1
|
Boch M, Huber L, Lamm C. Domestic dogs as a comparative model for social neuroscience: Advances and challenges. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 162:105700. [PMID: 38710423 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Dogs and humans have lived together for thousands of years and share many analogous socio-cognitive skills. Dog neuroimaging now provides insight into the neural bases of these shared social abilities. Here, we summarize key findings from dog fMRI identifying neocortical brain areas implicated in visual social cognition, such as face, body, and emotion perception, as well as action observation in dogs. These findings provide converging evidence that the temporal cortex plays a significant role in visual social cognition in dogs. We further briefly review investigations into the neural base of the dog-human relationship, mainly involving limbic brain regions. We then discuss current challenges in the field, such as statistical power and lack of common template spaces, and how to overcome them. Finally, we argue that the foundation has now been built to investigate and compare the neural bases of more complex socio-cognitive phenomena shared by dogs and humans. This will strengthen and expand the role of the domestic dog as a powerful comparative model species and provide novel insights into the evolutionary roots of social cognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Boch
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria; Department of Cognitive Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria.
| | - Ludwig Huber
- Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, Vienna 1210, Austria
| | - Claus Lamm
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria; Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Pluchot C, Adriaensen H, Parias C, Dubreuil D, Arnould C, Chaillou E, Love SA. Sheep (Ovis aries) training protocol for voluntary awake and unrestrained structural brain MRI acquisitions. Behav Res Methods 2024:10.3758/s13428-024-02449-6. [PMID: 38907122 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-024-02449-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive technique that requires the participant to be completely motionless. To date, MRI in awake and unrestrained animals has only been achieved with humans and dogs. For other species, alternative techniques such as anesthesia, restraint and/or sedation have been necessary. Anatomical and functional MRI studies with sheep have only been conducted under general anesthesia. This ensures the absence of movement and allows relatively long MRI experiments but it removes the non-invasive nature of the MRI technique (i.e., IV injections, intubation). Anesthesia can also be detrimental to health, disrupt neurovascular coupling, and does not permit the study of higher-level cognition. Here, we present a proof-of-concept that sheep can be trained to perform a series of tasks, enabling them to voluntarily participate in MRI sessions without anesthesia or restraint. We describe a step-by-step training protocol based on positive reinforcement (food and praise) that could be used as a basis for future neuroimaging research in sheep. This protocol details the two successive phases required for sheep to successfully achieve MRI acquisitions of their brain. By providing structural brain MRI images from six out of ten sheep, we demonstrate the feasibility of our training protocol. This innovative training protocol paves the way for the possibility of conducting animal welfare-friendly functional MRI studies with sheep to investigate ovine cognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Camille Pluchot
- INRAE, CNRS, Université de Tours, PRC, 37380, Nouzilly, France.
| | - Hans Adriaensen
- INRAE, CNRS, Université de Tours, PRC, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Céline Parias
- INRAE, CNRS, Université de Tours, PRC, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Didier Dubreuil
- Unité Expérimentale de Physiologie Animale de l'Orfrasière, INRAE Centre Val de Loire, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Cécile Arnould
- INRAE, CNRS, Université de Tours, PRC, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Elodie Chaillou
- INRAE, CNRS, Université de Tours, PRC, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Scott A Love
- INRAE, CNRS, Université de Tours, PRC, 37380, Nouzilly, France.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Deshpande G, Zhao S, Waggoner P, Beyers R, Morrison E, Huynh N, Vodyanoy V, Denney TS, Katz JS. Two Separate Brain Networks for Predicting Trainability and Tracking Training-Related Plasticity in Working Dogs. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1082. [PMID: 38612321 PMCID: PMC11010877 DOI: 10.3390/ani14071082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Functional brain connectivity based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been shown to be correlated with human personality and behavior. In this study, we sought to know whether capabilities and traits in dogs can be predicted from their resting-state connectivity, as in humans. We trained awake dogs to keep their head still inside a 3T MRI scanner while resting-state fMRI data was acquired. Canine behavior was characterized by an integrated behavioral score capturing their hunting, retrieving, and environmental soundness. Functional scans and behavioral measures were acquired at three different time points across detector dog training. The first time point (TP1) was prior to the dogs entering formal working detector dog training. The second time point (TP2) was soon after formal detector dog training. The third time point (TP3) was three months' post detector dog training while the dogs were engaged in a program of maintenance training for detection work. We hypothesized that the correlation between resting-state FC in the dog brain and behavior measures would significantly change during their detection training process (from TP1 to TP2) and would maintain for the subsequent several months of detection work (from TP2 to TP3). To further study the resting-state FC features that can predict the success of training, dogs at TP1 were divided into a successful group and a non-successful group. We observed a core brain network which showed relatively stable (with respect to time) patterns of interaction that were significantly stronger in successful detector dogs compared to failures and whose connectivity strength at the first time point predicted whether a given dog was eventually successful in becoming a detector dog. A second ontologically based flexible peripheral network was observed whose changes in connectivity strength with detection training tracked corresponding changes in behavior over the training program. Comparing dog and human brains, the functional connectivity between the brain stem and the frontal cortex in dogs corresponded to that between the locus coeruleus and left middle frontal gyrus in humans, suggestive of a shared mechanism for learning and retrieval of odors. Overall, the findings point toward the influence of phylogeny and ontogeny in dogs producing two dissociable functional neural networks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gopikrishna Deshpande
- Auburn University Neuroimaging Center, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; (S.Z.); (R.B.); (N.H.); (T.S.D.J.)
