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Elide Vanutelli M, Daum MM, Manfredi M. Mini-review: Wild laughs: Ontogenesis and phylogenesis of humour. Neurosci Lett 2024; 822:137615. [PMID: 38169243 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
This mini-review discusses the existing evidence on various forms of humour and humour-like behaviour in non-human animals, combining ontogenetic and phylogenetic perspectives. The first section describes humour-like behaviours, from the simplest to the most complex form (from laughing, tickling, joking, and chasing to ToM humour). In the second section, we propose the SPeCies (Social, Physiological, and Cognitive) Perspective, which frames the various types of humour based on Social motivation, Physiological state, and Cognitive skills. Finally, in the third section, we discuss future directions for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Elide Vanutelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy; Department of Philosophy "Piero Martinetti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
| | - Moritz M Daum
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mirella Manfredi
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich, Switzerland
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2
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Abstract
Sociality and timing are tightly interrelated in human interaction as seen in turn-taking or synchronised dance movements. Sociality and timing also show in communicative acts of other species that might be pleasurable, but also necessary for survival. Sociality and timing often co-occur, but their shared phylogenetic trajectory is unknown: How, when, and why did they become so tightly linked? Answering these questions is complicated by several constraints; these include the use of divergent operational definitions across fields and species, the focus on diverse mechanistic explanations (e.g., physiological, neural, or cognitive), and the frequent adoption of anthropocentric theories and methodologies in comparative research. These limitations hinder the development of an integrative framework on the evolutionary trajectory of social timing and make comparative studies not as fruitful as they could be. Here, we outline a theoretical and empirical framework to test contrasting hypotheses on the evolution of social timing with species-appropriate paradigms and consistent definitions. To facilitate future research, we introduce an initial set of representative species and empirical hypotheses. The proposed framework aims at building and contrasting evolutionary trees of social timing toward and beyond the crucial branch represented by our own lineage. Given the integration of cross-species and quantitative approaches, this research line might lead to an integrated empirical-theoretical paradigm and, as a long-term goal, explain why humans are such socially coordinated animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Verga
- Comparative Bioacoustic Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
| | - Sonja A Kotz
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Andrea Ravignani
- Comparative Bioacoustic Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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3
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Rogers Flattery CN, Abdulla M, Barton SA, Michlich JM, Trut LN, Kukekova AV, Hecht EE. The brain of the silver fox (Vulpes vulpes): a neuroanatomical reference of cell-stained histological and MRI images. Brain Struct Funct 2023:10.1007/s00429-023-02648-5. [PMID: 37160458 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02648-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Although the silver fox (Vulpes vulpes) has been largely overlooked by neuroscientists, it has the potential to serve as a powerful model for the investigation of brain-behavior relationships. The silver fox is a melanistic variant of the red fox. Within this species, the long-running Russian farm-fox experiment has resulted in different strains bred to show divergent behavior. Strains bred for tameness, aggression, or without selection on behavior present an excellent opportunity to investigate neuroanatomical changes underlying behavioral characteristics. Here, we present a histological and MRI neuroanatomical reference of a fox from the conventional strain, which is bred without behavioral selection. This can provide an anatomical basis for future studies of the brains of foxes from this particular experiment, as well as contribute to an understanding of fox brains in general. In addition, this can serve as a resource for comparative neuroscience and investigations into neuroanatomical variation among the family Canidae, the order Carnivora, and mammals more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Munawwar Abdulla
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Sophie A Barton
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Jenny M Michlich
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Lyudmila N Trut
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Anna V Kukekova
- Department of Animal Sciences, College of ACES, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, USA
| | - Erin E Hecht
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
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4
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Bono D, Belyk M, Longo MR, Dick F. Beyond language: The unspoken sensory-motor representation of the tongue in non-primates, non-human and human primates. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 139:104730. [PMID: 35691470 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The English idiom "on the tip of my tongue" commonly acknowledges that something is known, but it cannot be immediately brought to mind. This phrase accurately describes sensorimotor functions of the tongue, which are fundamental for many tongue-related behaviors (e.g., speech), but often neglected by scientific research. Here, we review a wide range of studies conducted on non-primates, non-human and human primates with the aim of providing a comprehensive description of the cortical representation of the tongue's somatosensory inputs and motor outputs across different phylogenetic domains. First, we summarize how the properties of passive non-noxious mechanical stimuli are encoded in the putative somatosensory tongue area, which has a conserved location in the ventral portion of the somatosensory cortex across mammals. Second, we review how complex self-generated actions involving the tongue are represented in more anterior regions of the putative somato-motor tongue area. Finally, we describe multisensory response properties of the primate and non-primate tongue area by also defining how the cytoarchitecture of this area is affected by experience and deafferentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Bono
- Birkbeck/UCL Centre for Neuroimaging, 26 Bedford Way, London WC1H0AP, UK; Department of Experimental Psychology, UCL Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, 26 Bedford Way, London WC1H0AP, UK.
