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Reiner A, Medina L, Abellan A, Deng Y, Toledo CA, Luksch H, Vega-Zuniga T, Riley NB, Hodos W, Karten HJ. Neurochemistry and circuit organization of the lateral spiriform nucleus of birds: A uniquely nonmammalian direct pathway component of the basal ganglia. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25620. [PMID: 38733146 PMCID: PMC11090467 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25620] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
We used diverse methods to characterize the role of avian lateral spiriform nucleus (SpL) in basal ganglia motor function. Connectivity analysis showed that SpL receives input from globus pallidus (GP), and the intrapeduncular nucleus (INP) located ventromedial to GP, whose neurons express numerous striatal markers. SpL-projecting GP neurons were large and aspiny, while SpL-projecting INP neurons were medium sized and spiny. Connectivity analysis further showed that SpL receives inputs from subthalamic nucleus (STN) and substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr), and that the SNr also receives inputs from GP, INP, and STN. Neurochemical analysis showed that SpL neurons express ENK, GAD, and a variety of pallidal neuron markers, and receive GABAergic terminals, some of which also contain DARPP32, consistent with GP pallidal and INP striatal inputs. Connectivity and neurochemical analysis showed that the SpL input to tectum prominently ends on GABAA receptor-enriched tectobulbar neurons. Behavioral studies showed that lesions of SpL impair visuomotor behaviors involving tracking and pecking moving targets. Our results suggest that SpL modulates brainstem-projecting tectobulbar neurons in a manner comparable to the demonstrated influence of GP internus on motor thalamus and of SNr on tectobulbar neurons in mammals. Given published data in amphibians and reptiles, it seems likely the SpL circuit represents a major direct pathway-type circuit by which the basal ganglia exerts its motor influence in nonmammalian tetrapods. The present studies also show that avian striatum is divided into three spatially segregated territories with differing connectivity, a medial striato-nigral territory, a dorsolateral striato-GP territory, and the ventrolateral INP motor territory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Reiner
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163
| | - Loreta Medina
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Laboratory of Evolutionary and Developmental Neurobiology, Lleida’s Institute for Biomedical Research-Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Antonio Abellan
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Laboratory of Evolutionary and Developmental Neurobiology, Lleida’s Institute for Biomedical Research-Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Yunping Deng
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163
| | - Claudio A.B. Toledo
- Neuroscience Research Nucleus, Universidade Cidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 65057-420, Brazil
| | - Harald Luksch
- School of Life Sciences, Technische Universität München, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
| | - Tomas Vega-Zuniga
- School of Life Sciences, Technische Universität München, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Nell B. Riley
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland College Park 20742-4411
| | - William Hodos
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland College Park 20742-4411
| | - Harvey J. Karten
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093-0608
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2
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Radic R, Lukacova K, Baciak L, Hodova V, Kubikova L. The role of cerebellum in learned vocal communication in adult songbirds. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8168. [PMID: 38589482 PMCID: PMC11001874 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58569-8] [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: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Injury, tumors, ischemia, and lesions in the cerebellum show the involvement of this region in human speech. The association of the cerebellum with learned birdsong has only been identified recently. Cerebellar dysfunction in young songbirds causes learning disabilities, but its role in adult songbirds has not been established. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) in adult birdsong. We created bilateral excitotoxic lesions in the DCN of adult male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) and recorded their songs for up to 4 months. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and immunohistochemistry, we validated the lesion efficacy. We found that the song duration significantly increased from 14 weeks post-op; the increase in duration was caused by a greater number of introductory notes as well as a greater number of syllables sung after the introductory notes. On the other hand, the motif duration decreased from 8 weeks after DCN lesions were induced, which was due to faster singing of syllables, not changes in inter-syllable interval length. DCN lesions also caused a decrease in the fundamental frequency of syllables. In summary, we showed that DCN lesions influence the temporal and acoustic features of birdsong. These results suggest that the cerebellum influences singing in adult songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Radic
- Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 840 05, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Kristina Lukacova
- Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 840 05, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ladislav Baciak
- Central Laboratories, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Vladimira Hodova
- Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 840 05, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lubica Kubikova
- Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 840 05, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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3
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López-Murillo C, Hinestroza-Morales S, Henny P, Toledo J, Cardona-Gómez GP, Rivera-Gutiérrez H, Posada-Duque R. Differences in vocal brain areas and astrocytes between the house wren and the rufous-tailed hummingbird. Front Neuroanat 2024; 18:1339308. [PMID: 38601797 PMCID: PMC11004282 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2024.1339308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The house wren shows complex song, and the rufous-tailed hummingbird has a simple song. The location of vocal brain areas supports the song's complexity; however, these still need to be studied. The astrocytic population in songbirds appears to be associated with change in vocal control nuclei; however, astrocytic distribution and morphology have not been described in these species. Consequently, we compared the distribution and volume of the vocal brain areas: HVC, RA, Area X, and LMAN, cell density, and the morphology of astrocytes in the house wren and the rufous-tailed hummingbird. Individuals of the two species were collected, and their brains were analyzed using serial Nissl- NeuN- and MAP2-stained tissue scanner imaging, followed by 3D reconstructions of the vocal areas; and GFAP and S100β astrocytes were analyzed in both species. We found that vocal areas were located close to the cerebral midline in the house wren and a more lateralized position in the rufous-tailed hummingbird. The LMAN occupied a larger volume in the rufous-tailed hummingbird, while the RA and HVC were larger in the house wren. While Area X showed higher cell density in the house wren than the rufous-tailed hummingbird, the LMAN showed a higher density in the rufous-tailed hummingbird. In the house wren, GFAP astrocytes in the same bregma where the vocal areas were located were observed at the laminar edge of the pallium (LEP) and in the vascular region, as well as in vocal motor relay regions in the pallidum and mesencephalon. In contrast, GFAP astrocytes were found in LEP, but not in the pallidum and mesencephalon in hummingbirds. Finally, when comparing GFAP astrocytes in the LEP region of both species, house wren astrocytes exhibited significantly more complex morphology than those of the rufous-tailed hummingbird. These findings suggest a difference in the location and cellular density of vocal circuits, as well as morphology of GFAP astrocytes between the house wren and the rufous-tailed hummingbird.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina López-Murillo
- Área de Neurofisiología Celular, Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Santiago Hinestroza-Morales
- Área de Neurofisiología Celular, Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Pablo Henny
- Laboratorio de Neuroanatomía, Departamento de Anatomía, and Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, NeuroUC, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jorge Toledo
- Scientific Equipment Network REDECA, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gloria Patricia Cardona-Gómez
- Área de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, Facultad de Medicina, Sede de Investigaciones Universitarias, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Héctor Rivera-Gutiérrez
- Grupo de Investigación de Ecología y Evolución de Vertebrados, Instituto de Biología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Rafael Posada-Duque
- Área de Neurofisiología Celular, Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
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4
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Washburn S, Oñate M, Yoshida J, Vera J, Bhuvanasundaram R, Khatami L, Nadim F, Khodakhah K. The cerebellum directly modulates the substantia nigra dopaminergic activity. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:497-513. [PMID: 38272967 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01560-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Evidence of direct reciprocal connections between the cerebellum and basal ganglia has challenged the long-held notion that these structures function independently. While anatomical studies have suggested the presence of cerebellar projections to the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), the nature and function of these connections (Cb-SNc) is unknown. Here we show, in mice, that Cb-SNc projections form monosynaptic glutamatergic synapses with dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic neurons in the SNc. Optogenetic activation of Cb-SNc axons in the SNc is associated with increased SNc activity, elevated striatal dopamine levels and increased locomotion. During behavior, Cb-SNc projections are bilaterally activated before ambulation and unilateral lever manipulation. Cb-SNc projections show prominent activation for water reward and higher activation for sweet water, suggesting that the pathway also encodes reward value. Thus, the cerebellum directly, rapidly and effectively modulates basal ganglia dopamine levels and conveys information related to movement initiation, vigor and reward processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Washburn
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Maritza Oñate
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Junichi Yoshida
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Jorge Vera
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | | | - Leila Khatami
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Farzan Nadim
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Kamran Khodakhah
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
- Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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5
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Parks BMB, McVea K, Phillmore LS. Vernal growth of vocal control nucleus Area X, but not HVC, precedes gonadal recrudescence in wild black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus). J Neuroendocrinol 2024:e13375. [PMID: 38379225 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
In temperate-zone songbirds, the neuroanatomical changes which occur in advance of breeding, including the growth of nuclei of the vocal control system, are believed to occur downstream of gonadal recrudescence. However, evidence from wild birds is mixed. Here, we captured black-capped chickadees from the wild in early spring (March-April), summer (August-September), and winter (December-January); in addition to measuring the volumes of two vocal control nuclei (Area X and HVC), we also quantified two indicators of reproductive state (gonads and circulating gonadal steroids). Most birds captured in early spring had regressed gonads and low levels of circulating gonadal steroids, indicating these birds were not yet in full breeding condition. However, these early spring birds still had a significantly larger Area X than winter birds, while HVC did not differ in size across groups. Using data from a previously published seasonal study of black-capped chickadees (Phillmore et al., Developmental Neurobiology, 2015;75:203-216), we then compared Area X and HVC volumes from our early spring group to a breeding group of chickadees captured 3-4 weeks later in the spring. While Area X volume did not differ between the studies, breeding males in Phillmore et al. (2015) had a significantly larger HVC. Taken together, this suggests that the vernal growth of Area X occurs ahead of HVC in black-capped chickadees, and that the overall vernal changes in the vocal control system occur at least partially in advance of the breeding-associated upregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Broderick M B Parks
