Distinct neural networks for the volitional control of vocal and manual actions in the monkey homologue of Broca's area
The ventrolateral frontal lobe (Broca's area) of the human brain is crucial in speech production. In macaques, neurons in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, the suggested monkey homologue of Broca's area, signal the volitional initiation of vocalizations. We explored whether this brain a...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2021-02-01
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| Series: | eLife |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/62797 |
| _version_ | 1818023781808996352 |
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| author | Natalja Gavrilov Andreas Nieder |
| author_facet | Natalja Gavrilov Andreas Nieder |
| author_sort | Natalja Gavrilov |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The ventrolateral frontal lobe (Broca's area) of the human brain is crucial in speech production. In macaques, neurons in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, the suggested monkey homologue of Broca's area, signal the volitional initiation of vocalizations. We explored whether this brain area became specialized for vocal initiation during primate evolution and trained macaques to alternate between a vocal and manual action in response to arbitrary cues. During task performance, single neurons recorded from the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and the rostroventral premotor cortex of the inferior frontal cortex predominantly signaled the impending vocal or, to a lesser extent, manual action, but not both. Neuronal activity was specific for volitional action plans and differed during spontaneous movement preparations. This implies that the primate inferior frontal cortex controls the initiation of volitional utterances via a dedicated network of vocal selective neurons that might have been exploited during the evolution of Broca’s area. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T03:49:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-07a43f71e6884252a8f4d97a97b654a2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T03:49:47Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj.art-07a43f71e6884252a8f4d97a97b654a22022-12-22T02:03:17ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2021-02-011010.7554/eLife.62797Distinct neural networks for the volitional control of vocal and manual actions in the monkey homologue of Broca's areaNatalja Gavrilov0Andreas Nieder1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6381-0375Animal Physiology, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, GermanyAnimal Physiology, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, GermanyThe ventrolateral frontal lobe (Broca's area) of the human brain is crucial in speech production. In macaques, neurons in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, the suggested monkey homologue of Broca's area, signal the volitional initiation of vocalizations. We explored whether this brain area became specialized for vocal initiation during primate evolution and trained macaques to alternate between a vocal and manual action in response to arbitrary cues. During task performance, single neurons recorded from the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and the rostroventral premotor cortex of the inferior frontal cortex predominantly signaled the impending vocal or, to a lesser extent, manual action, but not both. Neuronal activity was specific for volitional action plans and differed during spontaneous movement preparations. This implies that the primate inferior frontal cortex controls the initiation of volitional utterances via a dedicated network of vocal selective neurons that might have been exploited during the evolution of Broca’s area.https://elifesciences.org/articles/62797speechlanguageprimatesingle neuronsprefrontal cortexvocalization |
| spellingShingle | Natalja Gavrilov Andreas Nieder Distinct neural networks for the volitional control of vocal and manual actions in the monkey homologue of Broca's area eLife speech language primate single neurons prefrontal cortex vocalization |
| title | Distinct neural networks for the volitional control of vocal and manual actions in the monkey homologue of Broca's area |
| title_full | Distinct neural networks for the volitional control of vocal and manual actions in the monkey homologue of Broca's area |
| title_fullStr | Distinct neural networks for the volitional control of vocal and manual actions in the monkey homologue of Broca's area |
| title_full_unstemmed | Distinct neural networks for the volitional control of vocal and manual actions in the monkey homologue of Broca's area |
| title_short | Distinct neural networks for the volitional control of vocal and manual actions in the monkey homologue of Broca's area |
| title_sort | distinct neural networks for the volitional control of vocal and manual actions in the monkey homologue of broca s area |
| topic | speech language primate single neurons prefrontal cortex vocalization |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/62797 |
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