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
- Alabama Advanced Imaging Consortium, Birmingham, AL 36849, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
- Department of Heritage Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad 502285, India
| | - Sinan Zhao
- Auburn University Neuroimaging Center, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; (S.Z.); (R.B.); (N.H.); (T.S.D.J.)
| | - Paul Waggoner
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA;
| | - Ronald Beyers
- Auburn University Neuroimaging Center, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; (S.Z.); (R.B.); (N.H.); (T.S.D.J.)
| | - Edward Morrison
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; (E.M.); (V.V.)
| | - Nguyen Huynh
- Auburn University Neuroimaging Center, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; (S.Z.); (R.B.); (N.H.); (T.S.D.J.)
| | - Vitaly Vodyanoy
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; (E.M.); (V.V.)
| | - Thomas S. Denney
- Auburn University Neuroimaging Center, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; (S.Z.); (R.B.); (N.H.); (T.S.D.J.)
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
- Alabama Advanced Imaging Consortium, Birmingham, AL 36849, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Jeffrey S. Katz
- Auburn University Neuroimaging Center, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; (S.Z.); (R.B.); (N.H.); (T.S.D.J.)
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
- Alabama Advanced Imaging Consortium, Birmingham, AL 36849, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
García-Gracia M, Moreno-Martinez L, Hernaiz A, Usón S, Moral J, Sanz-Rubio D, Zaragoza P, Palacio J, Rosado B, Osta R, García-Belenguer S, Martín Burriel I. Analysis of Plasma-Derived Exosomal MicroRNAs as Potential Biomarkers for Canine Idiopathic Epilepsy. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:252. [PMID: 38254420 PMCID: PMC10812621 DOI: 10.3390/ani14020252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is one of the most prevalent complex neurological diseases in both the canine and human species, with the idiopathic form as its most common diagnosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNA molecules that play a role in gene regulation processes and appear to be a promising biological target for convulsion control. These molecules have been reported as constituents of the internal content of exosomes, which are small extracellular vesicles released by cells. In this study, exosome samples were isolated from the plasma of 23 dogs, including 9 dogs with epilepsy responsive to treatment, 6 dogs with drug-resistant epilepsy, and 8 control dogs. Plasma exosomes were then characterized by electron transmission microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and dot blotting. Afterwards, the microRNA-enriched RNA content of exosomes was isolated, and miRNA quantification was performed by quantitative real-time PCR. Seven circulating miRNAs that have been previously described in the literature as potential diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers for epilepsy were evaluated. We observed significant differences in miR-16 (p < 0.001), miR-93-5p (p < 0.001), miR-142 (p < 0.001), miR-574 (p < 0.01), and miR-27 (p < 0.05) levels in dogs with refractory epilepsy compared to the control group. In drug-sensitive epileptic dogs, miR-142 (p < 0.01) showed significant differences compared to healthy dogs. Moreover, distinct levels of miR-16 (p < 0.05), miR-93-5p (p < 0.01), miR-132 (p < 0.05), and miR-574 (p < 0.05) were also found between drug-sensitive and drug-resistant epileptic dogs. Our results present plasma-circulating exosomes as an advantageous source of epileptic biomarkers, highlighting the potential of miRNAs as prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers of canine idiopathic epilepsy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mireya García-Gracia
- Laboratorio de Genética Bioquímica (LAGENBIO), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain (L.M.-M.); (A.H.); (P.Z.); (R.O.)
| | - Laura Moreno-Martinez
- Laboratorio de Genética Bioquímica (LAGENBIO), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain (L.M.-M.); (A.H.); (P.Z.); (R.O.)
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón IA2 (UNIZAR-CITA), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IISA), 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Adelaida Hernaiz
- Laboratorio de Genética Bioquímica (LAGENBIO), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain (L.M.-M.); (A.H.); (P.Z.); (R.O.)
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón IA2 (UNIZAR-CITA), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IISA), 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Sebastián Usón
- Laboratorio de Genética Bioquímica (LAGENBIO), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain (L.M.-M.); (A.H.); (P.Z.); (R.O.)
| | - Jon Moral
- Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Miguel Servet, 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain (J.P.); (B.R.); (S.G.-B.)