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Kyle McVea
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Leslie S Phillmore
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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6
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Ramarao M, Jones C, Goldberg JH, Roeser A. Songbird mesostriatal dopamine pathways are spatially segregated before the onset of vocal learning. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285652. [PMID: 37972016 PMCID: PMC10653429 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Diverse dopamine (DA) pathways send distinct reinforcement signals to different striatal regions. In adult songbirds, a DA pathway from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to Area X, the striatal nucleus of the song system, carries singing-related performance error signals important for learning. Meanwhile, a parallel DA pathway to a medial striatal area (MST) arises from a distinct group of neighboring DA neurons that lack connectivity to song circuits and do not encode song error. To test if the structural and functional segregation of these two pathways depends on singing experience, we carried out anatomical studies early in development before the onset of song learning. We find that distinct VTA neurons project to either Area X or MST in juvenile birds before the onset of substantial vocal practice. Quantitative comparisons of early juveniles (30-35 days post hatch), late juveniles (60-65 dph), and adult (>90 dph) brains revealed an outsized expansion of Area X-projecting neurons relative to MST-projecting neurons in VTA over development. These results show that a mesostriatal DA system dedicated to social communication can exist and be spatially segregated before the onset of vocal practice and associated sensorimotor experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malavika Ramarao
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
| | - Caleb Jones
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
| | - Jesse H. Goldberg
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
| | - Andrea Roeser
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
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Roeser A, Gadagkar V, Das A, Puzerey PA, Kardon B, Goldberg JH. Dopaminergic error signals retune to social feedback during courtship. Nature 2023; 623:375-380. [PMID: 37758948 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06580-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Hunger, thirst, loneliness and ambition determine the reward value of food, water, social interaction and performance outcome1. Dopamine neurons respond to rewards meeting these diverse needs2-8, but it remains unclear how behaviour and dopamine signals change as priorities change with new opportunities in the environment. One possibility is that dopamine signals for distinct drives are routed to distinct dopamine pathways9,10. Another possibility is that dopamine signals in a given pathway are dynamically tuned to rewards set by the current priority. Here we used electrophysiology and fibre photometry to test how dopamine signals associated with quenching thirst, singing a good song and courting a mate change as male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) were provided with opportunities to retrieve water, evaluate song performance or court a female. When alone, water reward signals were observed in two mesostriatal pathways but singing-related performance error signals were routed to Area X, a striatal nucleus specialized for singing. When courting a female, water seeking was reduced and dopamine responses to both water and song performance outcomes diminished. Instead, dopamine signals in Area X were driven by female calls timed with the courtship song. Thus the dopamine system handled coexisting drives by routing vocal performance and social feedback signals to a striatal area for communication and by flexibly re-tuning to rewards set by the prioritized drive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Roeser
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Vikram Gadagkar
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Anindita Das
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Pavel A Puzerey
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Brian Kardon
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Jesse H Goldberg
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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8
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Orije JEMJ, Van der Linden A. A brain for all seasons: An in vivo MRI perspective on songbirds. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:967-984. [PMID: 35989548 PMCID: PMC9804379 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Seasonality in songbirds includes not only reproduction but also seasonal changes in singing behavior and its neural substrate, the song control system (SCS). Prior research mainly focused on the role of sex steroids on this seasonal SCS neuroplasticity in males. In this review, we summarize the advances made in the field of seasonal neuroplasticity by applying in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in male and female starlings, analyzing the entire brain, monitoring birds longitudinally and determining the neuronal correlates of seasonal variations in plasma hormone levels and song behavior. The first MRI studies in songbirds used manganese enhanced MRI to visualize the SCS in a living bird and validated previously described brain volume changes related to different seasons and testosterone. MRI studies with testosterone implantation established how the consequential boost in singing was correlated to structural changes in the SCS, indicating activity-induced neuroplasticity as song proficiency increased. Next, diffusion tensor MRI explored seasonal neuroplasticity in the entire brain, focusing on networks beyond the SCS, revealing that other sensory systems and even the cerebellum, which is important for the integration of sensory perception and song behavior, experience neuroplasticity starting in the photosensitive period. Functional MRI showed that olfactory, and auditory processing was modulated by the seasons. The convergence of seasonal variations in so many sensory and sensorimotor systems resembles multisensory neuroplasticity during the critical period early in life. This sheds new light on seasonal songbirds as a model for unlocking the brain by recreating seasonally the permissive circumstances for heightened neuroplasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmien Ellen Maria Jozef Orije
- Department of Biomedical SciencesBio‐Imaging Lab, University of AntwerpAntwerpenBelgium,NEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of AntwerpAntwerpenBelgium
| | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Department of Biomedical SciencesBio‐Imaging Lab, University of AntwerpAntwerpenBelgium,NEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of AntwerpAntwerpenBelgium
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9
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Yoshida J, Oñate M, Khatami L, Vera J, Nadim F, Khodakhah K. Cerebellar Contributions to the Basal Ganglia Influence Motor Coordination, Reward Processing, and Movement Vigor. J Neurosci 2022; 42:8406-8415. [PMID: 36351826 PMCID: PMC9665921 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1535-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Both the cerebellum and the basal ganglia are known for their roles in motor control and motivated behavior. These two systems have been classically considered as independent structures that coordinate their contributions to behavior via separate cortico-thalamic loops. However, recent evidence demonstrates the presence of a rich set of direct connections between these two regions. Although there is strong evidence for connections in both directions, for brevity we limit our discussion to the better-characterized connections from the cerebellum to the basal ganglia. We review two sets of such connections: disynaptic projections through the thalamus and direct monosynaptic projections to the midbrain dopaminergic nuclei, the VTA and the SNc. In each case, we review the evidence for these pathways from anatomic tracing and physiological recordings, and discuss their potential functional roles. We present evidence that the disynaptic pathway through the thalamus is involved in motor coordination, and that its dysfunction contributes to motor deficits, such as dystonia. We then discuss how cerebellar projections to the VTA and SNc influence dopamine release in the respective targets of these nuclei: the NAc and the dorsal striatum. We argue that the cerebellar projections to the VTA may play a role in reward-based learning and therefore contribute to addictive behavior, whereas the projection to the SNc may contribute to movement vigor. Finally, we speculate how these projections may explain many of the observations that indicate a role for the cerebellum in mental disorders, such as schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junichi Yoshida
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461
| | - Maritza Oñate
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461
| | - Leila Khatami
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461
| | - Jorge Vera
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461
| | - Farzan Nadim
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, 07102
| | - Kamran Khodakhah
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461
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Ekström AG. Motor constellation theory: A model of infants' phonological development. Front Psychol 2022; 13:996894. [PMID: 36405212 PMCID: PMC9669916 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.996894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 04/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Every normally developing human infant solves the difficult problem of mapping their native-language phonology, but the neural mechanisms underpinning this behavior remain poorly understood. Here, motor constellation theory, an integrative neurophonological model, is presented, with the goal of explicating this issue. It is assumed that infants' motor-auditory phonological mapping takes place through infants' orosensory "reaching" for phonological elements observed in the language-specific ambient phonology, via reference to kinesthetic feedback from motor systems (e.g., articulators), and auditory feedback from resulting speech and speech-like sounds. Attempts are regulated by basal ganglion-cerebellar speech neural circuitry, and successful attempts at reproduction are enforced through dopaminergic signaling. Early in life, the pace of anatomical development constrains mapping such that complete language-specific phonological mapping is prohibited by infants' undeveloped supralaryngeal vocal tract and undescended larynx; constraints gradually dissolve with age, enabling adult phonology. Where appropriate, reference is made to findings from animal and clinical models. Some implications for future modeling and simulation efforts, as well as clinical settings, are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel G. Ekström
- Speech, Music and Hearing, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
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11
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Ivlieva NY. The Role of the Basal Ganglia in the Development and Organization of Vocal Behavior in Songbirds. Russ J Dev Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s106236042204004x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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12
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Orije JEMJ, Raymaekers SR, Majumdar G, De Groof G, Jonckers E, Ball GF, Verhoye M, Darras VM, Van der Linden A. Unraveling the Role of Thyroid Hormones in Seasonal Neuroplasticity in European Starlings ( Sturnus vulgaris). Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:897039. [PMID: 35836548 PMCID: PMC9275473 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.897039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Thyroid hormones clearly play a role in the seasonal regulation of reproduction, but any role they might play in song behavior and the associated seasonal neuroplasticity in songbirds remains to be elucidated. To pursue this question, we first established seasonal patterns in the expression of thyroid hormone regulating genes in male European starlings employing in situ hybridization methods. Thyroid hormone transporter LAT1 expression in the song nucleus HVC was elevated during the photosensitive phase, pointing toward an active role of thyroid hormones during this window of possible neuroplasticity. In contrast, DIO3 expression was high in HVC during the photostimulated phase, limiting the possible effect of thyroid hormones to maintain song stability during the breeding season. Next, we studied the effect of hypothyroidism on song behavior and neuroplasticity using in vivo MRI. Both under natural conditions as with methimazole treatment, circulating thyroid hormone levels decreased during the photosensitive period, which coincided with the onset of neuroplasticity. This inverse relationship between thyroid hormones and neuroplasticity was further demonstrated by the negative correlation between plasma T3 and the microstructural changes in several song control nuclei and cerebellum. Furthermore, maintaining hypothyroidism during the photostimulated period inhibited the increase in testosterone, confirming the role of thyroid hormones in activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. The lack of high testosterone levels influenced the song behavior of hypothyroid starlings, while the lack of high plasma T4 during photostimulation affected the myelination of several tracts. Potentially, a global reduction of circulating thyroid hormones during the photosensitive period is necessary to lift the brake on neuroplasticity imposed by the photorefractory period, whereas local fine-tuning of thyroid hormone concentrations through LAT1 could activate underlying neuroplasticity mechanisms. Whereas, an increase in circulating T4 during the photostimulated period potentially influences the myelination of several white matter tracts, which stabilizes the neuroplastic changes. Given the complexity of thyroid hormone effects, this study is a steppingstone to disentangle the influence of thyroid hormones on seasonal neuroplasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmien E. M. J. Orije