| | - Michel Belyk
- Department of Speech, Hearing, and Phonetic Sciences, UCL Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, 2 Wakefield Street, London WC1N 1PJ, UK
| | - Matthew R Longo
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, Malet St, London WC1E7HX, UK
| | - Frederic Dick
- Birkbeck/UCL Centre for Neuroimaging, 26 Bedford Way, London WC1H0AP, UK; Department of Experimental Psychology, UCL Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, 26 Bedford Way, London WC1H0AP, UK; Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, Malet St, London WC1E7HX, UK.
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5
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O'Connor DH, Krubitzer L, Bensmaia S. Of mice and monkeys: Somatosensory processing in two prominent animal models. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 201:102008. [PMID: 33587956 PMCID: PMC8096687 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 12/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of the neural basis of somatosensation is based largely on studies of the whisker system of mice and rats and the hands of macaque monkeys. Results across these animal models are often interpreted as providing direct insight into human somatosensation. Work on these systems has proceeded in parallel, capitalizing on the strengths of each model, but has rarely been considered as a whole. This lack of integration promotes a piecemeal understanding of somatosensation. Here, we examine the functions and morphologies of whiskers of mice and rats, the hands of macaque monkeys, and the somatosensory neuraxes of these three species. We then discuss how somatosensory information is encoded in their respective nervous systems, highlighting similarities and differences. We reflect on the limitations of these models of human somatosensation and consider key gaps in our understanding of the neural basis of somatosensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel H O'Connor
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, United States; Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, United States
| | - Leah Krubitzer
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience, University of California at Davis, United States
| | - Sliman Bensmaia
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, United States; Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, United States; Grossman Institute for Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology, and Human Behavior, University of Chicago, United States.
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6
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Thiebaut de Schotten M, Croxson PL, Mars RB. Large-scale comparative neuroimaging: Where are we and what do we need? Cortex 2019; 118:188-202. [PMID: 30661736 PMCID: PMC6699599 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Neuroimaging has a lot to offer comparative neuroscience. Although invasive "gold standard" techniques have a better spatial resolution, neuroimaging allows fast, whole-brain, repeatable, and multi-modal measurements of structure and function in living animals and post-mortem tissue. In the past years, comparative neuroimaging has increased in popularity. However, we argue that its most significant potential lies in its ability to collect large-scale datasets of many species to investigate principles of variability in brain organisation across whole orders of species-an ambition that is presently unfulfilled but achievable. We briefly review the current state of the field and explore what the current obstacles to such an approach are. We propose some calls to action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Thiebaut de Schotten
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Group, Sorbonne Universities, Paris France; Frontlab, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), UPMC UMRS 1127, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR, Paris, France; Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives-UMR 5293, CNRS, CEA University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Paula L Croxson
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Rogier B Mars
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
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7
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Jones CE, Navis TM, Teutsch P, Opel RA, Lim MM. Acoustic prepulse inhibition in male and female prairie voles: Implications for models of neuropsychiatric illness. Behav Brain Res 2019; 360:298-302. [PMID: 30550951 PMCID: PMC6324994 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Sensory gating, the ability to suppress sensory information of irrelevant stimuli, is affected in several neuropsychiatric diseases, notably schizophrenia and autism. It is currently unclear how these deficits interact with other hallmark symptoms of these disorders, such as social withdrawal and difficulty with interpersonal relationships. The highly affiliative prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) may be an ideal model organism to study the neurobiology underlying social behavior. In this study, we assessed unimodal acoustic sensory gating in male and female prairie voles using the prepulse inhibition (PPI) paradigm, whereby a lower amplitude sound (prepulse) decreases the startle response to a high amplitude sound (pulse) compared to the high amplitude sound alone. Prairie voles showed evidence of PPI at all prepulse levels compared to pulse alone, with both males and females showing similar levels of inhibition. However, unlike what has been reported in other rodent species, prairie voles did not show a within-session decrease in startle response to the pulse alone, nor did they show a decrease in startle response to the pulse over multiple days, highlighting their inability to habituate to startling stimuli (short- and long-term). When contrasted with a cohort of male wildtype C57Bl/6J mice that underwent a comparable PPI protocol, individual voles showed significantly higher trial-by-trial variability as well as longer latency to startle than mice. The benefits and caveats to using prairie voles in future sensory gating experiments are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn E Jones
- Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States; VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR. United States
| | - Tom M Navis
- Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Peyton Teutsch
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR. United States
| | - Ryan A Opel
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR. United States
| | - Miranda M Lim
- Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States; VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR. United States.