- Hospital Veterinario de la Universidad de Zaragoza (HVUZ), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - David Sanz-Rubio
- Precision Medicine in Respiratory Diseases (PRES) Group, Unidad de Investigación Traslacional, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón-IISA, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain;
| | - Pilar Zaragoza
- Laboratorio de Genética Bioquímica (LAGENBIO), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain (L.M.-M.); (A.H.); (P.Z.); (R.O.)
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón IA2 (UNIZAR-CITA), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IISA), 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Palacio
- Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Miguel Servet, 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain (J.P.); (B.R.); (S.G.-B.)
- Hospital Veterinario de la Universidad de Zaragoza (HVUZ), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Belén Rosado
- Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Miguel Servet, 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain (J.P.); (B.R.); (S.G.-B.)
- Hospital Veterinario de la Universidad de Zaragoza (HVUZ), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Rosario Osta
- Laboratorio de Genética Bioquímica (LAGENBIO), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain (L.M.-M.); (A.H.); (P.Z.); (R.O.)
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón IA2 (UNIZAR-CITA), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IISA), 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Sylvia García-Belenguer
- Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Miguel Servet, 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain (J.P.); (B.R.); (S.G.-B.)
- Hospital Veterinario de la Universidad de Zaragoza (HVUZ), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Martín Burriel
- Laboratorio de Genética Bioquímica (LAGENBIO), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain (L.M.-M.); (A.H.); (P.Z.); (R.O.)
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón IA2 (UNIZAR-CITA), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IISA), 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Eleőd H, Gácsi M, Bunford N, Kis A. Event-related potentials indicate differential neural reactivity to species and valence information in vocal stimuli in sleeping dogs. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14518. [PMID: 37666838 PMCID: PMC10477275 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40851-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Dogs live in a complex social environment where they regularly interact with conspecific and heterospecific partners. Awake dogs are able to process a variety of information based on vocalisations emitted by dogs and humans. Whether dogs are also able to process such information while asleep, is unknown. In the current explorative study, we investigated in N = 13 family dogs, neural response to conspecific and human emotional vocalisations. Data were recorded while dogs were asleep, using a fully non-invasive event-related potential (ERP) paradigm. A species (between 250-450 and 600-800 ms after stimulus onset) and a species by valence interaction (between 550 to 650 ms after stimulus onset) effect was observed during drowsiness. A valence (750-850 ms after stimulus onset) and a species x valence interaction (between 200 to 300 ms and 450 to 650 ms after stimulus onset) effect was also observed during non-REM specific at the Cz electrode. Although further research is needed, these results not only suggest that dogs neurally differentiate between differently valenced con- and heterospecific vocalisations, but they also provide the first evidence of complex vocal processing during sleep in dogs. Assessment and detection of ERPs during sleep in dogs appear feasible.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huba Eleőd
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
- Doctoral School of Biology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Márta Gácsi
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- ELKH-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Nóra Bunford
- ELKH-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anna Kis
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary, Budapest, Hungary
- ELTE-ELKH NAP Comparative Ethology Research group, Budapest, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Visual perception of emotion cues in dogs: a critical review of methodologies. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:727-754. [PMID: 36870003 PMCID: PMC10066124 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01762-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Comparative studies of human-dog cognition have grown exponentially since the 2000's, but the focus on how dogs look at us (as well as other dogs) as social partners is a more recent phenomenon despite its importance to human-dog interactions. Here, we briefly summarise the current state of research in visual perception of emotion cues in dogs and why this area is important; we then critically review its most commonly used methods, by discussing conceptual and methodological challenges and associated limitations in depth; finally, we suggest some possible solutions and recommend best practice for future research. Typically, most studies in this field have concentrated on facial emotional cues, with full body information rarely considered. There are many challenges in the way studies are conceptually designed (e.g., use of non-naturalistic stimuli) and the way researchers incorporate biases (e.g., anthropomorphism) into experimental designs, which may lead to problematic conclusions. However, technological and scientific advances offer the opportunity to gather much more valid, objective, and systematic data in this rapidly expanding field of study. Solving conceptual and methodological challenges in the field of emotion perception research in dogs will not only be beneficial in improving research in dog-human interactions, but also within the comparative psychology area, in which dogs are an important model species to study evolutionary processes.