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sander R. Raymaekers
- Laboratory of Comparative Endocrinology, Biology Department, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Gaurav Majumdar
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Geert De Groof
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Elisabeth Jonckers
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Gregory F. Ball
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Veerle M. Darras
- Laboratory of Comparative Endocrinology, Biology Department, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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13
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Mitra S, Basu S, Singh O, Srivastava A, Singru PS. Calcium-binding proteins typify the dopaminergic neuronal subtypes in the ventral tegmental area of zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:2562-2586. [PMID: 35715989 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Calcium-binding proteins (CBPs) regulate neuronal function in midbrain dopamine (DA)-ergic neurons in mammals by buffering and sensing the intracellular Ca2+ , and vesicular release. In birds, the equivalent set of neurons are important in song learning, directed singing, courtship, and energy balance, yet the status of CBPs in these neurons is unknown. Herein, for the first time, we probe the nature of CBPs, namely, Calbindin-, Calretinin-, Parvalbumin-, and Secretagogin-expressing DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra (SN) in the midbrain of zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata. qRT-PCR analysis of ventral midbrain tissue fragment revealed higher Calbindin- and Calretinin-mRNA levels compared to Parvalbumin and Secretagogin. Application of immunofluorescence showed CBP-immunoreactive (-i) neurons in VTA (anterior [VTAa], mid [VTAm], caudal [VTAc]), SN (compacta [SNc], and reticulata [SNr]). Compared to VTAa, higher Calbindin- and Parvalbumin-immunoreactivity (-ir), and lower Calretinin-ir were observed in VTAm and VTAc. Secretagogin-ir was highly localized to VTAa. In SN, Calbindin- and Calretinin-ir were higher in SNc, SNr was Parvalbumin enriched, and Secretagogin-ir was not detected. Weak, moderate, and intense tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-i VTA neurons were demarcated as subtypes 1, 2, and 3, respectively. While subtype 1 TH-i neurons were neither Calbindin- nor Calretinin-i, ∼80 and ∼65% subtype 2 and ∼30 and ∼45% subtype 3 TH-i neurons co-expressed Calbindin and Calretinin, respectively. All TH-i neuronal subtypes co-expressed Parvalbumin with reciprocal relationship with TH-ir. We suggest that the CBPs may determine VTA DA neuronal heterogeneity and differentially regulate their activity in T. guttata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saptarsi Mitra
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Mumbai, India
| | - Sumela Basu
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Mumbai, India
| | - Omprakash Singh
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Mumbai, India
| | - Abhinav Srivastava
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Mumbai, India
| | - Praful S Singru
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Mumbai, India
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14
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Bottjer SW, Le Moing C, Li E, Yuan R. Responses to Song Playback Differ in Sleeping versus Anesthetized Songbirds. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0015-22.2022. [PMID: 35545423 PMCID: PMC9131720 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0015-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Vocal learning in songbirds is mediated by a highly localized system of interconnected forebrain regions, including recurrent loops that traverse the cortex, basal ganglia, and thalamus. This brain-behavior system provides a powerful model for elucidating mechanisms of vocal learning, with implications for learning speech in human infants, as well as for advancing our understanding of skill learning in general. A long history of experiments in this area has tested neural responses to playback of different song stimuli in anesthetized birds at different stages of vocal development. These studies have demonstrated selectivity for different song types that provide neural signatures of learning. In contrast to the ease of obtaining responses to song playback in anesthetized birds, song-evoked responses in awake birds are greatly reduced or absent, indicating that behavioral state is an important determinant of neural responsivity. Song-evoked responses can be elicited during sleep as well as anesthesia, and the selectivity of responses to song playback in adult birds is highly similar between anesthetized and sleeping states, encouraging the idea that anesthesia and sleep are similar. In contrast to that idea, we report evidence that cortical responses to song playback in juvenile zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) differ greatly between sleep and urethane anesthesia. This finding indicates that behavioral states differ in sleep versus anesthesia and raises questions about relationships between developmental changes in sleep activity, selectivity for different song types, and the neural substrate for vocal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah W Bottjer
- Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Chloé Le Moing
- Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Ellysia Li
- Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Rachel Yuan
- Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
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15
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Lukacova K, Hamaide J, Baciak L, Van der Linden A, Kubikova L. Striatal Injury Induces Overall Brain Alteration at the Pallial, Thalamic, and Cerebellar Levels. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11030425. [PMID: 35336799 PMCID: PMC8945699 DOI: 10.3390/biology11030425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Magnetic resonance imaging showed that striatal injury leads to structural changes within several brain areas. Here, we specify these changes via gene expression of synaptic plasticity markers, neuronal markers, assessing the number of newborn cells as well as cell densities. We found that the injury resulted in long-lasting modifications involving plasticity and neural protection mechanisms in areas directly as well as indirectly connected with the damaged striatum, including the cerebellum. Abstract The striatal region Area X plays an important role during song learning, sequencing, and variability in songbirds. A previous study revealed that neurotoxic damage within Area X results in micro and macrostructural changes across the entire brain, including the downstream dorsal thalamus and both the upstream pallial nucleus HVC (proper name) and the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN). Here, we specify these changes on cellular and gene expression levels. We found decreased cell density in the thalamic and cerebellar areas and HVC, but it was not related to neuronal loss. On the contrary, perineuronal nets (PNNs) in HVC increased for up to 2 months post-lesion, suggesting their protecting role. The synaptic plasticity marker Forkhead box protein P2 (FoxP2) showed a bi-phasic increase at 8 days and 3 months post-lesion, indicating a massive synaptic rebuilding. The later increase in HVC was associated with the increased number of new neurons. These data suggest that the damage in the striatal vocal nucleus induces cellular and gene expression alterations in both the efferent and afferent destinations. These changes may be long-lasting and involve plasticity and neural protection mechanisms in the areas directly connected to the injury site and also to distant areas, such as the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Lukacova
- Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 840 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Correspondence: (K.L.); (L.K.)
| | - Julie Hamaide
- Bio-Imaging Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, B-2610 Antwerp, Belgium; (J.H.); (A.V.d.L.)
| | - Ladislav Baciak
- Central Laboratories, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovakia;
| | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-Imaging Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, B-2610 Antwerp, Belgium; (J.H.); (A.V.d.L.)
| | - Lubica Kubikova
- Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 840 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Correspondence: (K.L.); (L.K.)
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16
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Das A, Goldberg JH. Songbird subthalamic neurons project to dopaminergic midbrain and exhibit singing-related activity. J Neurophysiol 2022; 127:373-383. [PMID: 34965747 PMCID: PMC8896995 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00254.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Skill learning requires motor output to be evaluated against internal performance benchmarks. In songbirds, ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons (DA) signal performance errors important for learning, but it remains unclear which brain regions project to VTA and how these inputs may contribute to DA error signaling. Here, we find that the songbird subthalamic nucleus (STN) projects to VTA and that STN microstimulation can excite VTA neurons. We also discover that STN receives inputs from motor cortical, auditory cortical, and ventral pallidal brain regions previously implicated in song evaluation. In the first neural recordings from songbird STN, we discover that the activity of most STN neurons is associated with body movements and not singing, but a small fraction of neurons exhibits precise song timing and performance error signals. Our results place the STN in a pathway important for song learning, but not song production, and expand the territories of songbird brain potentially associated with song learning.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Songbird subthalamic (STN) neurons exhibit singing-related signals and are interconnected with the motor cortical nucleus, auditory pallium, ventral pallidum, and ventral tegmental area, areas important for song generation and learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anindita Das
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Jesse H. Goldberg
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
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17
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Chung JH, Bottjer SW. Developmentally regulated pathways for motor skill learning in songbirds. J Comp Neurol 2021; 530:1288-1301. [PMID: 34818442 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Vocal learning in songbirds is mediated by cortico-basal ganglia circuits that govern diverse functions during different stages of development. We investigated developmental changes in axonal projections to and from motor cortical regions that underlie learned vocal behavior in juvenile zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Neurons in LMAN-core project to RA, a motor cortical region that drives vocal output; these RA-projecting neurons send a transient collateral projection to AId, a region adjacent to RA, during early vocal development. Both RA and AId project to a region of dorsal thalamus (DLM), which forms a feedback pathway to cortico-basal ganglia circuitry. These projections provide pathways conveying efference copy and a means by which information about vocal motor output could be reintegrated into cortico-basal ganglia circuitry, potentially aiding in the refinement of juvenile vocalizations during learning. We used tract-tracing techniques to label the projections of LMAN-core to AId and of RA to DLM in juvenile songbirds. The volume and density of terminal label in the LMAN-core→AId projection declined substantially during early stages of sensorimotor learning. In contrast, the RA→DLM projection showed no developmental change. The retraction of LMAN-core→AId axon collaterals indicates a loss of efference copy to AId and suggests that projections that are present only during early stages of sensorimotor learning mediate unique, temporally restricted processes of goal-directed learning. Conversely, the persistence of the RA→DLM projection may serve to convey motor information forward to the thalamus to facilitate song production during both learning and maintenance of vocalizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Hyung Chung
- Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Sarah W Bottjer
- Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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18
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Singh Alvarado J, Goffinet J, Michael V, Liberti W, Hatfield J, Gardner T, Pearson J, Mooney R. Neural dynamics underlying birdsong practice and performance. Nature 2021; 599:635-639. [PMID: 34671166 PMCID: PMC9118926 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04004-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Musical and athletic skills are learned and maintained through intensive practice to enable precise and reliable performance for an audience. Consequently, understanding such complex behaviours requires insight into how the brain functions during both practice and performance. Male zebra finches learn to produce courtship songs that are more varied when alone and more stereotyped in the presence of females1. These differences are thought to reflect song practice and performance, respectively2,3, providing a useful system in which to explore how neurons encode and regulate motor variability in these two states. Here we show that calcium signals in ensembles of spiny neurons (SNs) in the basal ganglia are highly variable relative to their cortical afferents during song practice. By contrast, SN calcium signals are strongly suppressed during female-directed performance, and optogenetically suppressing SNs during practice strongly reduces vocal variability. Unsupervised learning methods4,5 show that specific SN activity patterns map onto distinct song practice variants. Finally, we establish that noradrenergic signalling reduces vocal variability by directly suppressing SN activity. Thus, SN ensembles encode and drive vocal exploration during practice, and the noradrenergic suppression of SN activity promotes stereotyped and precise song performance for an audience.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jack Goffinet
- Department of Computer Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Valerie Michael
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - William Liberti
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jordan Hatfield
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Timothy Gardner
- Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - John Pearson
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Richard Mooney
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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19
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Xiao L, Roberts TF. What Is the Role of Thalamostriatal Circuits in Learning Vocal Sequences? Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:724858. [PMID: 34630047 PMCID: PMC8493212 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.724858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Basal ganglia (BG) circuits integrate sensory and motor-related information from the cortex, thalamus, and midbrain to guide learning and production of motor sequences. Birdsong, like speech, is comprised of precisely sequenced vocal elements. Learning song sequences during development relies on Area X, a vocalization related region in the medial striatum of the songbird BG. Area X receives inputs from cortical-like pallial song circuits and midbrain dopaminergic circuits and sends projections to the thalamus. It has recently been shown that thalamic circuits also send substantial projections back to Area X. Here, we outline a gated-reinforcement learning model for how Area X may use signals conveyed by thalamostriatal inputs to direct song learning. Integrating conceptual advances from recent mammalian and songbird literature, we hypothesize that thalamostriatal pathways convey signals linked to song syllable onsets and offsets and influence striatal circuit plasticity via regulation of cholinergic interneurons (ChIs). We suggest that syllable sequence associated vocal-motor information from the thalamus drive precisely timed pauses in ChIs activity in Area X. When integrated with concurrent corticostriatal and dopaminergic input, this circuit helps regulate plasticity on medium spiny neurons (MSNs) and the learning of syllable sequences. We discuss new approaches that can be applied to test core ideas of this model and how associated insights may provide a framework for understanding the function of BG circuits in learning motor sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Xiao
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Todd F Roberts
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
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20
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Aronowitz JV, Perez A, O’Brien C, Aziz S, Rodriguez E, Wasner K, Ribeiro S, Green D, Faruk F, Pytte CL. Unilateral vocal nerve resection alters neurogenesis in the avian song system in a region-specific manner. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256709. [PMID: 34464400 PMCID: PMC8407570 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
New neurons born in the adult brain undergo a critical period soon after migration to their site of incorporation. During this time, the behavior of the animal may influence the survival or culling of these cells. In the songbird song system, earlier work suggested that adult-born neurons may be retained in the song motor pathway nucleus HVC with respect to motor progression toward a target song during juvenile song learning, seasonal song restructuring, and experimentally manipulated song variability. However, it is not known whether the quality of song per se, without progressive improvement, may also influence new neuron survival. To test this idea, we experimentally altered song acoustic structure by unilateral denervation of the syrinx, causing a poor quality song. We found no effect of aberrant song on numbers of new neurons in HVC, suggesting that song quality does not influence new neuron culling in this region. However, aberrant song resulted in the loss of left-side dominance in new neurons in the auditory region caudomedial nidopallium (NCM), and a bilateral decrease in new neurons in the basal ganglia nucleus Area X. Thus new neuron culling may be influenced by behavioral feedback in accordance with the function of new neurons within that region. We propose that studying the effects of singing behaviors on new neurons across multiple brain regions that differentially subserve singing may give rise to general rules underlying the regulation of new neuron survival across taxa and brain regions more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake V. Aronowitz
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States of America
| | - Alice Perez
- Psychology Department, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Christopher O’Brien
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States of America
| | - Siaresh Aziz
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States of America
| | - Erica Rodriguez
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States of America
| | - Kobi Wasner
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States of America
| | - Sissi Ribeiro
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States of America
| | - Dovounnae Green
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States of America
| | - Farhana Faruk
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States of America
| | - Carolyn L. Pytte
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States of America
- Psychology Department, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States of America
- Biology Department, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States of America
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21
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Parishar P, Sehgal N, Iyengar S. The expression of delta opioid receptor mRNA in adult male zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata). PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256599. [PMID: 34464410 PMCID: PMC8407588 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The endogenous opioid system is evolutionarily conserved across reptiles, birds and mammals and is known to modulate varied brain functions such as learning, memory, cognition and reward. To date, most of the behavioral and anatomical studies in songbirds have mainly focused on μ-opioid receptors (ORs). Expression patterns of δ-ORs in zebra finches, a well-studied species of songbird have not yet been reported, possibly due to the high sequence similarity amongst different opioid receptors. In the present study, a specific riboprobe against the δ-OR mRNA was used to perform fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on sections from the male zebra finch brain. We found that δ-OR mRNA was expressed in different parts of the pallium, basal ganglia, cerebellum and the hippocampus. Amongst the song control and auditory nuclei, HVC (abbreviation used as a formal name) and NIf (nucleus interfacialis nidopallii) strongly express δ-OR mRNA and stand out from the surrounding nidopallium. Whereas the expression of δ-OR mRNA is moderate in LMAN (lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium), it is low in the MSt (medial striatum), Area X, DLM (dorsolateral nucleus of the medial thalamus), RA (robust nucleus of the arcopallium) of the song control circuit and Field L, Ov (nucleus ovoidalis) and MLd (nucleus mesencephalicus lateralis, pars dorsalis) of the auditory pathway. Our results suggest that δ-ORs may be involved in modulating singing, song learning as well as spatial learning in zebra finches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Parishar
- National Brain Research Centre, Gurugram, Haryana, India
| | - Neha Sehgal
- National Brain Research Centre, Gurugram, Haryana, India
| | - Soumya Iyengar
- National Brain Research Centre, Gurugram, Haryana, India
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22
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Mitra S, Basu S, Singh O, Lechan RM, Singru PS. Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide- and dopamine-containing systems interact in the ventral tegmental area of the zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata, during dynamic changes in energy status. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:2537-2559. [PMID: 34392422 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02348-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The mesolimbic dopamine (DA)-pathway regulates food-reward, feeding-related behaviour and energy balance. Evidence underscores the importance of feeding-related neuropeptides in modulating activity of these DA neurons. The neuropeptide, CART, a crucial regulator of energy balance, modulates DA-release, and influences the activity of ventral tegmental area (VTA) DAergic neurons in the mammalian brain. Whether CART- and DA-containing systems interact at the level of VTA to regulate energy balance, however, is poorly understood. We explored the interaction between CART- and DA-containing systems in midbrain of the zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata, an interesting model to study dynamic changes in energy balance due to higher BMR/daytime body temperature, and rapid responsiveness of the feeding-related neuropeptides to changes in energy state. Further, its midbrain DA-neurons share similarities with those in mammals. In the midbrain, tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (TH-i) neurons were seen in the substantia nigra (SN) and VTA [anterior (VTAa), mid (VTAm) and caudal (VTAc)]; those in VTA were smaller. In the VTA, CART-immunoreactive (CART-i)-fibers densely innervated TH-i neurons, and both CART-immunoreactivity (CART-ir) and TH-immunoreactivity (TH-ir) responded to energy status-dependent changes. Compared to fed and fasted birds, refeeding dramatically enhanced TH-ir and the percentage of TH-i neurons co-expressing FOS in the VTA. Increased prepro-CART-mRNA, CART-ir and a transient appearance of CART-i neurons was observed in VTAa of fasted, but not fed birds. To test the functional interaction between CART- and DA-containing systems, ex-vivo superfused midbrain-slices were treated with CART-peptide and changes in TH-ir analysed. Compared to control tissues, CART-treatment increased TH-ir in VTA but not SN. We propose that CART is a potential regulator of VTA DA-neurons and energy balance in T. guttata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saptarsi Mitra
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER)-Bhubaneswar, P.O. Jatni, Khurda, Odisha, 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, 400094, India
| | - Sumela Basu
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER)-Bhubaneswar, P.O. Jatni, Khurda, Odisha, 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, 400094, India
| | - Omprakash Singh
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER)-Bhubaneswar, P.O. Jatni, Khurda, Odisha, 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, 400094, India
| | - Ronald M Lechan
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Tupper Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
| | - Praful S Singru
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER)-Bhubaneswar, P.O. Jatni, Khurda, Odisha, 752050, India. .,Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, 400094, India.
