Biological and Acoustic Sex Differences in Rat Ultrasonic Vocalization

Lenell, Charles; Broadfoot, Courtney K.; Schaen-Heacock, Nicole E.; Ciucci, Michelle R.

doi:10.3390/brainsci11040459

Cited by 22 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 174 publications

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“…This preference of the sham-control rats for stranger over familiar 50-kHz USV cannot be explained by differences between groups in USV files parameters (subtypes composition, total duration and number of calls, mean peak frequency and bandwidth), since they are similar between rats subjected to stranger and familiar USV. However, in accordance with literature (Lenell et al, 2021;Wright et al, 2010), we observed an inter-subject variability in these USV files parameters within groups. Then, this differential preference for familiar vs stranger USV indicates that rats are able to recognize the vocal signature of their cage-mate.…”

Section: Effect Of the Familiarity On The Rewarding Properties Of Usv And Consequences On Cocaine Intakesupporting

confidence: 92%

“…It is important to note that this study was exclusively conducted on male rats, as a first step before testing female rats, although they do not seem to show social novelty preference (Veenema et al, 2012) and emit less USV than males (for review see Lenell et al, 2021). There is, to our knowledge, no study investigating the female rat behavioral response to USV emitted by female.…”

Section: Effect Of the Familiarity On The Rewarding Properties Of Usv And Consequences On Cocaine Intakementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because female rats do not show a social novelty preference (Veenema et al, 2012) and emit less USV than males (for review see Lenell et al, 2021), this experiment was exclusively conducted on male rats. 76 male Lister Hooded rats (Charles River Laboratories, Saint-Germain-sur-l'Arbresle, France) weighing ~315 g at their arrival were used.…”

Section: Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…50-kHz USV playback elicits a conditioned place preference over a background noise (Montanari et al, 2020) and when associated to cocaine self-administration, it decreases cocaine consumption (Montanari et al, 2020). Interestingly, while there is low intra-subject variability in term of acoustic features and quantity of USV production in a same experimental context, there is a large inter-subject variability (Wright et al, 2010), depending on several factors, such as social environment, sex and strain (for review see Lenell et al, 2021). This inter-subject variability in USV suggests the existence of a vocal signature in rats, but no study to the best of our knowledge investigated the ability of rats to recognize the identity of the USV emitter.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evidence for a vocal signature in the rat and its reinforcing effects

Vielle

Montanari

Pelloux

et al. 2021

Preprint

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While the term 'language' is used for human and non-human primates, 'vocal communication' is rather used for rodents or other species. The main difference is that there is, to date, no evidence for a vocal signature in the well-known 50- and 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) emitted by rats. Here, we show that rats can recognize the identity of the USV emitter since they self-administer preferentially playback of 50-kHz USV emitted by a stranger rat over those emitted by their cage-mate. In a second experiment, we show that the familiarity with the USV emitter also modulate the effect of USV playback during cocaine self-administration, since only stranger, but not familiar, 50-kHz USV decrease drug intake. Finally, to study the neurobiological substrate of those processes, we have tested the effects of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) lesion on these various conditions. STN-lesioned rats did not lever press much for any USV playback, whatever their emotional valence, nor did they seem able to differentiate familiar from stranger peer. Advocating for the existence of a vocal signature in rats, these results highlight the importance of ultrasonic communication in socio-affective influence of behavior, such as the influence of proximal social factors on drug consumption and confirm the role of the subthalamic nucleus on this influence.

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Section: Effect Of the Familiarity On The Rewarding Properties Of Usv And Consequences On Cocaine Intakesupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Effect Of the Familiarity On The Rewarding Properties Of Usv And Consequences On Cocaine Intakementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Evidence for a vocal signature in the rat and its reinforcing effects

Vielle

Montanari

Pelloux

et al. 2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Interestingly, while there is low intra-subject variability in terms of call types, acoustic parameters (i.e. duration, bandwidth, and mean peak frequency), and quantity of USV production in the same experimental context, there is a large inter-subject variability [31,32], depending on several factors, such as social status, sex, and strain [33]. This inter-subject variability in USV acoustic parameters and call profile, mirroring human prosody, suggests the existence of a vocal signature in rats allowing them to recognize individual conspecifics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for a vocal signature in the rat and its reinforcing effects: a key role for the subthalamic nucleus

et al. 2021

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Although rodents have a well-structured vocal form of communication, like humans and non-human primates, there is, to date, no evidence for a vocal signature in the well-known 50- and 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) emitted by rats. Here, we show that rats can recognize the identity of the USV emitter since they choose to preferentially self-administer playback of 50-kHz USVs emitted by a stranger rat over those of their cagemate. In a second experiment, we show that only stranger, but not familiar, 50-kHz USVs reduce cocaine self-administration. Finally, to study the neurobiological substrate of these processes, we have shown that subthalamic nucleus (STN)-lesioned rats did not lever press much for any USV playback, whatever their emotional valence, nor did they seem able to differentiate familiar from stranger peer. Advocating for the existence of a vocal signature in rats, these results highlight the importance of ultrasonic communication in the socio-affective influence of behaviour, such as the influence of proximal social factors on drug consumption and confirm the role of the STN on this influence.

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Ultrasonic vocalisation rate tracks the diurnal pattern of activity in winter phenotype Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus)

Harding,

Walker,

Hackett

et al. 2024

J Comp Physiol B

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Vocalisations are increasingly being recognised as an important aspect of normal rodent behaviour yet little is known of how they interact with other spontaneous behaviours such as sleep and torpor, particularly in a social setting. We obtained chronic recordings of the vocal behaviour of adult male and female Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) housed under short photoperiod (8 h light, 16 h dark, square wave transitions), in different social contexts. The animals were kept in isolation or in same-sex sibling pairs, separated by a grid which allowed non-physical social interaction. On approximately 20% of days hamsters spontaneously entered torpor, a state of metabolic depression that coincides with the rest phase of many small mammal species in response to actual or predicted energy shortages. Animals produced ultrasonic vocalisations (USVs) with a peak frequency of 57 kHz in both social and asocial conditions and there was a high degree of variability in vocalisation rate between subjects. Vocalisation rate was correlated with locomotor activity across the 24-h light cycle, occurring more frequently during the dark period when the hamsters were more active and peaking around light transitions. Solitary-housed animals did not vocalise whilst torpid and animals remained in torpor despite overlapping with vocalisations in social-housing. Besides a minor decrease in peak USV frequency when isolated hamsters were re-paired with their siblings, changing social contexts did not influence vocalisation behaviour or structure. In rare instances, temporally overlapping USVs occurred when animals were socially-housed and were grouped in such a way that could indicate coordination. We did not observe broadband calls (BBCs) contemporaneous with USVs in this paradigm, corroborating their correlation with physical aggression which was absent from our experiment. Overall, we find little evidence to suggest a direct social function of hamster USVs. We conclude that understanding the effects of vocalisations on spontaneous behaviours, such as sleep and torpor, will inform experimental design of future studies, especially where the role of social interactions is investigated.

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Biological and Acoustic Sex Differences in Rat Ultrasonic Vocalization

Cited by 22 publications

References 174 publications

Evidence for a vocal signature in the rat and its reinforcing effects

Evidence for a vocal signature in the rat and its reinforcing effects

Evidence for a vocal signature in the rat and its reinforcing effects: a key role for the subthalamic nucleus

Ultrasonic vocalisation rate tracks the diurnal pattern of activity in winter phenotype Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus)

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