D, Roth TC, Pravosudov VV. Hippocampal memory consolidation during sleep: a comparison of mammals and birds. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2010; 86:658-91. [PMID: 21070585 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2010.00165.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The transition from wakefulness to sleep is marked by pronounced changes in brain activity. The brain rhythms that characterize the two main types of mammalian sleep, slow-wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, are thought to be involved in the functions of sleep. In particular, recent theories suggest that the synchronous slow-oscillation of neocortical neuronal membrane potentials, the defining feature of SWS, is involved in processing information acquired during wakefulness. According to the Standard Model of memory consolidation, during wakefulness the hippocampus receives input from neocortical regions involved in the initial encoding of an experience and binds this information into a coherent memory trace that is then transferred to the neocortex during SWS where it is stored and integrated within preexisting memory traces. Evidence suggests that this process selectively involves direct connections from the hippocampus to the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a multimodal, high-order association region implicated in coordinating the storage and recall of remote memories in the neocortex. The slow-oscillation is thought to orchestrate the transfer of information from the hippocampus by temporally coupling hippocampal sharp-wave/ripples (SWRs) and thalamocortical spindles. SWRs are synchronous bursts of hippocampal activity, during which waking neuronal firing patterns are reactivated in the hippocampus and neocortex in a coordinated manner. Thalamocortical spindles are brief 7-14 Hz oscillations that may facilitate the encoding of information reactivated during SWRs. By temporally coupling the readout of information from the hippocampus with conditions conducive to encoding in the neocortex, the slow-oscillation is thought to mediate the transfer of information from the hippocampus to the neocortex. Although several lines of evidence are consistent with this function for mammalian SWS, it is unclear whether SWS serves a similar function in birds, the only taxonomic group other than mammals to exhibit SWS and REM sleep. Based on our review of research on avian sleep, neuroanatomy, and memory, although involved in some forms of memory consolidation, avian sleep does not appear to be involved in transferring hippocampal memories to other brain regions. Despite exhibiting the slow-oscillation, SWRs and spindles have not been found in birds. Moreover, although birds independently evolved a brain region--the caudolateral nidopallium (NCL)--involved in performing high-order cognitive functions similar to those performed by the PFC, direct connections between the NCL and hippocampus have not been found in birds, and evidence for the transfer of information from the hippocampus to the NCL or other extra-hippocampal regions is lacking. Although based on the absence of evidence for various traits, collectively, these findings suggest that unlike mammalian SWS, avian SWS may not be involved in transferring memories from the hippocampus. Furthermore, it suggests that the slow-oscillation, the defining feature of mammalian and avian SWS, may serve a more general function independent of that related to coordinating the transfer of information from the hippocampus to the PFC in mammals. Given that SWS is homeostatically regulated (a process intimately related to the slow-oscillation) in mammals and birds, functional hypotheses linked to this process may apply to both taxonomic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels C Rattenborg
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Sleep and Flight Group, Eberhard-Gwinner-Strasse, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany.
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26
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Schweitzer C, Arnould C. Emotional reactivity of Japanese quail chicks with high or low social motivation reared under unstable social conditions. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2010.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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He X, Xiao L, Sui N. Effects of SCH23390 and spiperone administered into medial striatum and intermediate medial mesopallium on rewarding effects of morphine in day-old chicks. Eur J Pharmacol 2010; 627:136-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2009.10.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2009] [Revised: 09/23/2009] [Accepted: 10/14/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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28
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Subjective value of risky foods for individual domestic chicks: a hierarchical Bayesian model. Anim Cogn 2009; 13:431-41. [DOI: 10.1007/s10071-009-0293-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2008] [Revised: 10/28/2009] [Accepted: 11/03/2009] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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The organisation of the basal ganglia in the domestic chick (Gallus domesticus): Anatomical localisation of DARPP-32 in relation to glutamate. Brain Res Bull 2008; 76:183-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2008.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2007] [Revised: 01/10/2008] [Accepted: 02/11/2008] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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30
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Memory systems in the chick: regional and temporal control by noradrenaline. Brain Res Bull 2008; 76:170-82. [PMID: 18498929 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2008.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2007] [Revised: 12/21/2007] [Accepted: 02/11/2008] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Learning starts with the information about a situation or experience delivered to different brain areas in terms of visual, olfactory, auditory and tactile inputs. Memory processing occurs in different brain locations in a well-defined temporal sequence of physiologically based stages and biochemical cascades. Using neuropharmacological techniques in one species and a robust bead discrimination task, we have been able to chart the passage of memory from acquisition to consolidation in the chick and to dissect out the multiple roles for noradrenaline in consolidating this memory. Fortunately only a small fraction of sensory input is remembered and it is clear that modulatory neurotransmitters play a key role in determining what is remembered. We have identified roles for noradrenaline in the mesopallium or 'avian cortex', the hippocampus, medial striatum or basal ganglia and teased out the different effects of noradrenaline in each of these areas based on the receptor subtypes activated by the transmitter and the stages on which they act. Noradrenergic input from the locus coeruleus controls memory processing at two critical times after training-acquisition (0-2.5 min after training) and consolidation (25-30 min after training). We have also elucidated some of the cellular mechanisms whereby noradrenaline achieves memory modulation and finds that it has actions on both neurones and astrocytes with particularly important effects on energy metabolism in astrocytes. The memory system of the chick is very similar to that of mammals in terms of brain regions recruited in memory processing and in the ways memory is modulated by noradrenaline.
