Multidimensional Tuning in Motor Cortical Neurons during Active Behavior

Abstract

A region within songbird cortex, AId (dorsal intermediate arcopallium), is functionally analogous to motor cortex in mammals and has been implicated in song learning during development. Non-vocal factors such as visual and social cues are known to mediate song learning and performance, yet previous chronic-recording studies of regions important for song behavior have focused exclusively on neural activity in relation to song production. Thus, we have little understanding of the range of non-vocal information that single neurons may encode. We made chronic recordings in AId of freely behaving juvenile zebra finches and evaluated neural activity during diverse motor behaviors throughout entire recording sessions, including song production as well as hopping, pecking, preening, fluff-ups, beak interactions, scratching, and stretching. These movements are part of natural behavioral repertoires and are important

Cortical Betz cells analogue in songbirds utilizes Kv3.1 to generate ultranarrow spikes

“…RA and AId are thought to control vocal and non-vocal somatic functions respectively via descending projections out of the finch telencephalon towards lower motor centers ((Bottjer, Brady, & Cribbs, 2000; Feenders et al, 2008; Mandelblat-Cerf et al, 2014; Nottebohm, Stokes, & Leonard, 1976; Paton, Manogue, & Nottebohm, 1981; Wild, 1993a; Yuan & Bottjer, 2020); Fig. 1A).…”

“…Similar to mammalian Betz cells, RAPNs in adult male finches also exhibit high expression of KCNC1 (Kv3.1; (Lovell, Carleton, & Mello, 2013)). Interestingly, this expression is significantly lower in the adjacent dorsal intermediate arcopallium (Aid) (Nevue et al, 2020), an area thought to be involved in non-vocal somatic motor functions (Feenders et al, 2008; Mandelblat-Cerf, Las, Denisenko, & Fee, 2014; Yuan & Bottjer, 2020) that have different temporal requirements than song (e.g., ∼10 ms to peak force of twitch for pectoral wing muscles (Bahlman, Baliga, & Altshuler, 2020)). Importantly, whereas the excitable properties of RAPNs have been examined in detail (Adret & Margoliash, 2002; Garst-Orozco, Babadi, & Olveczky, 2014; Liao, Hou, Liu, Long, & Li, 2011; Spiro, Dalva, & Mooney, 1999; Zemel et al, 2021), little is known about 1) the excitability of AId neurons, and 2) the molecular basis shaping the AP waveform in either brain region.…”

Behavioral Training Related Neurotransmitter Receptor Expression Dynamics in the Nidopallium Caudolaterale and the Hippocampal Formation of Pigeons

“…Nevertheless, we have to admit that SMTS- pigeons, although they did not perform in more sessions, executed more pecks in total compared to the SR-group and thus we cannot completely exclude that pecking (physical) activity influenced the expression of receptors in the SMTS-group. However, we would see other brain structures like the basal ganglia, the cerebellum or parts of the pre-motor arcopallium/amygdala complex predominantly involved in such motor behavior ( Goodman et al, 1982 ; Yuan and Bottjer, 2020 ; Tian et al, 2022 ). Moreover, an earlier study of dopamine receptor expression after SR, SMTS and Delay-Matching-to-Sample training has shown that expression levels of receptors can change specifically according to different demands of cognitive tasks or learning components ( Herold et al, 2012 ).…”

Neurons in Primary Motor Cortex Encode External Perturbations during an Orientation Reaching Task

“…The feedback system, in some cases, behaves as if it were two separate systems. The slow mechanism case exhibits cognitive control, and the other case shows fast visual feedback control [ 21 ]. The neural control system was given the opportunity to alter the control strategy and update the internal model for a predictable perturbation, while an unpredictable perturbation prevented adaptation and forced the CNS to shift its control emphasis to utilize feedback control.…”