Collapse
|
7
|
Guran CNA, Sladky R, Karl S, Boch M, Laistler E, Windischberger C, Huber L, Lamm C. Validation of a New Coil Array Tailored for Dog Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Studies. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0083-22.2022. [PMID: 36750363 PMCID: PMC9997692 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0083-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Comparative neuroimaging allows for the identification of similarities and differences between species. It provides an important and promising avenue, to answer questions about the evolutionary origins of the brain´s organization, in terms of both structure and function. Dog functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has recently become one particularly promising and increasingly used approach to study brain function and coevolution. In dog neuroimaging, image acquisition has so far been mostly performed with coils originally developed for use in human MRI. Since such coils have been tailored to human anatomy, their sensitivity and data quality is likely not optimal for dog MRI. Therefore, we developed a multichannel receive coil (K9 coil, read "canine") tailored for high-resolution functional imaging in canines, optimized for dog cranial anatomy. In this paper we report structural (n = 9) as well as functional imaging data (resting-state, n = 6; simple visual paradigm, n = 9) collected with the K9 coil in comparison to reference data collected with a human knee coil. Our results show that the K9 coil significantly outperforms the human knee coil, improving the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) across the imaging modalities. We noted increases of roughly 45% signal-to-noise in the structural and functional domain. In terms of translation to fMRI data collected in a visual flickering checkerboard paradigm, group-level analyses show that the K9 coil performs better than the knee coil as well. These findings demonstrate how hardware improvements may be instrumental in driving data quality, and thus, quality of imaging results, for dog-human comparative neuroimaging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine-Noémie Alexandrina Guran
- Cognitive Science Hub, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria 1090
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (SCAN) Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria 1010
| | - Ronald Sladky
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (SCAN) Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria 1010
| | - Sabrina Karl
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria 1210
| | - Magdalena Boch
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (SCAN) Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria 1010
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria 1030
| | - Elmar Laistler
- Division MR Physics, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria 1090
| | - Christian Windischberger
- High Field MR Center, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria 1090
| | - Ludwig Huber
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria 1210
| | - Claus Lamm
- Cognitive Science Hub, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria 1090
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (SCAN) Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria 1010
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Habiba U, Ozawa M, Chambers JK, Uchida K, Descallar J, Nakayama H, Summers BA, Morley JW, Tayebi M. Neuronal Deposition of Amyloid-β Oligomers and Hyperphosphorylated Tau Is Closely Connected with Cognitive Dysfunction in Aged Dogs. J Alzheimers Dis Rep 2021; 5:749-760. [PMID: 34870101 PMCID: PMC8609497 DOI: 10.3233/adr-210035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD) is a progressive syndrome recognized in mature to aged dogs with a variety of neuropathological changes similar to human Alzheimer's disease (AD), for which it is thought to be a good natural model. However, the presence of hyperphosphorylated tau protein (p-Tau) in dogs with CCD has only been demonstrated infrequently. Objective The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of p-Tau and amyloid-β oligomer (Aβo) in cerebral cortex and hippocampus of dogs with CCD, with focus on an epitope retrieval protocol to unmask p-Tau. Methods Immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence analysis of the cortical and hippocampal regions of five CCD-affected and two nondemented aged dogs using 4G8 anti-Aβp, anti-Aβ1 - 42 nanobody (PrioAD13) and AT8 anti-p-Tau (Ser202, Thr205) antibody were used to demonstrate the presence of Aβ plaques (Aβp) and Aβ1 - 42 oligomers and p-Tau deposits, respectively. Results The extracellular Aβ senile plaques were of the diffuse type which lack the dense core normally seen in human AD. While p-Tau deposits displayed a widespread pattern and closely resembled the typical human neuropathology, they did not co-localize with the Aβp. Of considerable interest, however, widespread intraneuronal deposition of Aβ1 - 42 oligomers were exhibited in the frontal cortex and hippocampal region that co-localized with p-Tau. Conclusion Taken together, these findings reveal further shared neuropathologic features of AD and CCD, supporting the case that aged dogs afflicted with CCD offer a relevant model for investigating human AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Umma Habiba
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
| | - Makiko Ozawa
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, the University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - James K Chambers
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, the University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Uchida
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, the University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Joseph Descallar
- Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Brian A Summers
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Melbourne University, Werribee, Victoria, Australia
| | - John W Morley
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
| | - Mourad Tayebi
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Makowska IJ, Weary DM. A Good Life for Laboratory Rodents? ILAR J 2021; 60:373-388. [PMID: 32311030 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilaa001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Most would agree that animals in research should be spared "unnecessary" harm, pain, or distress, and there is also growing interest in providing animals with some form of environmental enrichment. But is this the standard of care that we should aspire to? We argue that we need to work towards a higher standard-specifically, that providing research animals with a "good life" should be a prerequisite for their use. The aims of this paper are to illustrate our vision of a "good life" for laboratory rats and mice and to provide a roadmap for achieving this vision. We recognize that several research procedures are clearly incompatible with a good life but describe here what we consider to be the minimum day-to-day living conditions to be met when using rodents in research. A good life requires that animals can express a rich behavioral repertoire, use their abilities, and fulfill their potential through active engagement with their environment. In the first section, we describe how animals could be housed for these requirements to be fulfilled, from simple modifications to standard housing through to better cage designs and free-ranging options. In the second section, we review the types of interactions with laboratory rodents that are compatible with a good life. In the third section, we address the potential for the animals to have a life outside of research, including the use of pets in clinical trials (the animal-as-patient model) and the adoption of research animals to new homes when they are no longer needed in research. We conclude with a few suggestions for achieving our vision.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- I Joanna Makowska