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23
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Orije J, Cardon E, Hamaide J, Jonckers E, Darras VM, Verhoye M, Van der Linden A. Uncovering a 'sensitive window' of multisensory and motor neuroplasticity in the cerebrum and cerebellum of male and female starlings. eLife 2021; 10:e66777. [PMID: 34096502 PMCID: PMC8219385 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditionally, research unraveling seasonal neuroplasticity in songbirds has focused on the male song control system and testosterone. We longitudinally monitored the song behavior and neuroplasticity in male and female starlings during multiple photoperiods using Diffusion Tensor and Fixel-Based techniques. These exploratory data-driven whole-brain methods resulted in a population-based tractogram confirming microstructural sexual dimorphisms in the song control system. Furthermore, male brains showed hemispheric asymmetries in the pallium, whereas females had higher interhemispheric connectivity, which could not be attributed to brain size differences. Only females with large brains sing but differ from males in their song behavior by showing involvement of the hippocampus. Both sexes experienced multisensory neuroplasticity in the song control, auditory and visual system, and cerebellum, mainly during the photosensitive period. This period with low gonadal hormone levels might represent a 'sensitive window' during which different sensory and motor systems in the cerebrum and cerebellum can be seasonally re-shaped in both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmien Orije
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Emilie Cardon
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Julie Hamaide
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | | | - Veerle M Darras
- Laboratory of Comparative Endocrinology, Biology DepartmentLeuvenBelgium
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24
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Wood AN. New roles for dopamine in motor skill acquisition: lessons from primates, rodents, and songbirds. J Neurophysiol 2021; 125:2361-2374. [PMID: 33978497 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00648.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor learning is a core aspect of human life and appears to be ubiquitous throughout the animal kingdom. Dopamine, a neuromodulator with a multifaceted role in synaptic plasticity, may be a key signaling molecule for motor skill learning. Though typically studied in the context of reward-based associative learning, dopamine appears to be necessary for some types of motor learning. Mesencephalic dopamine structures are highly conserved among vertebrates, as are some of their primary targets within the basal ganglia, a subcortical circuit important for motor learning and motor control. With a focus on the benefits of cross-species comparisons, this review examines how "model-free" and "model-based" computational frameworks for understanding dopamine's role in associative learning may be applied to motor learning. The hypotheses that dopamine could drive motor learning either by functioning as a reward prediction error, through passive facilitating of normal basal ganglia activity, or through other mechanisms are examined in light of new studies using humans, rodents, and songbirds. Additionally, new paradigms that could enhance our understanding of dopamine's role in motor learning by bridging the gap between the theoretical literature on motor learning in humans and other species are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- A N Wood
- Department of Biology and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
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25
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Lu X, Inoue KI, Ohmae S, Uchida Y. New Cerebello-Cortical Pathway Involved in Higher-Order Oculomotor Control. THE CEREBELLUM 2021; 19:401-408. [PMID: 32076936 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-020-01108-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The cerebellum and the basal ganglia play an important role in the control of voluntary eye movement associated with complex behavior, but little is known about how cerebellar projections project to cortical eye movement areas. Here we used retrograde transneuronal transport of rabies virus to identify neurons in the cerebellar nuclei that project via the thalamus to supplementary eye field (SEF) of the frontal cortex of macaques. After rabies injections into the SEF, many neurons in the restricted region, the ventral aspects of the dentate nucleus (DN), the caudal pole of the DN, and the posterior interpositus nucleus (PIN) were labeled disynaptically via the thalamus, whereas no neuron labeling was found in the anterior interpositus nucleus (AIN). The distribution of the labeled neurons was dorsoventrally different from that of DN and PIN neurons labeled from the motor cortex. In the basal ganglia, a large number of labeled neurons were confined to the dorsomedial portion of the internal segment of the globus pallidus (GPi) as more neurons were labeled in the inner portion of the GPi (GPii) than in the outer portion of the GPi (GPio). This is the first evidence of a projection between cerebellum/basal ganglia and the SEF that could enable the cerebellum to modulate the cognitive control of voluntary eye movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Lu
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55414, USA.
- Brain Science Center, Veterans Administration Medical Center, One Veterans Drive, Bldg 49, Rm 240, Minneapolis, MN, 55417-2399, USA.
- Department of Neurophysiology, School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan.
| | - Ken-Ichi Inoue
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Shogo Ohmae
- Department of Neurophysiology, School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yusuke Uchida
- Department of Neurophysiology, School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
- Department of Science and Technology, Meijo University 1-501 Shiogamaguchi, Tempaku, Nagoya, 468-8502, Japan
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26
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Düring DN, Dittrich F, Rocha MD, Tachibana RO, Mori C, Okanoya K, Boehringer R, Ehret B, Grewe BF, Gerber S, Ma S, Rauch M, Paterna JC, Kasper R, Gahr M, Hahnloser RHR. Fast Retrograde Access to Projection Neuron Circuits Underlying Vocal Learning in Songbirds. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108364. [PMID: 33176132 PMCID: PMC8236207 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the structure and function of neural circuits underlying speech and language is a vital step toward better treatments for diseases of these systems. Songbirds, among the few animal orders that share with humans the ability to learn vocalizations from a conspecific, have provided many insights into the neural mechanisms of vocal development. However, research into vocal learning circuits has been hindered by a lack of tools for rapid genetic targeting of specific neuron populations to meet the quick pace of developmental learning. Here, we present a viral tool that enables fast and efficient retrograde access to projection neuron populations. In zebra finches, Bengalese finches, canaries, and mice, we demonstrate fast retrograde labeling of cortical or dopaminergic neurons. We further demonstrate the suitability of our construct for detailed morphological analysis, for in vivo imaging of calcium activity, and for multi-color brainbow labeling. Düring et al. describe a fast and efficient viral vector to dissect structure and function of neural circuits underlying learned vocalizations in songbirds. The AAV variant provides retrograde access to projection neuron circuits, including dopaminergic pathways in songbirds and additionally in mice, and allows for retrograde calcium imaging and multispectral brainbow labeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N Düring
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.
| | - Falk Dittrich
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Mariana D Rocha
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | | | - Chihiro Mori
- Department of Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuo Okanoya
- Department of Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Roman Boehringer
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin Ehret
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin F Grewe
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Gerber
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shouwen Ma
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Melanie Rauch
- Viral Vector Facility, Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Robert Kasper
- Imaging Facility at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Munich, Germany
| | - Manfred Gahr
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Richard H R Hahnloser
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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27
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Kumar S, Mohapatra AN, Pundir AS, Kumari M, Din U, Sharma S, Datta A, Arora V, Iyengar S. Blocking Opioid Receptors in a Songbird Cortical Region Modulates the Acoustic Features and Levels of Female-Directed Singing. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:554094. [PMID: 33071736 PMCID: PMC7533562 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.554094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The organization of the anterior forebrain pathway (AFP) of songbirds important for context-dependent singing is similar to that of cortical basal ganglia loops (CBG) in mammals, which underlie motor behaviors including vocalization. Since different components of the AFP express high levels of μ-opioid receptors (μ-ORs) as do CBG loops, songbirds act as model systems to study the role of opioid modulation on vocalization and the motivation to sing. The AFP in songbirds includes the cortical/pallial region LMAN (lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium) which projects to Area X, a nucleus of the avian basal ganglia. In the present study, microdialysis was used to infuse different doses of the opioid antagonist naloxone in LMAN of adult male zebra finches. Whereas all doses of naloxone led to significant decreases in the number of FD (female-directed) songs, only 100 and 200 ng/ml of naloxone affected their acoustic properties. The decrease in FD song was not accompanied by changes in levels of attention toward females or those of neurotransmitters (dopamine, glutamate, and GABA) in LMAN. An earlier study had shown that similar manipulations in Area X did not lead to alterations in the number of FD songs but had significantly greater effects on their acoustic properties. Taken together, our results suggest that there are reciprocal effects of OR modulation on cortical and basal ganglia components of the AFP in songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Uzma Din
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, India
| | | | - Atanu Datta
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, India
| | - Vasav Arora
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, India
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28
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Mooney R. The neurobiology of innate and learned vocalizations in rodents and songbirds. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2020; 64:24-31. [PMID: 32086177 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Vocalizations are an important medium for sexual and social signaling in mammals and birds. In most mammals other than humans, vocalizations are specified by innate mechanisms and develop normally in the absence of auditory experience. By contrast, juvenile songbirds memorize and copy the songs of adult tutors, a process with many parallels to human speech learning. Despite the centrality of vocal learning to human speech, vocal production in humans as well as in songbirds exploits ancestral circuitry for innate vocalizations, and effective vocal communication depends on the fluent blending of innate and learned elements. This review covers recent advances in our understanding of central mechanisms for learned and innate vocalizations in birds and mice, including brainstem mechanisms that help to 'gate' vocalizations on or off, cortical involvement in learned and innate vocalizations, and the delineation of circuits that evaluate and reinforce song performance to facilitate vocal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Mooney
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27705, United States.
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29
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Rook N, Letzner S, Packheiser J, Güntürkün O, Beste C. Immediate early gene fingerprints of multi-component behaviour. Sci Rep 2020; 10:384. [PMID: 31941919 PMCID: PMC6962395 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56998-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to execute different responses in an expedient temporal order is central for efficient goal-directed actions and often referred to as multi-component behaviour. However, the underlying neural mechanisms on a cellular level remain unclear. Here we establish a link between neural activity at the cellular level within functional neuroanatomical structures to this form of goal-directed behaviour by analyzing immediate early gene (IEG) expression in an animal model, the pigeon (Columba livia). We focus on the group of zif268 IEGs and ZENK in particular. We show that when birds have to cascade separate task goals, ZENK expression is increased in the avian equivalent of the mammalian prefrontal cortex, i.e. the nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) as well as in the homologous striatum. Moreover, in the NCL as well as in the medial striatum (MSt), the degree of ZENK expression was highly correlated with the efficiency of multi-component behaviour. The results provide the first link between cellular IEG expression and behavioural outcome in multitasking situations. Moreover, the data suggest that the function of the fronto-striatal circuitry is comparable across species indicating that there is limited flexibility in the implementation of complex cognition such as multi-component behaviour within functional neuroanatomical structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Rook
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Sara Letzner
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Julian Packheiser
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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30
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The expression of DARPP-32 in adult male zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata). Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:2939-2972. [PMID: 31473781 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01947-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Although the catecholaminergic circuitry in the zebra finch brain has been well studied, there is little information regarding the postsynaptic targets of dopamine. To answer this question, we looked at overall patterns of immunoreactivity for DARPP-32 (a dopamine and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, present mostly in dopaminoceptive neurons) in adult male zebra finches. Our results demonstrated that as in mammals and other avian species, DARPP-32 expression was highest in both medial and lateral striatum. Interestingly, a specific pattern of immunoreactivity was observed in the song control system, with 'core' song control regions, that is, LMANcore (lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium), RA (nucleus robustus arcopallialis) and HVC being less immunoreactive for DARPP-32 than 'shell' areas such as LMANshell, RAcup, AId (intermediate arcopallium) and HVCshelf. Our results suggest that whereas dopamine may modulate the shell pathways at various levels of the AFP, dopaminergic modulation of the core pathway occurs mainly through Area X, a basal ganglia nucleus. Further, secondary sensory cortices including the perientopallial belt, Fields L1 and L3 had higher DARPP-32-immunoreactivity than primary sensory cortical areas such as the pallial basolateral nucleus, entopallium proper and Field L2, corresponding to somatosensory, visual and auditory systems, respectively. We also found DARPP-32-rich axon terminals surrounding dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area-substantia nigra complex which in turn project to the striatum, suggesting that there may be a reciprocal modulation between these regions. Overall, DARPP-32 expression appears to be higher in areas involved in integrating sensory information, which further supports the role of this protein as a molecular integrator of different signal processing pathways.