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8
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Andics A, Miklósi Á. Neural processes of vocal social perception: Dog-human comparative fMRI studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 85:54-64. [PMID: 29287629 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In this review we focus on the exciting new opportunities in comparative neuroscience to study neural processes of vocal social perception by comparing dog and human neural activity using fMRI methods. The dog is a relatively new addition to this research area; however, it has a large potential to become a standard species in such investigations. Although there has been great interest in the emergence of human language abilities, in case of fMRI methods, most research to date focused on homologue comparisons within Primates. By belonging to a very different clade of mammalian evolution, dogs could give such research agendas a more general mammalian foundation. In addition, broadening the scope of investigations into vocal communication in general can also deepen our understanding of human vocal skills. Being selected for and living in an anthropogenic environment, research with dogs may also be informative about the way in which human non-linguistic and linguistic signals are represented in a mammalian brain without skills for language production.
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9
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Sakai T, Hata J, Ohta H, Shintaku Y, Kimura N, Ogawa Y, Sogabe K, Mori S, Okano HJ, Hamada Y, Shibata S, Okano H, Oishi K. The Japan Monkey Centre Primates Brain Imaging Repository for comparative neuroscience: an archive of digital records including records for endangered species. Primates 2018; 59:553-70. [PMID: 30357587 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-018-0694-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computational analysis technology have enabled comparisons among various primate brains in a three-dimensional electronic format. Results from comparative studies provide information about common features across primates and species-specific features of neuroanatomy. Investigation of various species of non-human primates is important for understanding such features, but the majority of comparative MRI studies have been based on experimental primates, such as common marmoset, macaques, and chimpanzee. A major obstacle has been the lack of a database that includes non-experimental primates' brain MRIs. To facilitate scientific discoveries in the field of comparative neuroanatomy and brain evolution, we launched a collaborative project to develop an open-resource repository of non-human primate brain images obtained using ex vivo MRI. As an initial open resource, here we release a collection of structural MRI and diffusion tensor images obtained from 12 species: pygmy marmoset, owl monkey, white-fronted capuchin, crab-eating macaque, Japanese macaque, bonnet macaque, toque macaque, Sykes' monkey, red-tailed monkey, Schmidt's guenon, de Brazza's guenon, and lar gibbon. Sixteen postmortem brain samples from the 12 species, stored in the Japan Monkey Centre (JMC), were scanned using a 9.4-T MRI scanner and made available through the JMC collaborative research program ( http://www.j-monkey.jp/BIR/index_e.html ). The expected significant contributions of the JMC Primates Brain Imaging Repository include (1) resources for comparative neuroscience research, (2) preservation of various primate brains, including those of endangered species, in a permanent digital form, (3) resources with higher resolution for identifying neuroanatomical features, compared to previous MRI atlases, (4) resources for optimizing methods of scanning large fixed brains, and (5) references for veterinary neuroradiology. User-initiated research projects beyond these contributions are also anticipated.