- Animal Welfare Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Daniel M Weary
- Animal Welfare Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Barry EF, Loftus JP, Luh WM, de Leon MJ, Niogi SN, Johnson PJ. Diffusion tensor-based analysis of white matter in the healthy aging canine brain. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 105:129-136. [PMID: 34062488 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
White matter dysfunction and degeneration have been a topic of great interest in healthy and pathological aging. While ex vivo studies have investigated age-related changes in canines, little in vivo canine aging research exists. Quantitative diffusion MRI such as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has demonstrated aging and neurodegenerative white matter changes in humans. However, this method has not been applied and adapted in vivo to canine populations. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that white matter diffusion changes frequently reported in human aging are also found in aged canines. The study used Tract Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) and a region of interest (ROI) approach to investigate age related changes in fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AxD) and radial diffusivity (RD). The results show that, compared to younger animals, aged canines have significant decreases in FA in parietal and temporal regions as well as the corpus callosum and fornix. Additionally, AxD decreases were observed in parietal, frontal, and midbrain regions. Similarly, an age- related increase in RD was observed in the right parietal lobe while MD decreases were found in the midbrain. These findings suggest that canine samples show commonalities with human brain aging as both exhibit similar white matter diffusion tensor changes with increasing age.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erica F Barry
- Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - John P Loftus
- Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Wen-Ming Luh
- National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Mony J de Leon
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Sumit N Niogi
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Dog-human social relationship: representation of human face familiarity and emotions in the dog brain. Anim Cogn 2021; 24:251-266. [PMID: 33598770 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01475-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the behavioral and neural indices of detecting facial familiarity and facial emotions in human faces by dogs. Awake canine fMRI was used to evaluate dogs' neural response to pictures and videos of familiar and unfamiliar human faces, which contained positive, neutral, and negative emotional expressions. The dog-human relationship was behaviorally characterized out-of-scanner using an unsolvable task. The caudate, hippocampus, and amygdala, mainly implicated in reward, familiarity and emotion processing, respectively, were activated in dogs when viewing familiar and emotionally salient human faces. Further, the magnitude of activation in these regions correlated with the duration for which dogs showed human-oriented behavior towards a familiar (as opposed to unfamiliar) person in the unsolvable task. These findings provide a bio-behavioral basis for the underlying markers and functions of human-dog interaction as they relate to familiarity and emotion in human faces.
Collapse
|
12
|
Boch M, Karl S, Sladky R, Huber L, Lamm C, Wagner IC. Tailored haemodynamic response function increases detection power of fMRI in awake dogs (Canis familiaris). Neuroimage 2021; 224:117414. [PMID: 33011420 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of awake and unrestrained dogs (Canis familiaris) has been established as a novel opportunity for comparative neuroimaging, promising important insights into the evolutionary roots of human brain function and cognition. However, data processing and analysis pipelines are often derivatives of methodological standards developed for human neuroimaging, which may be problematic due to profound neurophysiological and anatomical differences between humans and dogs. Here, we explore whether dog fMRI studies would benefit from a tailored dog haemodynamic response function (HRF). In two independent experiments, dogs were presented with different visual stimuli. BOLD signal changes in the visual cortex during these experiments were used for (a) the identification and estimation of a tailored dog HRF, and (b) the independent validation of the resulting dog HRF estimate. Time course analyses revealed that the BOLD signal in the primary visual cortex peaked significantly earlier in dogs compared to humans, while being comparable in shape. Deriving a tailored dog HRF significantly improved the model fit in both experiments, compared to the canonical HRF used in human fMRI. Using the dog HRF yielded significantly increased activation during visual stimulation, extending from the occipital lobe to the caudal parietal cortex, the bilateral temporal cortex, into bilateral hippocampal and thalamic regions. In sum, our findings provide robust evidence for an earlier onset of the dog HRF in two visual stimulation paradigms, and suggest that using such an HRF will be important to increase fMRI detection power in canine neuroimaging. By providing the parameters of the tailored dog HRF and related code, we encourage and enable other researchers to validate whether our findings generalize to other sensory modalities and experimental paradigms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Boch
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria; Department of Cognitive Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sabrina Karl
- Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ronald Sladky
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ludwig Huber
- Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Claus Lamm
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Isabella C Wagner