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Matsushima T, Kawamori A, Bem-Sojka T. Neuro-economics in chicks: foraging choices based on amount, delay and cost. Brain Res Bull 2008; 76:245-52. [PMID: 18498937 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2008.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2007] [Revised: 12/20/2007] [Accepted: 02/06/2008] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Studies on the foraging choices are reviewed, with an emphasis on the neural representations of elementary factors of food (i.e., amount, delay and consumption time) in the avian brain. Domestic chicks serve as an ideal animal model in this respect, as they quickly associate cue colors with subsequently supplied food rewards, and their choices are quantitatively linked with the rewards. When a pair of such color cues was simultaneously presented, the trained chicks reliably made choices according to the profitability of food associated with each color. Two forebrain regions are involved in distinct aspects of choices; i.e., nucleus accumbens-medial striatum (Ac-MSt) and arcopallium intermedium (AI), an association area in the lateral forebrain. Localized lesions of Ac-MSt enhanced delay aversion, and the ablated chicks made impulsive choices of immediate reward more frequently than sham controls. On the other hand, lesions of AI enhanced consumption-time aversion, and the ablated chicks shifted their choices toward easily consumable reward with their impulsiveness unchanged; delay and consumption time are thus doubly dissociated. Furthermore, chicks showed distinct patterns of risk-sensitive choices depending on the factor that varied at trials. Risk aversion occurred when food amount varied, whereas consistent risk sensitivity was not found when the delay varied; amount and delay were not interchangeable. Choices are thus deviated from those predicted as optima. Instead, factors such as amount, delay and consumption time could be separately represented and processed to yield economically sub-optimal choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiya Matsushima
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan.
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32
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Kalenscher T, Pennartz CM. Is a bird in the hand worth two in the future? The neuroeconomics of intertemporal decision-making. Prog Neurobiol 2008; 84:284-315. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2007.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2007] [Revised: 11/28/2007] [Accepted: 11/29/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Aoki N, Csillag A, Matsushima T. Localized lesions of arcopallium intermedium of the lateral forebrain caused a handling-cost aversion in the domestic chick performing a binary choice task. Eur J Neurosci 2006; 24:2314-26. [PMID: 17074052 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2006.05090.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral effects of handling cost (time and/or energetic cost for food consumption) on choice were examined using domestic chicks trained in operant task reinforced by delayed food rewards. When scattered sesame was delivered in more demanding conditions, a colored cue bead associated with six grains ('large' and 'costly' reward) was chosen progressively less frequently against another bead associated with one grain ('small' and 'not costly' reward). The choice thus proved to be highly sensitive to the anticipated handling cost. Excitotoxic lesion of the bilateral arcopallium intermedium also selectively reduced the choice of the six grains, while leaving actual cost investment (number of pecks and handling time) unaltered. No significant changes occurred in choices between one grain of sesame ('small' and 'not costly' reward) and one grain of barley (or a ball composed of six sesame grains glued by starch; 'large' and 'not costly' reward), indicating that choice based on anticipated food amount was not impaired. On the other hand, lesion of the ventral striatum did not change the choice ratio in any trial types. Operant peck latencies somewhat depended on food rewards, but were not affected by lesions of the arcopallium or the ventral striatum. The arcopallium could contribute to foraging behaviors by enabling chicks to overcome the handling cost, thus gaining more beneficial food. Furthermore, the present results indicate doubly dissociated functional roles of the ventral striatum and the arcopallium, the former in the cost of traveling for food and the latter in the cost of handling food, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoya Aoki
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
