scholarly journals Forebrain circuits underlying the social modulation of vocal communication signals

2015 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura E. Matheson ◽  
Herie Sun ◽  
Jon T. Sakata
Keyword(s):  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Communication Signals ◽  
Social Modulation ◽  
The Social

scholarly journals An Avian Basal Ganglia-Forebrain Circuit Contributes Differentially to Syllable Versus Sequence Variability of Adult Bengalese Finch Song

2009 ◽  
Vol 101 (6) ◽  
pp. 3235-3245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cara M. Hampton ◽  
Jon T. Sakata ◽  
Michael S. Brainard
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Syllable Structure ◽  
Skill Learning ◽  
Behavioral Variability ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Sequence Variability ◽  
Social Modulation ◽  
The Social ◽  
Learned Behaviors ◽  
Magnocellular Nucleus

Behavioral variability is important for motor skill learning but continues to be present and actively regulated even in well-learned behaviors. In adult songbirds, two types of song variability can persist and are modulated by social context: variability in syllable structure and variability in syllable sequencing. The degree to which the control of both types of adult variability is shared or distinct remains unknown. The output of a basal ganglia-forebrain circuit, LMAN (the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium), has been implicated in song variability. For example, in adult zebra finches, neurons in LMAN actively control the variability of syllable structure. It is unclear, however, whether LMAN contributes to variability in adult syllable sequencing because sequence variability in adult zebra finch song is minimal. In contrast, Bengalese finches retain variability in both syllable structure and syllable sequencing into adulthood. We analyzed the effects of LMAN lesions on the variability of syllable structure and sequencing and on the social modulation of these forms of variability in adult Bengalese finches. We found that lesions of LMAN significantly reduced the variability of syllable structure but not of syllable sequencing. We also found that LMAN lesions eliminated the social modulation of the variability of syllable structure but did not detect significant effects on the modulation of sequence variability. These results show that LMAN contributes differentially to syllable versus sequence variability of adult song and suggest that these forms of variability are regulated by distinct neural pathways.

scholarly journals Spatial and Temporal Organization of Composite Receptive Fields in the Songbird Auditory Forebrain

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nasim Winchester Vahidi
Keyword(s):  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Temporal Organization ◽  
Quadratic Model ◽  
Bird Songs ◽  
Communication Signals ◽  
Complete Representation ◽  
Auditory Forebrain ◽  
Neuron Populations ◽  
Classical Models

The mechanisms underlying how single auditory neurons and neuron populations encode natural and acoustically complex vocal signals, such as human speech or bird songs, are not well understood. Classical models focus on individual neurons, whose spike rates vary systematically as a function of change in a small number of simple acoustic dimensions. However, neurons in the caudal medial nidopallium (NCM), an auditory forebrain region in songbirds that is analogous to the secondary auditory cortex in mammals, have composite receptive fields (CRFs) that comprise multiple acoustic features tied to both increases and decreases in firing rates. Here, we investigated the anatomical organization and temporal activation patterns of auditory CRFs in European starlings exposed to natural vocal communication signals (songs). We recorded extracellular electrophysiological responses to various bird songs at auditory NCM sites, including both single and multiple neurons, and we then applied a quadratic model to extract large sets of CRF features that were tied to excitatory and suppressive responses at each measurement site. We found that the superset of CRF features yielded spatially and temporally distributed, generalizable representations of a conspecific song. Individual sites responded to acoustically diverse features, as there was no discernable organization of features across anatomically ordered sites. The CRF features at each site yielded broad, temporally distributed responses that spanned the entire duration of many starling songs, which can last for 50 s or more. Based on these results, we estimated that a nearly complete representation of any conspecific song, regardless of length, can be obtained by evaluating populations as small as 100 neurons. We conclude that natural acoustic communication signals drive a distributed yet highly redundant representation across the songbird auditory forebrain, in which adjacent neurons contribute to the encoding of multiple diverse and time-varying spectro-temporal features.

From Perception to Action: The Role of Auditory Input in Shaping Vocal Communication and Social Behaviors in Birds

2019 ◽  
Vol 94 (Suppl. 1-4) ◽  
pp. 51-60
Author(s):  
Julie E. Elie ◽  
Susanne Hoffmann ◽  
Jeffery L. Dunning ◽  
Melissa J. Coleman ◽  
Eric S. Fortune ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
Auditory Input ◽  
Research Focus ◽  
Vocal Production ◽  
Active Participant ◽  
Communication Signals

Acoustic communication signals are typically generated to influence the behavior of conspecific receivers. In songbirds, for instance, such cues are routinely used by males to influence the behavior of females and rival males. There is remarkable diversity in vocalizations across songbird species, and the mechanisms of vocal production have been studied extensively, yet there has been comparatively little emphasis on how the receiver perceives those signals and uses that information to direct subsequent actions. Here, we emphasize the receiver as an active participant in the communication process. The roles of sender and receiver can alternate between individuals, resulting in an emergent feedback loop that governs the behavior of both. We describe three lines of research that are beginning to reveal the neural mechanisms that underlie the reciprocal exchange of information in communication. These lines of research focus on the perception of the repertoire of songbird vocalizations, evaluation of vocalizations in mate choice, and the coordination of duet singing.