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Karl S, Boch M, Zamansky A, van der Linden D, Wagner IC, Völter CJ, Lamm C, Huber L. Exploring the dog-human relationship by combining fMRI, eye-tracking and behavioural measures. Sci Rep 2020; 10:22273. [PMID: 33335230 PMCID: PMC7747637 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79247-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioural studies revealed that the dog-human relationship resembles the human mother-child bond, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we report the results of a multi-method approach combining fMRI (N = 17), eye-tracking (N = 15), and behavioural preference tests (N = 24) to explore the engagement of an attachment-like system in dogs seeing human faces. We presented morph videos of the caregiver, a familiar person, and a stranger showing either happy or angry facial expressions. Regardless of emotion, viewing the caregiver activated brain regions associated with emotion and attachment processing in humans. In contrast, the stranger elicited activation mainly in brain regions related to visual and motor processing, and the familiar person relatively weak activations overall. While the majority of happy stimuli led to increased activation of the caudate nucleus associated with reward processing, angry stimuli led to activations in limbic regions. Both the eye-tracking and preference test data supported the superior role of the caregiver's face and were in line with the findings from the fMRI experiment. While preliminary, these findings indicate that cutting across different levels, from brain to behaviour, can provide novel and converging insights into the engagement of the putative attachment system when dogs interact with humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Karl
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Magdalena Boch
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Cognitive Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Zamansky
- Information Systems Department, University of Haifa, 3498838, Haifa, Israel
| | - Dirk van der Linden
- Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Isabella C Wagner
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph J Völter
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Claus Lamm
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ludwig Huber
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Reliability of fNIRS for noninvasive monitoring of brain function and emotion in sheep. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14726. [PMID: 32895449 PMCID: PMC7477174 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71704-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this work was to critically assess if functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) can be profitably used as a tool for noninvasive recording of brain functions and emotions in sheep. We considered an experimental design including advances in instrumentation (customized wireless multi-distance fNIRS system), more accurate physical modelling (two-layer model for photon diffusion and 3D Monte Carlo simulations), support from neuroanatomical tools (positioning of the fNIRS probe by MRI and DTI data of the very same animals), and rigorous protocols (motor task, startling test) for testing the behavioral response of freely moving sheep. Almost no hemodynamic response was found in the extra-cerebral region in both the motor task and the startling test. In the motor task, as expected we found a canonical hemodynamic response in the cerebral region when sheep were walking. In the startling test, the measured hemodynamic response in the cerebral region was mainly from movement. Overall, these results indicate that with the current setup and probe positioning we are primarily measuring the motor area of the sheep brain, and not probing the too deeply located cortical areas related to processing of emotions.
Collapse
|
15
|
Beckmann KM, Wang-Leandro A, Dennler M, Carrera I, Richter H, Bektas RN, Steiner A, Haller S. Resting state networks of the canine brain under sevoflurane anaesthesia. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231955. [PMID: 32302373 PMCID: PMC7164650 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rs-fMRI) has become an established technique in humans and reliably determines several resting state networks (RSNs) simultaneously. Limited data exist about RSN in dogs. The aim of this study was to investigate the RSNs in 10 healthy beagle dogs using a 3 tesla MRI scanner and subsequently perform group-level independent component analysis (ICA) to identify functionally connected brain networks. Rs-fMRI sequences were performed under steady state sevoflurane inhalation anaesthesia. Anaesthetic depth was titrated to the minimum level needed for immobilisation and mechanical ventilation of the patient. This required a sevoflurane MAC between 0.8 to 1.2. Group-level ICA dimensionality of 20 components revealed distributed sensory, motor and higher-order networks in the dogs’ brain. We identified in total 7 RSNs (default mode, primary and higher order visual, auditory, two putative motor-somatosensory and one putative somatosensory), which are common to other mammals including humans. Identified RSN are remarkably similar to those identified in awake dogs. This study proves the feasibility of rs-fMRI in anesthetized dogs and describes several RSNs, which may set the basis for investigating pathophysiological characteristics of various canine brain diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katrin M. Beckmann
- Neurology Department, Clinic of Small Animal Surgery, Vetsuisse Faculty Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Adriano Wang-Leandro
- Department of Diagnostics and Clinical Services, Clinic for Diagnostic Imaging, Vetsuisse-Faculty Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Dennler
- Department of Diagnostics and Clinical Services, Clinic for Diagnostic Imaging, Vetsuisse-Faculty Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ines Carrera
- Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service, Shirley, United Kingdom
| | - Henning Richter
- Department of Diagnostics and Clinical Services, Clinic for Diagnostic Imaging, Vetsuisse-Faculty Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rima N. Bektas
- Department of Diagnostics and Clinical Services, Section of Anaesthesiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Aline Steiner
- Department of Diagnostics and Clinical Services, Section of Anaesthesiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sven Haller
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Radiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Abstract
In recent years, two well-developed methods of studying mental processes in humans have been successively applied to dogs. First, eye-tracking has been used to study visual cognition without distraction in unrestrained dogs. Second, noninvasive functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been used for assessing the brain functions of dogs in vivo. Both methods, however, require dogs to sit, stand, or lie motionless while yet remaining attentive for several minutes, during which time their brain activity and eye movements are measured. Whereas eye-tracking in dogs is performed in a quiet and, apart from the experimental stimuli, nonstimulating and highly controlled environment, MRI scanning can only be performed in a very noisy and spatially restraining MRI scanner, in which dogs need to feel relaxed and stay motionless in order to study their brain and cognition with high precision. Here we describe in detail a training regime that is perfectly suited to train dogs in the required skills, with a high success probability and while keeping to the highest ethical standards of animal welfare-that is, without using aversive training methods or any other compromises to the dog's well-being for both methods. By reporting data from 41 dogs that successfully participated in eye-tracking training and 24 dogs IN fMRI training, we provide robust qualitative and quantitative evidence for the quality and efficiency of our training methods. By documenting and validating our training approach here, we aim to inspire others to use our methods to apply eye-tracking or fMRI for their investigations of canine behavior and cognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Karl