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Kalenscher T, Ohmann T, Güntürkün O. The neuroscience of impulsive and self-controlled decisions. Int J Psychophysiol 2006; 62:203-11. [PMID: 16828187 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2006.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2006] [Revised: 05/10/2006] [Accepted: 05/25/2006] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Impulsiveness and self-control are two antagonistic choice patterns. Whereas impulsive decisions can be exemplified by the preference for a small, immediate over a large, delayed reward, self-control can be characterised as the opposite preference order. This review focuses on current developments in investigating the neuroscience of impulsiveness and self-control, with particular emphasis on the neuroanatomy, psychopharmacology, and electrophysiology of this class of decision making. The role of the avian forebrain in representing and processing temporal reward discounting - a chief psychological mechanism responsible for producing impulsiveness - is especially highlighted. In addition to its role in impulsive decision making, the avian forebrain also appears to be involved in processing the key functions required for action- and self-control. In particular, recent electrophysiological studies indicate that single forebrain neurons reflect aspects of response omission strategy and the temporal scheduling of response withholding when execution of action needs to be controlled. In conclusion, the significant advances in this field of research may help to explain neuropathologies that are characterised by exaggerated impulsivity, or lack of self-control, as for instance attention deficit disorders, frontal lobe syndrome, drug addiction, or pathological gambling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Kalenscher
- Animal Physiology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS), Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Kruislaan 320, 1098 SM, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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35
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Bálint E, Csillag A. Nucleus accumbens subregions: hodological and immunohistochemical study in the domestic chick (Gallus domesticus). Cell Tissue Res 2006; 327:221-30. [PMID: 17028892 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-006-0295-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2006] [Accepted: 06/26/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens was identified in avian species some time ago. However, the precise localization and extent of this nucleus is still a matter of controversy. We have used immunolabeling against calbindin, neuropeptide Y, and DARPP-32 (dopamine- and adenosine-related phosphoprotein, 32 kDa) for the selective marking of putative accumbens subdivisions and have followed the anterograde transport of biotinylated dextran amine injected to the nucleus tractus solitarii region of 7-day-old domestic chicks. The nucleus accumbens extending between rostrocaudal atlas coordinates A 10.6 and A 8.8 can be subdivided into the core and shell, the core corresponding to the ventromedial and juxtaventricular medial striatum laterodorsal to the bed nucleus of stria terminalis, and the shell representing an arched region situated ventrally and ventrolaterally to the core. Immunoreactivity to both calbindin and neuropeptide Y is more intense in the shell than in the core division. DARPP-32 immunolabeling does not differ in the two divisions but is markedly weaker in the bed nucleus of stria terminalis, enabling the separation of this nucleus from the surrounding accumbens subdivisions. Fibers from the nucleus solitarius predominantly terminate in the shell division, similar to the situation described in mammals. Whereas the suggested core lies entirely within the boundary of the medial striatum, the shell seems partially to overlap the ventral pallidum. We have been unable to subdivide the remaining part of accumbens lying rostral to A 10.6 into a putative shell and core by the methods employed in the present study. This region probably corresponds to the rostral pole of the nucleus accumbens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eszter Bálint
- Department of Anatomy, Semmelweis University, 58 Tuzolto utca, H-1450, Budapest, Hungary
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36
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Cardinal RN. Neural systems implicated in delayed and probabilistic reinforcement. Neural Netw 2006; 19:1277-301. [PMID: 16938431 DOI: 10.1016/j.neunet.2006.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 222] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2005] [Accepted: 03/30/2006] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This review considers the theoretical problems facing agents that must learn and choose on the basis of reward or reinforcement that is uncertain or delayed, in implicit or procedural (stimulus-response) representational systems and in explicit or declarative (action-outcome-value) representational systems. Individual differences in sensitivity to delays and uncertainty may contribute to impulsivity and risk taking. Learning and choice with delayed and uncertain reinforcement are related but in some cases dissociable processes. The contributions to delay and uncertainty discounting of neuromodulators including serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline, and of specific neural structures including the nucleus accumbens core, nucleus accumbens shell, orbitofrontal cortex, basolateral amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex, medial prefrontal (prelimbic/infralimbic) cortex, insula, subthalamic nucleus, and hippocampus are examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudolf N Cardinal
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, UK.