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La Rosa C, Parolisi R, Palazzo O, Lévy F, Meurisse M, Bonfanti L. Clusters of DCX+ cells "trapped" in the subcortical white matter of early postnatal Cetartiodactyla (Tursiops truncatus, Stenella coeruloalba and Ovis aries). Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:3613-3632. [PMID: 29980931 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1708-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The cytoskeletal protein doublecortin (DCX) is a marker for neuronal cells retaining high potential for structural plasticity, originating from both embryonic and adult neurogenic processes. Some of these cells have been described in the subcortical white matter of neonatal and postnatal mammals. In mice and humans it has been shown they are young neurons migrating through the white matter after birth, reaching the cortex in a sort of protracted neurogenesis. Here we show that DCX+ cells in the white matter of neonatal and young Cetartiodactyla (dolphin and sheep) form large clusters which are not newly generated (in sheep, and likely neither in dolphins) and do not reach the cortical layers, rather appearing "trapped" in the white matter tissue. No direct contact or continuity can be observed between the subventricular zone region and the DCX+ clusters, thus indicating their independence from any neurogenic source (in dolphins further confirmed by the recent demonstration that periventricular neurogenesis is inactive since birth). Cetartiodactyla include two orders of large-brained, relatively long-living mammals (cetaceans and artiodactyls) which were recognized as two separate monophyletic clades until recently, yet, despite the evident morphological distinctions, they are monophyletic in origin. The brain of Cetartiodactyla is characterized by an advanced stage of development at birth, a feature that might explain the occurrence of "static" cell clusters confined within their white matter. These results further confirm the existence of high heterogeneity in the occurrence, distribution and types of structural plasticity among mammals, supporting the emerging view that multiple populations of DCX+, non-newly generated cells can be abundant in large-brained, long-living species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara La Rosa
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy.,Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco, TO, Italy
| | - Roberta Parolisi
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy
| | - Ottavia Palazzo
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy
| | - Frederic Lévy
- UMR INRA, CNRS/Universitè F. Rabelais, IFCE Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Nouzilly, France
| | - Maryse Meurisse
- UMR INRA, CNRS/Universitè F. Rabelais, IFCE Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Nouzilly, France
| | - Luca Bonfanti
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy. .,Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco, TO, Italy.
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11
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Mars RB, Foxley S, Verhagen L, Jbabdi S, Sallet J, Noonan MP, Neubert FX, Andersson JL, Croxson PL, Dunbar RIM, Khrapitchev AA, Sibson NR, Miller KL, Rushworth MFS. The extreme capsule fiber complex in humans and macaque monkeys: a comparative diffusion MRI tractography study. Brain Struct Funct 2016; 221:4059-4071. [PMID: 26627483 PMCID: PMC5065901 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-015-1146-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
We compared the course and cortical projections of white matter fibers passing through the extreme capsule in humans and macaques. Previous comparisons of this tract have suggested a uniquely human posterior projection, but these studies have always employed different techniques in the different species. Here we used the same technique, diffusion MRI, in both species to avoid attributing differences in techniques to differences in species. Diffusion MRI-based probabilistic tractography was performed from a seed area in the extreme capsule in both human and macaques. We compared in vivo data of humans and macaques as well as one high-resolution ex vivo macaque dataset. Tractography in the macaque was able to replicate most results known from macaque tracer studies, including selective innervation of frontal cortical areas and targets in the superior temporal cortex. In addition, however, we also observed some tracts that are not commonly reported in macaque tracer studies and that are more reminiscent of results previously only reported in the human. In humans, we show that the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex innervations are broadly similar to those in the macaque. These results suggest that evolutionary changes in the human extreme capsule fiber complex are likely more gradual than punctuated. Further, they demonstrate both the potential and limitations of diffusion MRI tractography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rogier B Mars
- Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK.