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31
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Kearney MG, Warren TL, Hisey E, Qi J, Mooney R. Discrete Evaluative and Premotor Circuits Enable Vocal Learning in Songbirds. Neuron 2019; 104:559-575.e6. [PMID: 31447169 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Virtuosic motor performance requires the ability to evaluate and modify individual gestures within a complex motor sequence. Where and how the evaluative and premotor circuits operate within the brain to enable such temporally precise learning is poorly understood. Songbirds can learn to modify individual syllables within their complex vocal sequences, providing a system for elucidating the underlying evaluative and premotor circuits. We combined behavioral and optogenetic methods to identify 2 afferents to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) that serve evaluative roles in syllable-specific learning and to establish that downstream cortico-basal ganglia circuits serve a learning role that is only premotor. Furthermore, song performance-contingent optogenetic stimulation of either VTA afferent was sufficient to drive syllable-specific learning, and these learning effects were of opposite valence. Finally, functional, anatomical, and molecular studies support the idea that these evaluative afferents bidirectionally modulate VTA dopamine neurons to enable temporally precise vocal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Gene Kearney
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Timothy L Warren
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Erin Hisey
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Jiaxuan Qi
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Richard Mooney
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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32
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Saravanan V, Hoffmann LA, Jacob AL, Berman GJ, Sober SJ. Dopamine Depletion Affects Vocal Acoustics and Disrupts Sensorimotor Adaptation in Songbirds. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0190-19.2019. [PMID: 31126913 PMCID: PMC6565373 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0190-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine is hypothesized to convey error information in reinforcement learning tasks with explicit appetitive or aversive cues. However, during motor skill learning feedback signals arise from an animal's evaluation of sensory feedback resulting from its own behavior, rather than any external reward or punishment. It has previously been shown that intact dopaminergic signaling from the ventral tegmental area/substantia nigra pars compacta (VTA/SNc) complex is necessary for vocal learning when songbirds modify their vocalizations to avoid hearing distorted auditory feedback (playbacks of white noise). However, it remains unclear whether dopaminergic signaling underlies vocal learning in response to more naturalistic errors (pitch-shifted feedback delivered via headphones). We used male Bengalese finches (Lonchura striata var. domestica) to test the hypothesis that the necessity of dopamine signaling is shared between the two types of learning. We combined 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions of dopaminergic terminals within Area X, a basal ganglia nucleus critical for song learning, with a headphones learning paradigm that shifted the pitch of auditory feedback and compared their learning to that of unlesioned controls. We found that 6-OHDA lesions affected song behavior in two ways. First, over a period of days lesioned birds systematically lowered their pitch regardless of the presence or absence of auditory errors. Second, 6-OHDA lesioned birds also displayed severe deficits in sensorimotor learning in response to pitch-shifted feedback. Our results suggest roles for dopamine in both motor production and auditory error processing, and a shared mechanism underlying vocal learning in response to both distorted and pitch-shifted auditory feedback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varun Saravanan
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Lukas A Hoffmann
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Amanda L Jacob
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Gordon J Berman
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Samuel J Sober
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
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33
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Chen R, Puzerey PA, Roeser AC, Riccelli TE, Podury A, Maher K, Farhang AR, Goldberg JH. Songbird Ventral Pallidum Sends Diverse Performance Error Signals to Dopaminergic Midbrain. Neuron 2019; 103:266-276.e4. [PMID: 31153647 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.04.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Motor skills improve with practice, requiring outcomes to be evaluated against ever-changing performance benchmarks, yet it remains unclear how performance error signals are computed. Here, we show that the songbird ventral pallidum (VP) is required for song learning and sends diverse song timing and performance error signals to the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Viral tracing revealed inputs to VP from auditory and vocal motor thalamus, auditory and vocal motor cortex, and VTA. Our findings show that VP circuits, commonly associated with hedonic functions, signal performance error during motor sequence learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruidong Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Pavel A Puzerey
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Andrea C Roeser
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Tori E Riccelli
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Archana Podury
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Kamal Maher
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Alexander R Farhang
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Jesse H Goldberg
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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34
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Contributions of the Cerebellum for Predictive and Instructional Control of Movement. CURRENT OPINION IN PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 8:146-151. [PMID: 30944888 DOI: 10.1016/j.cophys.2019.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The cerebellum with its layered structure and stereotyped and conserved connectivity has long puzzled neurobiologists. While it is well established that the cerebellum functions in regulating balance, motor coordination and motor learning, how it achieves these end results has not been very clear. Recent technical advances have made it possible to tease apart the contributions of cerebellar cell types to movement in behaving animals. We review these studies focusing on the three major cerebellar cell types, namely: granule cells, Purkinje neurons and the cells of the deep cerebellar nuclei. Further, we also review our current understanding of cortico-cerebellar and basal ganglia-cerebellar interactions that play vital roles in motor planning and motor learning.
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35
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Sen S, Parishar P, Pundir AS, Reiner A, Iyengar S. The expression of tyrosine hydroxylase and DARPP-32 in the house crow (Corvus splendens) brain. J Comp Neurol 2019; 527:1801-1836. [PMID: 30697741 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Birds of the family Corvidae which includes diverse species such as crows, rooks, ravens, magpies, jays, and jackdaws are known for their amazing abilities at problem-solving. Since the catecholaminergic system, especially the neurotransmitter dopamine, plays a role in cognition, we decided to study the distribution of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of catecholamines in the brain of house crows (Corvus splendens). We also studied the expression of DARPP-32 (dopamine and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein), which is expressed in dopaminoceptive neurons. Our results demonstrated that as in other avian species, the expression of both TH and DARPP-32 was highest in the house crow striatum. The caudolateral nidopallium (NCL, the avian analogue of the mammalian prefrontal cortex) could be differentiated from the surrounding pallial regions based on a larger number of TH-positive "baskets" of fibers around neurons in this region and greater intensity of DARPP-32 staining in the neuropil in this region. House crows also possessed distinct nuclei in their brains which corresponded to song control regions in other songbirds. Whereas immunoreactivity for TH was higher in the vocal control region Area X compared to the surrounding MSt (medial striatum) in house crows, staining in RA and HVC was not as prominent. Furthermore, the arcopallial song control regions RA (nucleus robustus arcopallialis) and AId (intermediate arcopallium) were strikingly negative for DARPP-32 staining, in contrast to the surrounding arcopallium. Patterns of immunoreactivity for TH and DARPP-32 in "limbic" areas such as the hippocampus, septum, and extended amygdala have also been described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shankhamala Sen
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, National Brain Research Centre, Gurugram, Haryana, India
| | - Pooja Parishar
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, National Brain Research Centre, Gurugram, Haryana, India
| | - Arvind Singh Pundir
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, National Brain Research Centre, Gurugram, Haryana, India
| | - Anton Reiner
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United States.,Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
| | - Soumya Iyengar
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, National Brain Research Centre, Gurugram, Haryana, India
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36
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Abstract
A circuit pathway from the cerebellum to the basal ganglia contributes to vocal learning in songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Court Hull
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, United States
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37
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Pidoux L, Le Blanc P, Levenes C, Leblois A. A subcortical circuit linking the cerebellum to the basal ganglia engaged in vocal learning. eLife 2018; 7:32167. [PMID: 30044222 PMCID: PMC6112851 DOI: 10.7554/elife.32167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Speech is a complex sensorimotor skill, and vocal learning involves both the basal ganglia and the cerebellum. These subcortical structures interact indirectly through their respective loops with thalamo-cortical and brainstem networks, and directly via subcortical pathways, but the role of their interaction during sensorimotor learning remains undetermined. While songbirds and their song-dedicated basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuitry offer a unique opportunity to study subcortical circuits involved in vocal learning, the cerebellar contribution to avian song learning remains unknown. We demonstrate that the cerebellum provides a strong input to the song-related basal ganglia nucleus in zebra finches. Cerebellar signals are transmitted to the basal ganglia via a disynaptic connection through the thalamus and then conveyed to their cortical target and to the premotor nucleus controlling song production. Finally, cerebellar lesions impair juvenile song learning, opening new opportunities to investigate how subcortical interactions between the cerebellum and basal ganglia contribute to sensorimotor learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludivine Pidoux
- Center for Neurophysics, Physiology and Pathology (UMR CNRS 8119), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institute for Neuroscience and Cognition, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - Pascale Le Blanc
- Center for Neurophysics, Physiology and Pathology (UMR CNRS 8119), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institute for Neuroscience and Cognition, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - Carole Levenes
- Center for Neurophysics, Physiology and Pathology (UMR CNRS 8119), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institute for Neuroscience and Cognition, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - Arthur Leblois
- Center for Neurophysics, Physiology and Pathology (UMR CNRS 8119), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institute for Neuroscience and Cognition, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
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38
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Neuroplasticity in the cerebello-thalamo-basal ganglia pathway: A longitudinal in vivo MRI study in male songbirds. Neuroimage 2018; 181:190-202. [PMID: 29981906 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Similar to human speech, bird song is controlled by several pathways including a cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical (C-BG-T-C) loop. Neurotoxic disengagement of the basal ganglia component, i.e. Area X, induces long-term changes in song performance, while most of the lesioned area regenerates within the first months. Importantly however, the timing and spatial extent of structural neuroplastic events potentially affecting other constituents of the C-BG-T-C loop is not clear. We designed a longitudinal MRI study where changes in brain structure were evaluated relative to the time after neurotoxic lesioning or to vocal performance. By acquiring both Diffusion Tensor Imaging and 3-dimensional anatomical scans, we were able to track alterations in respectively intrinsic tissue properties and local volume. Voxel-based statistical analyses revealed structural remodeling remote to the lesion, i.e. in the thalamus and, surprisingly, the cerebellum, both peaking within the first two months after lesioning Area X. Voxel-wise correlations between song performance and MRI parameters uncovered intriguing brain-behavior relationships in several brain areas pertaining to the C-BG-T-C loop supervising vocal motor control. Our results clearly point to structural neuroplasticity in the cerebellum induced by basal ganglia (striatal) damage and might point to the existence of a human-like cerebello-thalamic-basal ganglia pathway capable of modifying vocal motor output.
