Auditory topography and temporal response dynamics of canary caudal telencephalon

Terleph, Thomas A.; Mello, Claudio V.; Vicario, David S.

doi:10.1002/neu.20219

Cited by 58 publications

(56 citation statements)

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“…These include the primary termination site of the ascending auditory pathway in the nidopallium (termed field L) and adjacent higher-order areas, including the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM), the caudomedial mesopallium (CMM), the shelf region adjacent to the HVC, and the cup region adjacent to the RA [30][31][32]. These regions show strong activation when songbirds hear conspecific songs, based on the robust induction of activity-dependent immediate early genes (IEGs) [33][34][35][36] and/or electrophysiological responses [37][38][39][40][41][42]. Since these or similar areas seem to be present in all birds studied to date [43], regardless of the occurrence of vocal learning, they are likely to play general roles in auditory processing.…”

Section: Doi 101002/bies201000150mentioning

confidence: 98%

From songs to synapses: Molecular mechanisms of birdsong memory

2011

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There are remarkable behavioral, neural, and genetic similarities between the way songbirds learn to sing and human infants learn to speak. Furthermore, the brain regions involved in birdsong learning, perception, and production have been identified and characterized in detail. In particular, the caudal medial nidopallium (the avian analog of the mammalian auditory-association cortex) has been found to contain the neural substrate of auditory memory, paving the way for analyses of the underlying molecular mechanisms. Recently, the zebra finch genome was sequenced, and annotated cDNA databases representing over 15,000 unique brain-expressed genes are available, enabling high-throughput gene expression analyses. Here we review the involvement of immediate early genes (e.g. zenk and arc), their downstream targets (e.g. synapsins), and their regulatory signaling pathways (e.g. MAPK/ERK) in songbird memory. We propose that in-depth investigations of zenk- and ERK-dependent cascades will help to further unravel the molecular basis of auditory memory.

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Section: Doi 101002/bies201000150mentioning

confidence: 98%

From songs to synapses: Molecular mechanisms of birdsong memory

2011

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“…These areas are likely to be modulated by experience and learning. Indeed, unit recordings show that neuronal responses are more selectively tuned to learned vocal sounds in NCM (20,21) and CM (43)(44)(45), whereas the primary auditory subregions L2a and L2b are responsive to sounds within the wider species-specific spectrotemporal range (24,46,47). Measurement of long-term response habituation in NCM, by both electrophysiology and the study of the song stimulation-induced up-regulation of ZENK, has suggested that this area might encode the long-lasting sensory memory of the TUT (31,40).…”

Section: Familiar Song Stimuli Show Selective Differential Topographymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In parallel with song motor learning, auditory song selectivity gradually emerges during development (13)(14)(15)(16)(17). Robust sensory responses to auditory stimuli have been recorded in the primary auditory area in the caudal telencephalic region (field L), the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM), the caudal mesopallium (CM), and the caudomedial ventral hyperstriatum (18)(19)(20)(21), as well as in the song nuclei HVC, LMAN, X, and nucleus interface of the nidopallium (22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28). Sensory representation of birdsong in the song nuclei and the secondary auditory areas NCM and CM is characterized by response selectivity to song ownership, familiarity, and species-specific features.…”

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Functional MRI of the zebra finch brain during song stimulation suggests a lateralized response topography

