The Direction of response selectivity between conspecific and heterospecific auditory stimuli varies with response metric

Species recognition is an essential behavioral outcome of social discrimination, flocking, mobbing, mating, and/or parental care. In songbirds, auditory species recognition cues are processed through specialized forebrain circuits dedicated to acoustic discrimination. Here we addressed the direction of behavioral and neural metrics of zebra finches' (Taeniopygia guttata) responses to acoustic cues of unfamiliar conspecifics vs. heterospecifics. Behaviorally, vocal response rates were greater for conspecific male zebra finch songs over heterospecific Pin-tailed Whydah (Vidua macroura) songs, which paralleled greater multiunit spike rates in the auditory forebrain in response to the same type of conspecific over heterospecific auditory stimuli. In contrast, forebrain activation levels were reversed to species-specific song playbacks during two functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments: we detected consistently greater responses to whydah songs over finch songs and did so independently of whether subjects had been co-housed or not with heterospecifics. These results imply that the directionality of behavioral and neural response selectivity metrics are not always consistent and appear to be experience-independent in this set of stimulus-and-subject experimental paradigms.

Influence of early-life nutritional stress on songbird memory formation

In birds, vocal learning enables the production of sexually selected complex songs, dialects and song copy matching. But stressful conditions during development have been shown to affect song production and complexity, mediated by changes in neural development. However, to date, no studies have tested whether early-life stress affects the neural processes underlying vocal learning, in contrast to song production. Here, we hypothesized that developmental stress alters auditory memory formation and neural processing of song stimuli. We experimentally stressed male nestling zebra finches and, in two separate experiments, tested their neural responses to song playbacks as adults, using either immediate early gene (IEG) expression or electrophysiological response. Once adult, nutritionally stressed males exhibited a reduced response to tutor song playback, as demonstrated by reduced expressions of two IEGs (Arc and ZENK) and reduced neuronal response, in both the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM) and mesopallium (CMM). Furthermore, nutritionally stressed males also showed impaired neuronal memory for novel songs heard in adulthood. These findings demonstrate, for the first time, that developmental conditions affect auditory memories that subserve vocal learning. Although the fitness consequences of such memory impairments remain to be determined, this study highlights the lasting impact early-life experiences can have on cognitive abilities.

Single-neuron responses to rapidly presented temporal sequences in the primary auditory cortex of the awake macaque monkey

One fundamental process of the auditory system is to process rapidly occurring acoustic stimuli, which are fundamental components of complex stimuli such as animal vocalizations and human speech. Although the auditory cortex is known to subserve the perception of acoustic temporal events, relatively little is currently understood about how single neurons respond to such stimuli. We recorded the responses of single neurons in the primary auditory cortex of alert monkeys performing an auditory task. The stimuli consisted of four tone pips with equal duration and interpip interval, with the first and last pip of the sequence being near the characteristic frequency of the neuron under study. We manipulated the rate of presentation, the frequency of the middle two tone pips, and the order by which they were presented. Our results indicate that single cortical neurons are ineffective at responding to the individual tone pips of the sequence for pip durations of <12 ms, but did begin to respond synchronously to each pip of the sequence at 18-ms durations. In addition, roughly 40% of the neurons tested were able to discriminate the order that the two middle tone pips were presented in at durations of > or =24 ms. These data place the primate primary auditory cortex at an early processing stage of temporal rate discrimination.

Auditory and visual spatial localization deficits following bilateral parietal lobe lesions in a patient with Balint's syndrome

Lesion and electrophysiological studies indicate that the parietal lobes play a role in visual spatial attention and in computing the spatial coordinates of visual input. Fewer studies have investigated the role of the parietal lobe in auditory spatial processing, and an extensive comparison of visual and auditory spatial processing in humans with parietal lobe lesions has yet to be conducted. We have studied such localization abilities in a Balint's syndrome patient (RM) who has bilateral parietal lobe lesions. The results indicated that this patient had a significant deficit in both visual and auditory localization relative to age-matched controls. Unlike the controls, however, RM's auditory localization ability either matched or exceeded his visual localization ability depending on the task. Accordingly, RM exhibited "auditory capture," but not "visual capture" under conditions where control subjects showed the opposite pattern. These results are consistent with hypotheses that the parietal lobes are involved in creating multiple spatial representations and in shifting from one spatial reference point to another, but suggest that these parietal structures are not necessary for the integration of multiple sensory stimuli resulting in capture effects.