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37
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Izawa EI, Aoki N, Matsushima T. Neural correlates of the proximity and quantity of anticipated food rewards in the ventral striatum of domestic chicks. Eur J Neurosci 2006; 22:1502-12. [PMID: 16190903 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2005.04311.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
To identify the neuro-cognitive substrates of valuation and choice, we analysed the neural correlates of anticipated food rewards in the ventral striatum of freely behaving chicks. One-week-old chicks were trained in a color-discrimination task using four color cues (red, yellow, green and blue), each of which was associated with a different food reward. Choosing a red bead was immediately rewarded with a large amount of food, choosing a yellow bead resulted in an immediate-small food reward, and choosing a green bead resulted in a late-large food reward. We selected chicks that consistently chose a large and immediate food reward (red over yellow, and red over green), with the proximity of the food valued higher than the size of the food reward (yellow over green). Of the 47 neurons recorded from the ventral striatum of these chicks, 20 neurons selectively showed cue-period responses to cues associated with food rewards. Five of these 20 neurons responded differentially during the cue period according to the expected delay to reward, and were thus assumed to code for the proximity of the reward. Additionally, three other neurons responded to the quantity of the reward. Furthermore, in the post-operant delay period, many of these 20 neurons showed reward-related activities that were linked to the proximity or presence of the food reward. We therefore propose that impulsive choice and behavioral perseveration observed after lesions of the ventral striatum could be due to impaired anticipation of rewards in the cue and delay periods, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ei-Ichi Izawa
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-601, Japan
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Adám AS, Csillag A. Differential distribution of L-aspartate- and L-glutamate-immunoreactive structures in the arcopallium and medial striatum of the domestic chick (Gallus domesticus). J Comp Neurol 2006; 498:266-76. [PMID: 16856140 DOI: 10.1002/cne.21056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The role of amino acid neurotransmitters in learning and memory is well established. We investigated the putative role of L-aspartate as a neurotransmitter in the arcopallial-medial striatal pathway, which is known to be involved in passive avoidance learning in domestic chicks. Double immunocytochemistry against L-aspartate and L-glutamate was performed at both light and electron microscopic levels. L-aspartate- and L-glutamate-immunoreactive neurons in the arcopallium and posterior amygdaloid pallium were identified and counted by using fluorescence microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Most labeled neurons of arcopallium were enriched in glutamate as well as aspartate. However, the arcopallium and posterior amygdaloid pallium differed from a neighboring telencephalic region (nidopallium; formerly neostriatum) by containing a substantial proportion of cells singly labeled for L-aspartate (15%, vs. 5.3% in the nidopallium). Aspartate-labeled neurons constitute approximately 20%, 25%, 42%, and 28% of total in the posterior amygdaloid pallium and the medial, dorsal, and anterior arcopallia, respectively. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that L-aspartate was enriched in terminals of the medial striatum. The labeled terminals had clear and round vesicles and asymmetric junctions; similar to those immunoreactive to L-glutamate. Axon terminals singly labeled for L-aspartate made up 17% of the total. In addition, 7% of neuronal perikarya and 26% of all dendritic profiles appeared to be labeled specifically with L-aspartate but not L-glutamate. The results indicate that L-aspartate may play a specific role (as distinct from that of L-glutamate) in the intrinsic and extrinsic circuits instrumental in avian learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agota S Adám
- Department of Anatomy, Semmelweis University, H-1450 Budapest, Hungary
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Aoki N, Suzuki R, Izawa EI, Csillag A, Matsushima T. Localized lesions of ventral striatum, but not arcopallium, enhanced impulsiveness in choices based on anticipated spatial proximity of food rewards in domestic chicks. Behav Brain Res 2005; 168:1-12. [PMID: 16310871 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2005.