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Magdalena Boch
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Cognitive Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Zsófia Virányi
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Claus Lamm
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ludwig Huber
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Johnson PJ, Luh WM, Rivard BC, Graham KL, White A, FitzMaurice M, Loftus JP, Barry EF. Stereotactic Cortical Atlas of the Domestic Canine Brain. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4781. [PMID: 32179861 PMCID: PMC7076022 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61665-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The domestic canine (canis familiaris) is a growing novel model for human neuroscientific research. Unlike rodents and primates, they demonstrate unique convergent sociocognitive skills with humans, are highly trainable and able to undergo non-invasive experimental procedures without restraint, including fMRI. In addition, the gyrencephalic structure of the canine brain is more similar to that of human than rodent models. The increasing use of dogs for non-invasive neuroscience studies has generating a need for a standard canine cortical atlas that provides common spatial referencing and cortical segmentation for advanced neuroimaging data processing and analysis. In this manuscript we create and make available a detailed MRI-based cortical atlas for the canine brain. This atlas includes a population template generated from 30 neurologically and clinically normal non-brachycephalic dogs, tissue segmentation maps and a cortical atlas generated from Jerzy Kreiner's myeloarchitectonic-based histology atlas. The provided cortical parcellation includes 234 priors from frontal, sensorimotor, parietal, temporal, occipital, cingular and subcortical regions. The atlas was validated using an additional canine cohort with variable cranial conformations. This comprehensive cortical atlas provides a reference standard for canine brain research and will improve and standardize processing and data analysis and interpretation in functional and structural MRI research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philippa J Johnson
- Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Wen-Ming Luh
- National Institute of Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Benjamin C Rivard
- Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Kathleen L Graham
- Clinical Ophthalmology and Eye Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Andrew White
- Clinical Ophthalmology and Eye Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Marnie FitzMaurice
- Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - John P Loftus
- Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Erica F Barry
- Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Czeibert K, Andics A, Petneházy Ö, Kubinyi E. A detailed canine brain label map for neuroimaging analysis. Biol Futur 2019; 70:112-120. [DOI: 10.1556/019.70.2019.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kálmán Czeibert
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Andics
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- MTA-ELTE ‘Lendület’ Neuroethology of Communication Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences – Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Örs Petneházy
- Medicopus Nonprofit Ltd., ‘Kaposi Mór’ Teaching Hospital, Somogy County, Kaposvár, Hungary
- Justanatomy Ltd., Kaposvár, Hungary
| | - Enikő Kubinyi
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Separate brain areas for processing human and dog faces as revealed by awake fMRI in dogs (Canis familiaris). Learn Behav 2019; 46:561-573. [PMID: 30349971 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-018-0352-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has emerged as a viable method to study the neural processing underlying cognition in awake dogs. Working dogs were presented with pictures of dog and human faces. The human faces varied in familiarity (familiar trainers and unfamiliar individuals) and emotional valence (negative, neutral, and positive). Dog faces were familiar (kennel mates) or unfamiliar. The findings revealed adjacent but separate brain areas in the left temporal cortex for processing human and dog faces in the dog brain. The human face area (HFA) and dog face area (DFA) were both parametrically modulated by valence indicating emotion was not the basis for the separation. The HFA and DFA were not influenced by familiarity. Using resting state fMRI data, functional connectivity networks (connectivity fingerprints) were compared and matched across dogs and humans. These network analyses found that the HFA mapped onto the human fusiform area and the DFA mapped onto the human superior temporal gyrus, both core areas in the human face processing system. The findings provide insight into the evolution of face processing.
Collapse
|
20
|
Neural processes of vocal social perception: Dog-human comparative fMRI studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 85:54-64. [PMID: 29287629 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In this review we focus on the exciting new opportunities in comparative neuroscience to study neural processes of vocal social perception by comparing dog and human neural activity using fMRI methods. The dog is a relatively new addition to this research area; however, it has a large potential to become a standard species in such investigations. Although there has been great interest in the emergence of human language abilities, in case of fMRI methods, most research to date focused on homologue comparisons within Primates. By belonging to a very different clade of mammalian evolution, dogs could give such research agendas a more general mammalian foundation. In addition, broadening the scope of investigations into vocal communication in general can also deepen our understanding of human vocal skills. Being selected for and living in an anthropogenic environment, research with dogs may also be informative about the way in which human non-linguistic and linguistic signals are represented in a mammalian brain without skills for language production.
Collapse
|
21
|
Mothering matters: Maternal style predicts puppies’ future performance. Learn Behav 2018; 46:327-328. [DOI: 10.3758/s13420-017-0308-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
|
22
|
Abstract
Recent pioneering work has shown the great promise that scanning awake, nonsedated dogs holds for both understanding the canine and the human brain and mind. A number of technological and methodological challenges, however, still need to be overcome to fully tap this potential.