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39
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Dunning JL, Maze SE, Atwood EJ, Prather JF. Caudal mesopallial neurons in female songbirds bridge sensory and motor brain regions. J Comp Neurol 2018; 526:1703-1711. [PMID: 29603218 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Revised: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Female songbirds use male song as an indicator of fitness and use that information to select their mate. Investigations of the female auditory system have provided evidence that the neurons within the caudal mesopallium (CM) are involved in the processing of songs that a female finds attractive, however, it is not clear how CM may exert its influence on behavioral indicators of mate choice. In the present study, anterograde tracing revealed the efferent connections of the female songbird CM. The results demonstrate connections to other auditory regions previously described in males, as well as novel connections to brain regions implicated in motor control. As in males, CM neurons in females project robustly to the lateral and medial extents of the caudal nidopallium, and to the ventral intermediate arcopallium. In a novel finding that is not present in males, CM neurons also project to the robust nucleus of the arcopallium and to the caudal striatum. Calling behavior and the expression of copulation solicitation displays are key indicators of female mate choice, and the projections found here bridge critical gaps necessary to understand how auditory perception can influence circuits related to the expression of those affiliative behaviors in female songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffery L Dunning
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
| | - Sarah E Maze
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
| | - Ethan J Atwood
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
| | - Jonathan F Prather
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
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40
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Nicholson DA, Roberts TF, Sober SJ. Thalamostriatal and cerebellothalamic pathways in a songbird, the Bengalese finch. J Comp Neurol 2018. [PMID: 29520771 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The thalamostriatal system is a major network in the mammalian brain, originating principally from the intralaminar nuclei of thalamus. Its functions remain unclear, but a subset of these projections provides a pathway through which the cerebellum communicates with the basal ganglia. Both the cerebellum and basal ganglia play crucial roles in motor control. Although songbirds have yielded key insights into the neural basis of vocal learning, it is unknown whether a thalamostriatal system exists in the songbird brain. Thalamic nucleus DLM is an important part of the song system, the network of nuclei required for learning and producing song. DLM receives output from song system basal ganglia nucleus Area X and sits within dorsal thalamus, the proposed avian homolog of the mammalian intralaminar nuclei that also receives projections from the cerebellar nuclei. Using a viral vector that specifically labels presynaptic axon segments, we show in Bengalese finches that dorsal thalamus projects to Area X, the basal ganglia nucleus of the song system, and to surrounding medial striatum. To identify the sources of thalamic input to Area X, we map DLM and cerebellar-recipient dorsal thalamus (DTCbN ). Surprisingly, we find both DLM and dorsal anterior DTCbN adjacent to DLM project to Area X. In contrast, the ventral medial subregion of DTCbN projects to medial striatum outside Area X. Our results suggest the basal ganglia in the song system, like the mammalian basal ganglia, integrate feedback from the thalamic region to which they project as well as thalamic regions that receive cerebellar output.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Nicholson
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, 30322, Georgia.,Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, 30322, Georgia
| | - Todd F Roberts
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, 75390-9111
| | - Samuel J Sober
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, 30322, Georgia
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41
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A common neural circuit mechanism for internally guided and externally reinforced forms of motor learning. Nat Neurosci 2018; 21:589-597. [PMID: 29483664 PMCID: PMC5963939 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-018-0092-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The complex skills underlying verbal and musical expression can be learned without external punishment or reward, indicating their learning is internally guided. The neural mechanisms that mediate internally guided learning are poorly understood, but a circuit comprising dopamine-releasing neurons in the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA) and their targets in the basal ganglia are important to externally reinforced learning. Juvenile zebra finches copy a tutor song in a process that is internally guided and, in adulthood, can learn to modify the fundamental frequency (pitch) of a target syllable in response to external reinforcement with white noise. Here we combined intersectional genetic ablation of VTA neurons, reversible blockade of dopamine receptors in the basal ganglia, and singing-triggered optogenetic stimulation of VTA terminals to establish that a common VTA-basal ganglia circuit enables internally guided song copying and externally reinforced syllable pitch learning.
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42
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Burkett ZD, Day NF, Kimball TH, Aamodt CM, Heston JB, Hilliard AT, Xiao X, White SA. FoxP2 isoforms delineate spatiotemporal transcriptional networks for vocal learning in the zebra finch. eLife 2018; 7:30649. [PMID: 29360038 PMCID: PMC5826274 DOI: 10.7554/elife.30649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Human speech is one of the few examples of vocal learning among mammals yet ~half of avian species exhibit this ability. Its neurogenetic basis is largely unknown beyond a shared requirement for FoxP2 in both humans and zebra finches. We manipulated FoxP2 isoforms in Area X, a song-specific region of the avian striatopallidum analogous to human anterior striatum, during a critical period for song development. We delineate, for the first time, unique contributions of each isoform to vocal learning. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis of RNA-seq data revealed gene modules correlated to singing, learning, or vocal variability. Coexpression related to singing was found in juvenile and adult Area X whereas coexpression correlated to learning was unique to juveniles. The confluence of learning and singing coexpression in juvenile Area X may underscore molecular processes that drive vocal learning in young zebra finches and, by analogy, humans. Songbirds, much like in humans, have a critical period in youth when they are best at learning vocal communication skills. In birds, this is when they learn a song they will use later in life as a courtship song. In humans, this is when language skills are most easily learned. After this critical period ends, it is much harder for people to learn languages, and for certain bird species to learn their song. When birds sing every morning, the activity of a gene called FoxP2 drops, which causes a coordinated change in the activity of thousands of other genes. It is suspected that FoxP2 – and the changes it causes – could be a part of the molecular basis for vocal learning. FoxP2 is also known to play a role in speech in humans, and both birds and humans have a long and a short version of this gene. Previous research has shown that when the long version of the gene was altered so its activity would no longer decrease when birds were singing, the birds failed to learn their song. Moreover, humans with a mutation in the long version have problems with their speech. However, until now, it was not known if modifications to the short version had the same effect. Burkett et al. investigated whether there was a noticeable pattern in the effects of FoxP2 before and after the critical period in a songbird. The analysis found that during the critical period, a set of genes changed together as young birds learned to sing. This particular pattern disappeared as the birds aged and the critical period ended. Burkett et al. confirmed that when birds had the long version of FoxP2 altered, they were less able to learn. However, changing the short version of FoxP2 had little effect on learning but led to changes in the birds’ song. The genetic pathways identified in the experiments are known to be present in many different species, including humans. Related pathways have also been found to play a role in non-vocal learning in organisms as distantly related as rats and snails. This suggests that they could be acting as a blueprint for learning new skills. Few treatments for language impairments have been developed so far due to poor understanding of the molecular basis for vocal communication. The findings of this study could help to create new treatments for speech problems in people, such as children with autism or people with mutated versions of FoxP2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Daniel Burkett
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States.,Interdepartmental Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Nancy F Day
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Todd Haswell Kimball
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States.,Physiological Science Master's Degree Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Caitlin M Aamodt
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States.,Interdepartmental Program in Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Jonathan B Heston
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States.,Interdepartmental Program in Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Austin T Hilliard
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, Stanford, United States
| | - Xinshu Xiao
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States.,Interdepartmental Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Stephanie A White
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States.,Interdepartmental Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States.,Interdepartmental Program in Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
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43
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Achiro JM, Shen J, Bottjer SW. Neural activity in cortico-basal ganglia circuits of juvenile songbirds encodes performance during goal-directed learning. eLife 2017; 6:e26973. [PMID: 29256393 PMCID: PMC5762157 DOI: 10.7554/elife.26973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortico-basal ganglia circuits are thought to mediate goal-directed learning by a process of outcome evaluation to gradually select appropriate motor actions. We investigated spiking activity in core and shell subregions of the cortical nucleus LMAN during development as juvenile zebra finches are actively engaged in evaluating feedback of self-generated behavior in relation to their memorized tutor song (the goal). Spiking patterns of single neurons in both core and shell subregions during singing correlated with acoustic similarity to tutor syllables, suggesting a process of outcome evaluation. Both core and shell neurons encoded tutor similarity via either increases or decreases in firing rate, although only shell neurons showed a significant association at the population level. Tutor similarity predicted firing rates most strongly during early stages of learning, and shell but not core neurons showed decreases in response variability across development, suggesting that the activity of shell neurons reflects the progression of learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Achiro
- Neuroscience Graduate ProgramUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
| | - John Shen
- Neuroscience Graduate ProgramUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Sarah W Bottjer
- Section of NeurobiologyUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
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44
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London SE. Developmental song learning as a model to understand neural mechanisms that limit and promote the ability to learn. Behav Processes 2017; 163:13-23. [PMID: 29162376 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Revised: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Songbirds famously learn their vocalizations. Some species can learn continuously, others seasonally, and still others just once. The zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) learns to sing during a single developmental "Critical Period," a restricted phase during which a specific experience has profound and permanent effects on brain function and behavioral patterns. The zebra finch can therefore provide fundamental insight into features that promote and limit the ability to acquire complex learned behaviors. For example, what properties permit the brain to come "on-line" for learning? How does experience become encoded to prevent future learning? What features define the brain in receptive compared to closed learning states? This piece will focus on epigenomic, genomic, and molecular levels of analysis that operate on the timescales of development and complex behavioral learning. Existing data will be discussed as they relate to Critical Period learning, and strategies for future studies to more directly address these questions will be considered. Birdsong learning is a powerful model for advancing knowledge of the biological intersections of maturation and experience. Lessons from its study not only have implications for understanding developmental song learning, but also broader questions of learning potential and the enduring effects of early life experience on neural systems and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E London
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Mind and Biology, Grossman Institute for Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behavior, University of Chicago, 940 E 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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45
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Dopaminergic modulation of basal ganglia output through coupled excitation-inhibition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:5713-5718. [PMID: 28507134 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1611146114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning and maintenance of skilled movements require exploration of motor space and selection of appropriate actions. Vocal learning and social context-dependent plasticity in songbirds depend on a basal ganglia circuit, which actively generates vocal variability. Dopamine in the basal ganglia reduces trial-to-trial neural variability when the bird engages in courtship song. Here, we present evidence for a unique, tonically active, excitatory interneuron in the songbird basal ganglia that makes strong synaptic connections onto output pallidal neurons, often linked in time with inhibitory events. Dopamine receptor activity modulates the coupling of these excitatory and inhibitory events in vitro, which results in a dynamic change in the synchrony of a modeled population of basal ganglia output neurons receiving excitatory and inhibitory inputs. The excitatory interneuron thus serves as one biophysical mechanism for the introduction or modulation of neural variability in this circuit.