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2005] [Revised: 10/05/2005] [Accepted: 10/05/2005] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The effects of bilateral chemical lesions of the ventral striatum (nucleus accumbens and the surrounding areas in the medial striatum) and arcopallium (major descending area of the avian telencephalon) were examined in 1-2-weeks old domestic chicks. Using a Y-maze, we analyzed the lesion effects on the choices that subject chicks made in two tasks with identical economical consequences, i.e., a small-and-close food reward vs. a large-and-distant food reward. In task 1, red, yellow, and green beads were associated with a feeder placed at various distances from the chicks; chicks thus anticipated the spatial proximity of food by the bead's color, whereas the quantity of the food was fixed. In task 2, red and yellow flags on the feeders were associated with various amount of food; the chicks thus anticipated the quantity of food by the flag's color, whereas the proximity of the reward could be directly visually determined. In task 1, bilateral lesions of the ventral striatum (but not the arcopallium) enhanced the impulsiveness of the chicks' choices, suggesting that choices based on the anticipated proximity were selectively changed. In task 2, similar lesions of the ventral striatum did not change choices. In both experiments, motor functions of the chicks remained unchanged, suggesting that the lesions did not affect the foraging efficiency, i.e., objective values of food. Neural correlates of anticipated food rewards in the ventral striatum (but not those in the arcopallium) could allow chicks to invest appropriate amount of work-cost in approaching distant food resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoya Aoki
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
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Padoa-Schioppa C, Jandolo L, Visalberghi E. Multi-stage mental process for economic choice in capuchins. Cognition 2005; 99:B1-B13. [PMID: 16043168 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2005.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2005] [Accepted: 04/26/2005] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
We studied economic choice behavior in capuchin monkeys by offering them to choose between two different foods available in variable amounts. When monkeys selected between familiar foods, their choice patterns were well-described in terms of relative value of the two foods. A leading view in economics and biology is that such behavior results from stimulus-response associations acquired through experience. According to this view, values are not psychologically real; they can only be defined a posteriori. One prediction of this associative model is that animals faced for the first time with a new pair of foods learn to choose between them gradually. We tested this prediction. Surprisingly, we find that monkeys choose as effectively between new pairs of foods as they choose between familiar pairs of foods. We therefore, propose a cognitive model in which economic choice results from a two-stage mental process of value-assignment and decision-making. In a follow-up experiment, we find that the relative value assigned to three foods in sessions in which we tested them against each other combine according to transitivity.
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Kalenscher T, Windmann S, Diekamp B, Rose J, Güntürkün O, Colombo M. Single units in the pigeon brain integrate reward amount and time-to-reward in an impulsive choice task. Curr Biol 2005; 15:594-602. [PMID: 15823531 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2005.02.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2004] [Revised: 02/10/2005] [Accepted: 02/11/2005] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animals prefer small over large rewards when the delays preceding large rewards exceed an individual tolerance limit. Such impulsive choice behavior occurs even in situations in which alternative strategies would yield more optimal outcomes. Behavioral research has shown that an animal's choice is guided by the alternative rewards' subjective values, which are a function of reward amount and time-to-reward. Despite increasing knowledge about the pharmacology and anatomy underlying impulsivity, it is still unknown how the brain combines reward amount and time-to-reward information to represent subjective reward value. RESULTS We trained pigeons to choose between small, immediate rewards and large rewards delivered after gradually increasing delays. Single-cell recordings in the avian Nidopallium caudolaterale, the presumed functional analog of the mammalian prefrontal cortex, revealed that neural delay activation decreased with increasing delay length but also covaried with the expected reward amount. This integrated neural response was modulated by reward amount and delay, as predicted by a hyperbolical equation, of subjective reward value derived from behavioral studies. Furthermore, the neural activation pattern reflected the current reward preference and the time point of the shift from large to small rewards. CONCLUSIONS The reported activity was modulated by the temporal devaluation of the anticipated reward in addition to reward amount. Our findings contribute to the understanding of neuropathologies such as drug addiction, pathological gambling, frontal lobe syndrome, and attention-deficit disorders, which are characterized by inappropriate temporal discounting and increased impulsiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Kalenscher
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, GAFO 05-618, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