Collapse
|
23
|
Lazarowski L, Haney PS, Brock J, Fischer T, Rogers B, Angle C, Katz JS, Waggoner LP. Investigation of the Behavioral Characteristics of Dogs Purpose-Bred and Prepared to Perform Vapor Wake® Detection of Person-Borne Explosives. Front Vet Sci 2018; 5:50. [PMID: 29616229 PMCID: PMC5869930 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Specialized detector dogs are increasingly being utilized for the detection of modern threats. The Vapor Wake® (VW) dog was developed to create a dog phenotype ideally suited for detecting hand-carried and body-worn explosives. VW dogs (VWDs) are trained to sample and alert to target odors in the aerodynamic wakes of moving persons, which entrains vapor and small particles from the person. The behavioral characteristics necessary for dogs to be successfully trained and employed for the application of VW are a distinct subset of the desired general characteristics of dogs used for detection tasks due to the dynamic nature of moving targets. The purpose of this study was to examine the behavioral characteristics of candidate detector dogs to determine the particular qualities that set apart VW-capable dogs from others. We assessed 146 candidate detector dogs from a VW breeding and training program. Dogs received identical puppy development and foundational odor training and underwent performance evaluations at 3, 6, 10, and 12 months old, after which they were sold for service. Dogs were categorized based on their final outcome of the training program, independently determined by private vendors, corresponding to three groups: dogs successfully sold for VW, dogs sold for standard explosives detection, and dogs that failed to be placed in any type of detector dog service (Washouts). Comparisons of behavioral evaluations between the groups were made across domains pertaining to search-related behaviors (Performance), reactions to novel stimuli (Environmental), and overall ease of learning new tasks (Trainability). Comparisons were also made at each evaluation to determine any early emergence of differences. VWDs scored significantly higher on Performance characteristics compared to standard explosives detection dogs (EDDs) and Washouts. However, Environmental characteristics did not differentiate VWDs from EDDs, though scores on these measures were significantly lower in the Washouts. Furthermore, differences between groups emerged as early as 3 and 6 months for select measures. We describe the behavioral characteristics targeted for selection in developing the VW phenotype and discuss the relative merit and degree of expression of those characteristics in the success of dogs bred and trained for the VW application.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Lazarowski
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States.,Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Pamela Sue Haney
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Jeanne Brock
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Terry Fischer
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Bart Rogers
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Craig Angle
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Jeffrey S Katz
- Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - L Paul Waggoner
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Olsen MR. A case for methodological overhaul and increased study of executive function in the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris). Anim Cogn 2018; 21:175-195. [PMID: 29380086 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-018-1162-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Revised: 01/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Executive function (EF) allows for self-regulation of behavior including maintaining focus in the face of distraction, inhibiting behavior that is suboptimal or inappropriate in a given context, and updating the contents of working memory. While EF has been studied extensively in humans, it has only recently become a topic of research in the domestic dog. In this paper, I argue for increased study of dog EF by explaining how it might influence the owner-dog bond, human safety, and dog welfare, as well as reviewing the current literature dedicated to EF in dogs. In "EF and its Application to "Man's Best Friend" section, I briefly describe EF and how it is relevant to dog behavior. In "Previous investigations into EF in dogs" section, I provide a review of the literature pertaining to EF in dogs, specifically tasks used to assess abilities like inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and working memory capacity. In "Insights and limitations of previous studies" section, I consider limitations of existing studies that must be addressed in future research. Finally, in "Future directions" section, I propose future directions for meaningful research on EF in dogs.
Collapse
|
25
|
Bunford N, Andics A, Kis A, Miklósi Á, Gácsi M. Canis familiaris As a Model for Non-Invasive Comparative Neuroscience. Trends Neurosci 2017; 40:438-452. [PMID: 28571614 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2017.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
There is an ongoing need to improve animal models for investigating human behavior and its biological underpinnings. The domestic dog (Canis familiaris) is a promising model in cognitive neuroscience. However, before it can contribute to advances in this field in a comparative, reliable, and valid manner, several methodological issues warrant attention. We review recent non-invasive canine neuroscience studies, primarily focusing on (i) variability among dogs and between dogs and humans in cranial characteristics, and (ii) generalizability across dog and dog-human studies. We argue not for methodological uniformity but for functional comparability between methods, experimental designs, and neural responses. We conclude that the dog may become an innovative and unique model in comparative neuroscience, complementing more traditional models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nóra Bunford
- Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Institute of Biology, Department of Ethology, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Attila Andics
- Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Institute of Biology, Department of Ethology, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; Hungarian Academy of Sciences, MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anna Kis
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ádám Miklósi
- Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Institute of Biology, Department of Ethology, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; Hungarian Academy of Sciences, MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Márta Gácsi
- Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Institute of Biology, Department of Ethology, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; Hungarian Academy of Sciences, MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|