Patterns of Rhythmic Stimulation by Mothers with Three-Month-Olds: A Cross-Modal Comparison

1989 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynne Sanford Koester ◽  
Hanus Papousek ◽  
Mechthild Papousek
Keyword(s):  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Social World ◽  
Maternal Behaviour ◽  
Rhythmic Stimulation ◽  
The Social ◽  
Infant Attention

The purpose of this research was to examine the nature of the temporally patterned stimulation provided spontaneously by parents to their infants. This study provides microanalytic descriptions of the temporally patterned non-vocal behaviours used by 17 mothers during brief, videotaped interactions with their 3-month-olds. Results indicated significant effects of type of maternal behaviour and infant attention on 'tempo of rhythmic behaviours; one detailed example illustrates the dynamics of interactions within an individual dyad. It is asserted that the aspects of non-vocal communication investigated here are part of a repertoire of intuitive parental behaviours which support the infant's early integrative competence and adaptation to the social world.

scholarly journals Airborne vocal communication in adult neotropical otters (Lontra longicaudis)

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. e0251974
Author(s):  
Sabrina Bettoni ◽  
Angela Stoeger ◽  
Camilo Rodriguez ◽  
W. Tecumseh Fitch
Keyword(s):  
Communication Systems ◽  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Acoustic Parameters ◽  
Fundamental Frequencies ◽  
Phylogenetic Inertia ◽  
The Social ◽  
Evolution Of Communication ◽  
First Time ◽  
Aquatic Mammals ◽  
Lontra Longicaudis

Most aquatic mammals have complex social and communication systems. Interestingly, little is known about otters’ vocal communication compared to other aquatic mammals. Here, for the first time, we acoustically describe vocalizations of the neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis), a solitary and endangered New World otter species. We recorded vocalizations and behavioral contexts from six captive neotropical otters at Projeto Lontra, Santa Catarina Island, Brazil. Analysis of acoustic parameters were used to classify the vocalizations according to structure and context. We describe six call types with highly tonal as well as chaotic vocalizations with fundamental frequencies ranging from 90 to 2500 Hz. Additionally, we identified sex differences in the usage of calls. Results suggest that the neotropical river otter has a rich vocal repertoire, similar in complexity to other solitary otter species, but less complex than that of the social giant otter. Despite differences in sociality, phylogeny and ecology, L. longicaudis seems to possess vocalizations homologous to those found in other otters (e.g. hah and chirp), suggesting phylogenetic inertia in otter communicative repertoire. Otters thus offer an interesting but neglected group to explore the evolution of communication systems.

scholarly journals Toward a Computational Neuroethology of Vocal Communication: From Bioacoustics to Neurophysiology, Emerging Tools and Future Directions

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Sainburg ◽  
Timothy Q. Gentner
Keyword(s):  
Signal Processing ◽  
Computational Methods ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Communication Behavior ◽  
Model Species ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Communication Signals ◽  
Brain Behavior ◽  
Computational Neuroethology

Recently developed methods in computational neuroethology have enabled increasingly detailed and comprehensive quantification of animal movements and behavioral kinematics. Vocal communication behavior is well poised for application of similar large-scale quantification methods in the service of physiological and ethological studies. This review describes emerging techniques that can be applied to acoustic and vocal communication signals with the goal of enabling study beyond a small number of model species. We review a range of modern computational methods for bioacoustics, signal processing, and brain-behavior mapping. Along with a discussion of recent advances and techniques, we include challenges and broader goals in establishing a framework for the computational neuroethology of vocal communication.

scholarly journals The facial expression of pain in humans considered from a social perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 374 (1785) ◽  
pp. 20190284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Kappesser
Keyword(s):  
Social Context ◽  
Facial Expression ◽  
Evolutionary Psychology ◽  
Facial Pain ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Comprehensive Approach ◽  
Methodological Issues ◽  
Social Modulation ◽  
The Social ◽  
Pain Expression

The social modulation of pain in humans has been neglected so far with respect to verbal as well as non-verbal communication of pain. The facial pain expression is a powerful way to communicate pain, and there are some theoretical accounts available on how social modulation may affect the encoding of the facial expression of pain. Some accounts, particularly in the pain field, are proximate explanations on the mechanisms involved, whereas an evolutionary psychology account takes a more comprehensive approach. A review of nine experimental studies revealed that in the majority of studies (6/9), social context had an effect on the facial pain expression, but results were inconsistent. Several conceptual and methodological issues are discussed which may explain these inconsistencies and could help in design of future experimental studies. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue ‘Evolution of mechanisms and behaviour important for pain’.

scholarly journals The Social Modulation of Pain: Others as Predictive Signals of Salience – a Systematic Review

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Krahé ◽  
Anne Springer ◽  
John A. Weinman ◽  
Aikaterini Fotopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Social Modulation ◽  
The Social

Sex differences in discrimination of vocal communication signals in a songbird

2001 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 805-817 ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Vicario ◽  
Nasir H. Naqvi ◽  
Jonathan N. Raksin
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Communication Signals

scholarly journals HDAC3 Inhibitor RGFP966 Modulates Neuronal Memory for Vocal Communication Signals in a Songbird Model

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mimi L. Phan ◽  
Mark M. Gergues ◽  
Shafali Mahidadia ◽  
Jorge Jimenez-Castillo ◽  
David S. Vicario ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Communication Signals
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