Voss

Tabelow

Polzehl

et al. 2007

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Electrophysiological and activity-dependent gene expression studies of birdsong have contributed to the understanding of the neural representation of natural sounds. However, we have limited knowledge about the overall spatial topography of song representation in the avian brain. Here, we adapt the noninvasive functional MRI method in mildly sedated zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) to localize and characterize song driven brain activation. Based on the blood oxygenation level-dependent signal, we observed a differential topographic responsiveness to playback of bird's own song, tutor song, conspecific song, and a pure tone as a nonsong stimulus. The bird's own song caused a stronger response than the tutor song or tone in higher auditory areas. This effect was more pronounced in the medial parts of the forebrain. We found left-right hemispheric asymmetry in sensory responses to songs, with significant discrimination between stimuli observed only in the right hemisphere. This finding suggests that perceptual responses might be lateralized in zebra finches. In addition to establishing the feasibility of functional MRI in sedated songbirds, our results demonstrate spatial coding of song in the zebra finch forebrain, based on developmental familiarity and experience.imaging ͉ learning ͉ memory B irdsong is studied as a model of vocal learning, perception, production, and motor abnormalities of speech (1, 2). There are interesting parallels between song development and speech development (3) and between auditory and vocal pathways in the songbird and human brain (4). Therefore, insights from experiments on songbirds may contribute to the understanding of auditory and vocal function in humans. For example, minimal models of speech dyspraxia (5) and dysfluencies such as stuttering are being developed in zebra finches (6). Zebra finches are capable of learning, producing, perceiving, and discriminating complex sound patterns. Birdsong in zebra finches consists of a sequence of distinctive sounds produced by males and is characterized by a consistent and reproducible acoustic profile. Song is learned by imitating the song of an adult conspecific tutor during a sensitive period of development (7-10). Recently, it has been shown that songbirds are able to learn recursive syntactic patterns, presumably a simple form of grammar (11), thus extending the potential applicability of the birdsong model to our understanding of the biological basis of languages. Several brain structures are required for learning, production, and perception of birdsong. It is known from electrophysiological studies that song learning nuclei, such as the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium (LMAN) and X (12), play an important role in song development. In parallel with song motor learning, auditory song selectivity gradually emerges during development (13-17). Robust sensory responses to auditory stimuli have been recorded in the primary auditory area in the caudal telencephalic region (field L), the caudomedial nidopallium (N...

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“…ZENK has been widely employed to identify cell populations in the brain that are involved in both production and perception of communication signals [Mello et al, 1992;Jarvis and Nottebohm, 1997;Duffy et al, 1999;Stripling et al, 2001;Bailey et al, 2002;Hoke et al, 2006;Terleph et al, 2006;Lynch and Wilczynski, 2008]. In birds, ZENK induction in the auditory forebrain is typically higher in individuals exposed to conspecific songs as compared to heterospecific songs [Mello et al, 1992].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Noradrenergic Deficits Alter Processing of Communication Signals in Female Songbirds

Lynch

Ball²

2008

Brain Behav Evol

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During acoustic communication, animals must attend to sounds from a particular source while simultaneously rejecting intrusion from other sources. One possible candidate mechanism for this process is the noradrenergic system. Noradrenaline is a neuromodulator that tunes sensory processing systems and regulates attention. We examined whether pharmacological degradation of the noradrenergic system using N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-2-bromobenzyl-amine hydrochloride (DSP-4) modifies processing of species-typical auditory signals in female canaries (Serinus canaria). We measured auditory responses to conspecific and heterospecific songs using ZENK protein expression within the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM) and the mesopallium caudomedial (CMM). Song-induced ZENK expression in these auditory forebrain areas is typically higher in birds exposed to conspecific songs as opposed to heterospecific songs. Our results reveal that this differential ZENK induction is abolished specifically within dNCM and CMM in female canaries treated with DSP-4. Furthermore, in DSP-4-treated birds, conspecific song-induced ZENK expression is significantly reduced when compared to saline-treated birds. This suggests that the noradrenergic system modifies auditory processing by enhancing neuronal responses to signals relevant to survival and reproduction rather than inhibiting neuronal responses to signals that are less relevant. Overall, our results reveal that noradrenaline plays a significant neuromodulatory role during the reception of species-typical communication signals.

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Auditory topography and temporal response dynamics of canary caudal telencephalon

Cited by 58 publications

References 24 publications

From songs to synapses: Molecular mechanisms of birdsong memory

From songs to synapses: Molecular mechanisms of birdsong memory

Functional MRI of the zebra finch brain during song stimulation suggests a lateralized response topography

Noradrenergic Deficits Alter Processing of Communication Signals in Female Songbirds

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