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Farries MA, Meitzen J, Perkel DJ. Electrophysiological properties of neurons in the basal ganglia of the domestic chick: conservation and divergence in the evolution of the avian basal ganglia. J Neurophysiol 2005; 94:454-67. [PMID: 15772239 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00539.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the basal ganglia of birds and mammals share an enormous number of anatomical, histochemical, and electrophysiological characteristics, studies in songbirds have revealed some important differences. Specifically, a specialized region of songbird striatum (the input structure of the basal ganglia) has an anatomical projection and a physiologically defined cell type that are characteristic of the globus pallidus. At present, it is not clear if these differences result from adaptations specific to songbirds and perhaps a few other avian taxa or are common to all birds. We shed some light on this issue by characterizing the morphology and electrophysiological properties of basal ganglia neurons in an avian species that is only distantly related to songbirds: the domestic chick. We recorded neurons in chick basal ganglia in a brain slice preparation, using the whole cell technique. We found that chick striatum, like songbird striatum, contains a pallidum-like cell type never reported in mammalian striatum, supporting the hypothesis that this feature is common to all birds. We also discovered that spiny neurons, the most common cell type in the striatum of all amniotes, possess a diverse set of physiological properties in chicks that distinguish them from both mammals and songbirds. This study revealed an unexpectedly complex pattern of conservation and divergence in the properties of neurons recorded in avian striatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Farries
- Department of Biology and Otolaryngology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
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Ichikawa Y, Izawa EI, Matsushima T. Excitotoxic lesions of the medial striatum delay extinction of a reinforcement color discrimination operant task in domestic chicks; a functional role of reward anticipation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004; 22:76-83. [PMID: 15561503 DOI: 10.1016/j.cogbrainres.2004.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/01/2004] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
To reveal the functional roles of the striatum, we examined the effects of excitotoxic lesions to the bilateral medial striatum (mSt) and nucleus accumbens (Ac) in a food reinforcement color discrimination operant task. With a food reward as reinforcement, 1-week-old domestic chicks were trained to peck selectively at red and yellow beads (S+) and not to peck at a blue bead (S-). Those chicks then received either lesions or sham operations and were tested in extinction training sessions, during which yellow turned out to be nonrewarding (S-), whereas red and blue remained unchanged. To further examine the effects on postoperant noninstrumental aspects of behavior, we also measured the "waiting time", during which chicks stayed at the empty feeder after pecking at yellow. Although the lesioned chicks showed significantly higher error rates in the nonrewarding yellow trials, their postoperant waiting time gradually decreased similarly to the sham controls. Furthermore, the lesioned chicks waited significantly longer than the controls, even from the first extinction block. In the blue trials, both lesioned and sham chicks consistently refrained from pecking, indicating that the delayed extinction was not due to a general disinhibition of pecking. Similarly, no effects were found in the novel training sessions, suggesting that the lesions had selective effects on the extinction of a learned operant. These results suggest that a neural representation of memory-based reward anticipation in the mSt/Ac could contribute to the anticipation error required for extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoko Ichikawa
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
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Novejarque A, Lanuza E, Martínez-García F. Amygdalostriatal projections in reptiles: A tract-tracing study in the lizardPodarcis hispanica. J Comp Neurol 2004; 479:287-308. [PMID: 15457506 DOI: 10.1002/cne.20309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Whereas the lacertilian anterior dorsal ventricular ridge contains unimodal sensory areas, its posterior part (PDVR) is an associative center that projects to the hypothalamus, thus being comparable to the amygdaloid formation. To further understand the organization of the reptilian cerebral hemispheres, we have used anterograde and retrograde tracing techniques to study the projections from the PDVR and adjoining areas (dorsolateral amygdala, DLA; deep lateral cortex, dLC; nucleus sphericus, NS) to the striatum in the lizard Podarcis hispanica. This information is complemented with a detailed description of the organization of the basal telencephalon of Podarcis. The caudal aspect of the dorsal ventricular ridge projects nontopographically mainly (but not exclusively) to the ventral striatum. The NS projects bilaterally (with strong ipsilateral dominance) to the nucleus accumbens, thus recalling the posteromedial cortical amygdala of mammals. The PDVR (especially its lateral aspect) and the dLC project massively to a continuum of structures connecting the striatoamygdaloid transition area (SAT) and the nucleus accumbens (rostrally), the projection arising from the dLC being probably bilateral. Finally, the DLA projects massively and bilaterally to both the ventral and dorsal striatum, including the SAT. Our findings lend further support to the view that the PDVR and neighboring structures constitute the reptilian basolateral amygdala and indicate that an emotional brain was already present in the ancestral amniote. These results are important to understand the comparative significance of the caudal aspect of the amniote cerebral hemispheres, and specifically challenge current views on the nature of the avian caudal neostriatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amparo Novejarque