Correlation between the activity of single auditory cortical neurons and sound-localization behavior in the macaque monkey

Lesion studies have indicated that the auditory cortex is crucial for the perception of acoustic space, yet it remains unclear how these neurons participate in this perception. To investigate this, we studied the responses of single neurons in the primary auditory cortex (AI) and the caudomedial field (CM) of two monkeys while they performed a sound-localization task. Regression analysis indicated that the responses of approximately 80% of neurons in both cortical areas were significantly correlated with the azimuth or elevation of the stimulus, or both, which we term "spatially sensitive." The proportion of spatially sensitive neurons was greater for stimulus azimuth compared with stimulus elevation, and elevation sensitivity was primarily restricted to neurons that were tested using stimuli that the monkeys also could localize in elevation. Most neurons responded best to contralateral speaker locations, but we also encountered neurons that responded best to ipsilateral locations and neurons that had their greatest responses restricted to a circumscribed region within the central 60 degrees of frontal space. Comparing the spatially sensitive neurons with those that were not spatially sensitive indicated that these two populations could not be distinguished based on either the firing rate, the rate/level functions, or on their topographic location within AI. Direct comparisons between the responses of individual neurons and the behaviorally measured sound-localization ability indicated that proportionally more neurons in CM had spatial sensitivity that was consistent with the behavioral performance compared with AI neurons. Pooling the responses across neurons strengthened the relationship between the neuronal and psychophysical data and indicated that the responses pooled across relatively few CM neurons contain enough information to account for sound-localization ability. These data support the hypothesis that auditory space is processed in a serial manner from AI to CM in the primate cerebral cortex.

Frequency and intensity response properties of single neurons in the auditory cortex of the behaving macaque monkey

Response properties of auditory cortical neurons measured in anesthetized preparations have provided important information on the physiological differences between neurons in different auditory cortical areas. Studies in the awake animal, however, have been much less common, and the physiological differences noted may reflect differences in the influence of anesthetics on neurons in different cortical areas. Because the behaving monkey is gaining popularity as an animal model in studies exploring auditory cortical function, it has become critical to physiologically define the response properties of auditory cortical neurons in this preparation. This study documents the response properties of single cortical neurons in the primary and surrounding auditory cortical fields in monkeys performing an auditory discrimination task. We found that neurons with the shortest latencies were located in the primary auditory cortex (AI). Neurons in the rostral field had the longest latencies and the narrowest intensity and frequency tuning, neurons in the caudomedial field had the broadest frequency tuning, and neurons in the lateral field had the most monotonic rate/level functions of the four cortical areas studied. These trends were revealed by comparing response properties across the population of studied neurons, but there was considerable variability between neurons for each response parameter other than characteristic frequency (CF) in each cortical area. Although the neuronal CFs showed a systematic spatial organization across AI, no such systematic organization was apparent for any other response property in AI or the adjacent cortical areas. The results of this study indicate that there are physiological differences between auditory cortical fields in the behaving monkey consistent with previous studies in the anesthetized animal and provide insights into the functional role of these cortical areas in processing acoustic information.

Aminopyrine infusion breath test for the determination of changes in P450 metabolism in vivo

1. An osmotic mini-pump was used to maintain a constant infusion of radiolabelled [N-dimethyl-14C] aminopyrine into a rat. After implanting the mini-pump, 14CO2 expiration rate was constant within 12 h, and this rate was maintained for 192 h. 2. Treatment with 2-diethylaminoethyl-2,2-diphenylvalerate HCl (SKF 525-A) or cimetidine, inhibitors of P450-dependent metabolism, resulted in both dose- and time-dependent inhibition of the expiration of 14CO2.

Effects of plasmapheresis on short-term variability of blood pressure in healthy donors

The acute effect of mild central hypovolaemia induced by plasmapheresis on the short-term variability of blood pressure and heart rate was evaluated in ten healthy donors. Indirect finger blood pressure was measured by a non-invasive device (Finapres). Analogue-to-digital conversion of the blood pressure was used to determine systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure and heart rate every second. The equidistant sampling allowed a direct spectral analysis using a fast Fourier transform algorithm. Blood pressure and heart rate were maintained while an increased overall variability of blood pressure was observed after plasmapheresis. The increased total area under the curve of the systolic and diastolic blood pressure spectra was documented with the selective analysis of the three main components of the spectra: the increase in the oscillations of blood pressure following plasmapheresis predominated in the 66-129 mHz region, corresponding to Mayer waves. The spectral profile of HR was unaffected by plasmapheresis. The significant increase in the 10-s period oscillations of blood pressure after the mild central hypovolaemia could result from the unloading of cardiopulmonary (and arterial) baroreceptors which in turn could buffer the arterial pressure through sympathetic activation, detected on the systolic and diastolic pressure spectra in the low-frequency range.