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 EZ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Sean Foxley
- Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Lennart Verhagen
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK
| | - Saad Jbabdi
- Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Jérôme Sallet
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK
| | - MaryAnn P Noonan
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Franz-Xaver Neubert
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK
| | - Jesper L Andersson
- Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Paula L Croxson
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029-6574, USA
| | - Robin I M Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK
| | - Alexandre A Khrapitchev
- Cancer Research UK/Medical Research Council Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Nicola R Sibson
- Cancer Research UK/Medical Research Council Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Karla L Miller
- Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Matthew F S Rushworth
- Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK
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12
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Mars RB, Verhagen L, Gladwin TE, Neubert FX, Sallet J, Rushworth MFS. Comparing brains by matching connectivity profiles. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 60:90-7. [PMID: 26627865 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Revised: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The great promise of comparative neuroscience is to understand why brains differ by investigating the relations between variations in the organization of different brains, their evolutionary history, and their current ecological niche. For this approach to be successful, the organization of different brains needs to be quantifiable. Here, we present an approach to formally comparing the connectivity of different cortical areas across different brains. We exploit the fact that cortical regions can be characterized by the unique pattern of connectivity, the so-called connectivity fingerprint. By comparing connectivity fingerprints between cortical areas in the human and non-human primate brain we can identify between-species homologs, but also illustrate that is driving differences between species. We illustrate the approach by comparing the organization of the frontal cortex between humans and macaques, showing general similarities combined with some differences in the lateral frontal pole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rogier B Mars
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen 6525 EZ, The Netherlands; Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.
| | - Lennart Verhagen
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Tinbergen Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK
| | - Thomas E Gladwin
- Military Mental Health Research Centre, Ministry of Defence, The Netherlands and Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Franz-Xaver Neubert
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Tinbergen Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK
| | - Jerome Sallet
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Tinbergen Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK
| | - Matthew F S Rushworth
- Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK; Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Tinbergen Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK
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Hall ZJ, Meddle SL, Healy SD. From neurons to nests: nest-building behaviour as a model in behavioural and comparative neuroscience. J Ornithol 2015; 156:133-143. [PMID: 27570726 PMCID: PMC4986315 DOI: 10.1007/s10336-015-1214-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2014] [Revised: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite centuries of observing the nest building of most extant bird species, we know surprisingly little about how birds build nests and, specifically, how the avian brain controls nest building. Here, we argue that nest building in birds may be a useful model behaviour in which to study how the brain controls behaviour. Specifically, we argue that nest building as a behavioural model provides a unique opportunity to study not only the mechanisms through which the brain controls behaviour within individuals of a single species but also how evolution may have shaped the brain to produce interspecific variation in nest-building behaviour. In this review, we outline the questions in both behavioural and comparative neuroscience that nest building could be used to address, summarize recent findings regarding the neurobiology of nest building in lab-reared zebra finches and across species building different nest structures, and suggest some future directions for the neurobiology of nest building.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J. Hall
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Harold Mitchell Building, St Andrews, KY16 9TH Scotland, UK
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Room RW618, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5 Canada
| | - Simone L. Meddle
- The Roslin Institute, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, EH25 9RG Scotland, UK
| | - Susan D. Healy
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Harold Mitchell Building, St Andrews, KY16 9TH Scotland, UK
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Cook PF, Spivak M, Berns GS. One pair of hands is not like another: caudate BOLD response in dogs depends on signal source and canine temperament. PeerJ 2014; 2:e596. [PMID: 25289182 PMCID: PMC4183953 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Accepted: 09/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Having previously used functional MRI to map the response to a reward signal in the ventral caudate in awake unrestrained dogs, here we examined the importance of signal source to canine caudate activation. Hand signals representing either incipient reward or no reward were presented by a familiar human (each dog's respective handler), an unfamiliar human, and via illustrated images of hands on a computer screen to 13 dogs undergoing voluntary fMRI. All dogs had received extensive training with the reward and no-reward signals from their handlers and with the computer images and had minimal exposure to the signals from strangers. All dogs showed differentially higher BOLD response in the ventral caudate to the reward versus no reward signals, and there was a robust effect at the