- Departament de Biologia Funcional i Antropologia Física, Facultat de Ciències Biològiques, Universitat de València, ES-46100 València, Spain
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Bálint E, Kitka T, Zachar G, Adám A, Hemmings HC, Csillag A. Abundance and location of DARPP-32 in striato-tegmental circuits of domestic chicks. J Chem Neuroanat 2004; 28:27-36. [PMID: 15363488 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2004.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2003] [Revised: 05/19/2004] [Accepted: 05/20/2004] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The striatum is reciprocally connected to the brainstem dopaminergic nuclei and receives a strong dopaminergic input. In the present study the spatial relation between the dopaminergic and dopaminoceptive structures of the avian medial striatum (formerly: lobus parolfactorius) was observed by confocal laser scanning microscope in the domestic chick (Gallus domesticus). We also analysed the connections in the area ventralis tegmentalis and the substantia nigra. To label the dopaminergic structures, anti-tyrosine hydroxylase was used and DARPP-32 (dopamine and cAMP regulated phosphoprotein) was a marker of dopaminoceptive elements. The tyrosine hydroxylase positive fibres formed baskets of juxtapositions around the DARPP-32 containing cells of the medial striatum. However, such baskets were also observed to juxtapose DARPP-32 immunonegative cells. In the tegmentum, DARPP-32 was observed in axons descending from the telencephalon via the ansa lenticularis. These varicose fibers innervated the ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra and were often juxtaposed to dopaminergic neurons and dendrites. Approximately 40% of the striatal projection neurons targeting the ventral tegmentum, and 60% of striatal projection neurons targeting the nigra were immunoreactive to DARPP-32, as revealed by retrograde pathway tracing with Fast Blue. Endogenous dopamine may exert a retrograde synaptic effect on the afferent striato-tegmental fibers, apart from the reported extrasynaptic action. The abundance of juxtapositions observed in the avian brainstem and medial striatum corroborates the possibility of reciprocal striato-tegmental circuits, relevant to the reinforcement of behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Bálint
- Department of Anatomy, Semmelweis University, 58 Tuzoltó utca, H-1450 Budapest, Hungary
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Richard S, Martínez-García F, Lanuza E, Davies DC. Distribution of corticotropin-releasing factor-immunoreactive neurons in the central nervous system of the domestic chicken and Japanese quail. J Comp Neurol 2004; 469:559-80. [PMID: 14755536 DOI: 10.1002/cne.11023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In birds, as in mammals, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is present in a number of extrahypothalamic brain regions, indicating that CRF may play a role in physiological and behavioral responses other than the control of adrenocorticotropin hormone release by the pituitary. To provide a foundation for investigation of the roles of CRF in the control of avian behavior, the distribution of CRF immunoreactivity was determined throughout the central nervous system of the domestic chicken (Gallus domesticus) and Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). The distribution of CRF-immunoreactive (-ir) perikarya and fibers in the chicken and quail brain was found to be more extensive than previously reported, notably in the telencephalon. Numerous CRF-ir perikarya and fibers were present in the hyperstriatum, hippocampus, neostriatum, lobus parolfactorius, and archistriatum, as well as in the nucleus taeniae, nucleus accumbens, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, which exhibited the strongest immunolabeling in the telencephalon. The presence of dense populations of CRF-ir perikarya in the medial lobus parolfactorius, nucleus of the stria terminalis, and paleostriatum ventrale, apparently giving rise to CRF-ir projections to the mesencephalic reticular formation, the parabrachial/pericerulear region, and the dorsal vagal complex, suggests that these telencephalic areas may constitute part of the avian "central extended amygdala." These results have important implications for understanding the role of extrahypothalamic CRF systems in emotional responses in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Richard