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46
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Wild JM. Dorsal pallidal neurons directly link the nidopallium and midbrain in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). J Comp Neurol 2017; 525:1731-1742. [PMID: 28078738 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Revised: 12/18/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The dorsal pallidum in birds is considered similar, if not homologous, to the globus pallidus (GP) of mammals. The dorsal pallidum projects to both thalamic and midbrain targets similar to the direct and indirect pathways arising from the internal and external segments of the GP. In the present study, retrograde and anterograde tracing studies revealed a previously undescribed projection of the avian dorsal pallidum. This arises from a specific dorsomedial component, which terminates in the intercollicular nucleus and partly surrounds the avian equivalent of the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus. The respiratory-vocal dorsomedial nucleus of the intercollicular complex, however, does not receive these projections. The somata of the pallidal neurons retrogradely labeled from injections in the intercollicular nucleus were large and generally multipolar and had extensive, sparsely branching central processes (presumptive dendrites) that together extended up to 2 mm dorsally into the intermediate and caudomedial nidopallium. The size and morphology of these neurons were similar to those of large pallidal neurons labeled by calretinin immunoreactivity, which could be co-localized to the same cells. Thus, rather than being directly involved in the control of movement, the large dorsomedial neurons of the caudal dorsal pallidum may be involved in sensory processing, in that they provide an unusual direct link between sensory (auditory/somatosensory) regions of the nidopallium and sensory regions of the intercollicular nucleus of the midbrain. J. Comp. Neurol. 525:1731-1742, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Martin Wild
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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47
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Gadagkar V, Puzerey PA, Chen R, Baird-Daniel E, Farhang AR, Goldberg JH. Dopamine neurons encode performance error in singing birds. Science 2016; 354:1278-1282. [PMID: 27940871 PMCID: PMC5464363 DOI: 10.1126/science.aah6837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Many behaviors are learned through trial and error by matching performance to internal goals. Yet neural mechanisms of performance evaluation remain poorly understood. We recorded basal ganglia-projecting dopamine neurons in singing zebra finches as we controlled perceived song quality with distorted auditory feedback. Dopamine activity was phasically suppressed after distorted syllables, consistent with a worse-than-predicted outcome, and was phasically activated at the precise moment of the song when a predicted distortion did not occur, consistent with a better-than-predicted outcome. Error response magnitude depended on distortion probability. Thus, dopaminergic error signals can evaluate behaviors that are not learned for reward and are instead learned by matching performance outcomes to internal goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikram Gadagkar
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Pavel A Puzerey
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Ruidong Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Eliza Baird-Daniel
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Alexander R Farhang
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Jesse H Goldberg
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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48
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Riters LV, Cordes MA, Stevenson SA. Prodynorphin and kappa opioid receptor mRNA expression in the brain relates to social status and behavior in male European starlings. Behav Brain Res 2016; 320:37-47. [PMID: 27913257 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.11.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Revised: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Numerous animal species display behavioral changes in response to changes in social status or territory possession. For example, in male European starlings only males that acquire nesting sites display high rates of sexual and agonistic behavior. Past studies show that mu and delta opioid receptors regulate behaviors associated with social ascension or defeat. Opioids also act at kappa receptors, with dynorphin binding with the highest affinity; however, the role of these opioids in social behavior has not been well studied. We observed flocks of male starlings during the breeding season and ran quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to measure expression of kappa opioid receptors (OPRK1) and prodynorphin (PDYN) in brain regions involved in social behavior and motivation (ventral tegmental area [VTA], medial preoptic nucleus [mPOA]) and vocal behavior (Area X). Males with nesting territories displayed more sexual/agonistic behavior than males without nesting territories. They also had lower OPRK1 expression in VTA and mPOA. OPRK1 expression in VTA correlated negatively with sexual/agonistic behaviors, consistent with past studies showing kappa receptors in VTA to inhibit sociosexual behaviors. PDYN in mPOA correlated negatively with a measure of nesting behavior that may also reflect sexual motivation. PDYN in Area X related positively to song. Distinct patterns of OPRK1 and PDYN expression in VTA, mPOA, and Area X related to gonad volume, suggesting that breeding condition may modify (or be modified by) OPRK1 and PDYN expression. Studies are now needed to further characterize the role of OPRK1 and PDYN in status-appropriate social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren V Riters
- Department of Zoology, 428 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| | - Melissa A Cordes
- Department of Zoology, 428 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Sharon A Stevenson
- Department of Zoology, 428 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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49
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Hamaide J, De Groof G, Van Steenkiste G, Jeurissen B, Van Audekerke J, Naeyaert M, Van Ruijssevelt L, Cornil C, Sijbers J, Verhoye M, Van der Linden A. Exploring sex differences in the adult zebra finch brain: In vivo diffusion tensor imaging and ex vivo super-resolution track density imaging. Neuroimage 2016; 146:789-803. [PMID: 27697612 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.09.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Revised: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Zebra finches are an excellent model to study the process of vocal learning, a complex socially-learned tool of communication that forms the basis of spoken human language. So far, structural investigation of the zebra finch brain has been performed ex vivo using invasive methods such as histology. These methods are highly specific, however, they strongly interfere with performing whole-brain analyses and exclude longitudinal studies aimed at establishing causal correlations between neuroplastic events and specific behavioral performances. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to implement an in vivo Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) protocol sensitive enough to detect structural sex differences in the adult zebra finch brain. Voxel-wise comparison of male and female DTI parameter maps shows clear differences in several components of the song control system (i.e. Area X surroundings, the high vocal center (HVC) and the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium (LMAN)), which corroborate previous findings and are in line with the clear behavioral difference as only males sing. Furthermore, to obtain additional insights into the 3-dimensional organization of the zebra finch brain and clarify findings obtained by the in vivo study, ex vivo DTI data of the male and female brain were acquired as well, using a recently established super-resolution reconstruction (SRR) imaging strategy. Interestingly, the SRR-DTI approach led to a marked reduction in acquisition time without interfering with the (spatial and angular) resolution and SNR which enabled to acquire a data set characterized by a 78μm isotropic resolution including 90 diffusion gradient directions within 44h of scanning time. Based on the reconstructed SRR-DTI maps, whole brain probabilistic Track Density Imaging (TDI) was performed for the purpose of super resolved track density imaging, further pushing the resolution up to 40μm isotropic. The DTI and TDI maps realized atlas-quality anatomical maps that enable a clear delineation of most components of the song control and auditory systems. In conclusion, this study paves the way for longitudinal in vivo and high-resolution ex vivo experiments aimed at disentangling neuroplastic events that characterize the critical period for vocal learning in zebra finch ontogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Hamaide
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Geert De Groof
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Ben Jeurissen
- iMinds-Vision Lab, Department of Physics, University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Johan Van Audekerke
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Maarten Naeyaert
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Charlotte Cornil
- GIGA Neurosciences, Research Group in Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Liège, Belgium
| | - Jan Sijbers
- iMinds-Vision Lab, Department of Physics, University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium
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50
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Abstract
UNLABELLED Although the brain relies on auditory information to calibrate vocal behavior, the neural substrates of vocal learning remain unclear. Here we demonstrate that lesions of the dopaminergic inputs to a basal ganglia nucleus in a songbird species (Bengalese finches, Lonchura striata var. domestica) greatly reduced the magnitude of vocal learning driven by disruptive auditory feedback in a negative reinforcement task. These lesions produced no measureable effects on the quality of vocal performance or the amount of song produced. Our results suggest that dopaminergic inputs to the basal ganglia selectively mediate reinforcement-driven vocal plasticity. In contrast, dopaminergic lesions produced no measurable effects on the birds' ability to restore song acoustics to baseline following the cessation of reinforcement training, suggesting that different forms of vocal plasticity may use different neural mechanisms. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT During skill learning, the brain relies on sensory feedback to improve motor performance. However, the neural basis of sensorimotor learning is poorly understood. Here, we investigate the role of the neurotransmitter dopamine in regulating vocal learning in the Bengalese finch, a songbird with an extremely precise singing behavior that can nevertheless be reshaped dramatically by auditory feedback. Our findings show that reduction of dopamine inputs to a region of the songbird basal ganglia greatly impairs vocal learning but has no detectable effect on vocal performance. These results suggest a specific role for dopamine in regulating vocal plasticity.
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