group level. Further, differential response to the signal source had a highly significant interaction with a dog's general aggressivity as measured by the C-BARQ canine personality assessment. Dogs with greater aggressivity showed a higher differential response to the reward signal versus no-reward signal presented by the unfamiliar human and computer, while dogs with lower aggressivity showed a higher differential response to the reward signal versus no-reward signal from their handler. This suggests that specific facets of canine temperament bear more strongly on the perceived reward value of relevant communication signals than does reinforcement history, as each of the dogs were reinforced similarly for each signal, regardless of the source (familiar human, unfamiliar human, or computer). A group-level psychophysiological interaction (PPI) connectivity analysis showed increased functional coupling between the caudate and a region of cortex associated with visual discrimination and learning on reward versus no-reward trials. Our findings emphasize the sensitivity of the domestic dog to human social interaction, and may have other implications and applications pertinent to the training and assessment of working and pet dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter F Cook
- Economics Department & Center for Neuropolicy, Emory University , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Mark Spivak
- Comprehensive Pet Therapy , Sandy Springs, GA , USA
| | - Gregory S Berns
- Economics Department & Center for Neuropolicy, Emory University , Atlanta, GA , USA
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Helduser S, Westkott M, Pawelzik K, Güntürkün O. The putative pigeon homologue to song bird LMAN does not modulate behavioral variability. Behav Brain Res 2014; 263:144-8. [PMID: 24485917 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2013] [Revised: 01/16/2014] [Accepted: 01/19/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The active generation of behavioral variability is thought to be a pivotal element in reinforcement based learning. One example for this principle is song learning in oscine birds. Oscines possess a highly specialized set of brain areas that compose the song system. It is yet unclear how the song system evolved. One important hypothesis assumes a motor origin of the song system, i.e. the song system may have developed from motor pathways that were present in an early ancestor of extant birds. Indeed, in pigeons neural pathways are present that parallel the song system. We examined whether one component of these pathways, a forebrain area termed nidopallium intermedium medialis pars laterale (NIML), is functionally comparable to its putative homologue, the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium (LMAN) of the song system. LMAN conveys variability into the motor output during singing; a function crucial for song learning and maintenance. We tested if NIML is likewise associated with the generation of variability. We used a behavioral paradigm in which pigeons had to find hidden target areas on a touch screen to gain food rewards. Alterations in pecking variability would result in changes of performance levels in this search paradigm. We found that pharmacological inactivation of NIML did not reduce pecking variability contrasting increases of song stereotypy observed after LMAN inactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sascha Helduser
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany.
| | - Maren Westkott
- Department of Physics, Institute for Theoretical Physics, University Bremen, D-28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Klaus Pawelzik
- Department of Physics, Institute for Theoretical Physics, University Bremen, D-28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany
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Fukushima H, Hirata S, Matsuda G, Ueno A, Fuwa K, Sugama K, Kusunoki K, Hiraki K, Tomonaga M, Hasegawa T. Neural representation of face familiarity in an awake chimpanzee. PeerJ 2014; 1:e223. [PMID: 24392287 PMCID: PMC3869181 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2013] [Accepted: 11/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Evaluating the familiarity of faces is critical for social animals as it is the basis of individual recognition. In the present study, we examined how face familiarity is reflected in neural activities in our closest living relative, the chimpanzee. Skin-surface event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were measured while a fully awake chimpanzee observed photographs of familiar and unfamiliar chimpanzee faces (Experiment 1) and human faces (Experiment 2). The ERPs evoked by chimpanzee faces differentiated unfamiliar individuals from familiar ones around midline areas centered on vertex sites at approximately 200 ms after the stimulus onset. In addition, the ERP response to the image of the subject's own face did not significantly diverge from those evoked by familiar chimpanzees, suggesting that the subject's brain at a minimum remembered the image of her own face. The ERPs evoked by human faces were not influenced by the familiarity of target individuals. These results indicate that chimpanzee neural representations are more sensitive to the familiarity of conspecific than allospecific faces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirokata Fukushima
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo , Japan ; Faculty of Sociology, Kansai University , Japan
| | - Satoshi Hirata
- Great Ape Research Institute of Hayashibara Biochemical Laboratories, Inc. , Japan ; Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University , Japan
| | - Goh Matsuda
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo , Japan ; JST, CREST , Japan
| | - Ari Ueno
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo , Japan ; Department of Human Relations Studies, School of Human Cultures, The University of Shiga Prefecture , Japan
| | - Kohki Fuwa
- Great Ape Research Institute of Hayashibara Biochemical Laboratories, Inc. , Japan ; EarthMate-ChimpanzeeNEXT , Japan
| | - Keiko Sugama
- Great Ape Research Institute of Hayashibara Biochemical Laboratories, Inc. , Japan
| | - Kiyo Kusunoki
- Great Ape Research Institute of Hayashibara Biochemical Laboratories, Inc. , Japan ; EarthMate-ChimpanzeeNEXT , Japan
| | - Kazuo Hiraki
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo , Japan
| | - Masaki Tomonaga
- Section of Language and Intelligence, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University , Japan
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