- Station de Recherches Avicoles, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 37380 Nouzilly, France
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Shimizu T, Bowers AN, Budzynski CA, Kahn MC, Bingman VP. What Does a Pigeon (Columba livia) Brain Look Like During Homing? Selective Examination of ZENK Expression. Behav Neurosci 2004; 118:845-51. [PMID: 15301610 DOI: 10.1037/0735-7044.118.4.845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Lesion studies have shown that the avian hippocampus plays a crucial role in homing pigeon (Columba livia) navigation. Using the expression of the immediate early gene protein ZENK in intact pigeons, the authors found regional variation in hippocampal activation as a consequence of homing and, necessarily, the behavior and internal states that accompany it. Specifically, pigeons that homed displayed a significant increase in the number of ZENK-labeled cells in the lateral hippocampal formation compared with pigeons that did not home, whereas no difference was seen in the medial hippocampus. Significant changes in ZENK expression were also found in the medial striatum, which resembles the mammalian ventral striatum. The results identify portions of the hippocampal formation and the medial striatum as sites of plasticity associated with homing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toru Shimizu
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, US.
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Eagle DM, Robbins TW. Lesions of the medial prefrontal cortex or nucleus accumbens core do not impair inhibitory control in rats performing a stop-signal reaction time task. Behav Brain Res 2003; 146:131-44. [PMID: 14643466 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2003.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The 'stop-signal' task measures the ability to inhibit a response that has already been initiated, i.e. the ability to stop. Human subjects who have been classified as 'impulsive', for example, those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), are slower to react to the stop signal, and are often less sensitive to changes in the timing of signals to stop. Imaging studies have implicated fronto-striatal circuitry in the mediation of this form of response control. We report inhibition functions on the stop-signal reaction time (SSRT) task for normal rats, and following damage to the medial prefrontal cortex or to the nucleus accumbens core. Neither group of excitotoxic lesions produced significant deficits on task performance. Subsequent treatment with D-amphetamine (0.3 and 1.0mg/kg) resulted in quicker go-trial reaction times (mRT) overall, but had no significant effect on SSRT. Neither medial prefrontal cortex nor nucleus accumbens lesions had any differential effects on performance following D-amphetamine. These results are discussed with respect to the fronto-striatal circuitry involved in the mediation of behavioural inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- D M Eagle
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK.
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Kalenscher T, Diekamp B, Güntürkün O. Neural architecture of choice behaviour in a concurrent interval schedule. Eur J Neurosci 2003; 18:2627-37. [PMID: 14622165 DOI: 10.1046/j.1460-9568.2003.03006.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Concurrent interval schedules are classic experimental paradigms that are traditionally employed in psychological research on choice behaviour. To analyse the neural basis of choice in a concurrent fixed interval schedule, pigeons were trained to peck on two response keys. Responses were differentially rewarded in key specific short or long time intervals (SI vs. LI). Using tetrodotoxin, we reversibly blocked the neostriatum caudolaterale (NCL, the avian functional equivalent of the prefrontal cortex), avian caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens to examine their contribution. A detailed analysis of baseline choice behaviour revealed that response distribution and key affinity were determined by cued or time-related expectancy for rewards on the SI key. The pigeons' response frequency increased on the SI key and decreased on the LI key with increasing temporal proximity to the SI reward and pigeons switched to the LI key after reward delivery. Pecking bursts on the LI key were negatively correlated with bursts on the SI key. Neostriatum caudolaterale inactivation did not affect pecking activity per se but interfered with reward-related temporal modulation of pecking frequency, switching pattern and coupling of LI to SI pecks. Blockade of caudate-putamen resulted in a complete behavioural halt, while inactivation of nucleus accumbens diminished operant behaviour without affecting consummatory responses. These data suggest that the NCL is tuned via indirect striato-pallial projections to integrate cued or time-related reward expectancy into a response selection process in order to set, maintain or shift goals. The NCL possibly feeds forward the resulting motor commands to the caudate-putamen for execution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Kalenscher
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr-University Bochum, GAFO 05-623, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
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