Rhythmic syllable-related activity in a songbird motor thalamic nucleus necessary for learned vocalizations
Birdsong is a complex behavior that exhibits hierarchical organization. While the representation of singing behavior and its hierarchical organization has been studied in some detail in avian cortical premotor circuits, our understanding of the role of the thalamus in adult birdsong is incomplete. U...
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| Format: | Article |
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Public Library of Science
2017
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/112249 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6581-2390 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7539-1745 |
| _version_ | 1826209731098705920 |
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| author | Danish, Husain Haiderali Aronov, Dmitriy Fee, Michale Sean |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences Danish, Husain Haiderali Aronov, Dmitriy Fee, Michale Sean |
| author_sort | Danish, Husain Haiderali |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Birdsong is a complex behavior that exhibits hierarchical organization. While the representation of singing behavior and its hierarchical organization has been studied in some detail in avian cortical premotor circuits, our understanding of the role of the thalamus in adult birdsong is incomplete. Using a combination of behavioral and electrophysiological studies, we seek to expand on earlier work showing that the thalamic nucleus Uvaeformis (Uva) is necessary for the production of stereotyped, adult song in zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). We confirm that complete bilateral lesions of Uva abolish singing in the 'directed' social context, but find that in the 'undirected' social context, such lesions result in highly variable vocalizations similar to early babbling song in juvenile birds. Recordings of neural activity in Uva reveal strong syllable-related modulation, maximally active prior to syllable onsets and minimally active prior to syllable offsets. Furthermore, both song and Uva activity exhibit a pronounced coherent modulation at 10Hz-a pattern observed in downstream premotor areas in adult and, even more prominently, in juvenile birds. These findings are broadly consistent with the idea that Uva is critical in the sequential activation of behavioral modules in HVC. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T14:28:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/112249 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T14:28:08Z |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1122492022-10-01T21:29:15Z Rhythmic syllable-related activity in a songbird motor thalamic nucleus necessary for learned vocalizations Danish, Husain Haiderali Aronov, Dmitriy Fee, Michale Sean Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT Danish, Husain Haiderali Aronov, Dmitriy Fee, Michale Sean Birdsong is a complex behavior that exhibits hierarchical organization. While the representation of singing behavior and its hierarchical organization has been studied in some detail in avian cortical premotor circuits, our understanding of the role of the thalamus in adult birdsong is incomplete. Using a combination of behavioral and electrophysiological studies, we seek to expand on earlier work showing that the thalamic nucleus Uvaeformis (Uva) is necessary for the production of stereotyped, adult song in zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). We confirm that complete bilateral lesions of Uva abolish singing in the 'directed' social context, but find that in the 'undirected' social context, such lesions result in highly variable vocalizations similar to early babbling song in juvenile birds. Recordings of neural activity in Uva reveal strong syllable-related modulation, maximally active prior to syllable onsets and minimally active prior to syllable offsets. Furthermore, both song and Uva activity exhibit a pronounced coherent modulation at 10Hz-a pattern observed in downstream premotor areas in adult and, even more prominently, in juvenile birds. These findings are broadly consistent with the idea that Uva is critical in the sequential activation of behavioral modules in HVC. National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant R01DC009183) 2017-11-20T18:38:59Z 2017-11-20T18:38:59Z 2017-06 2016-05 2017-11-03T15:57:02Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 1932-6203 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/112249 Danish, Husain H. et al. “Rhythmic Syllable-Related Activity in a Songbird Motor Thalamic Nucleus Necessary for Learned Vocalizations.” Edited by Johan J. Bolhuis. PLOS ONE 12, 6 (June 2017): e0169568 © 2017 Danish et al https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6581-2390 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7539-1745 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0169568 PLOS ONE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ application/pdf Public Library of Science PLoS |
| spellingShingle | Danish, Husain Haiderali Aronov, Dmitriy Fee, Michale Sean Rhythmic syllable-related activity in a songbird motor thalamic nucleus necessary for learned vocalizations |
| title | Rhythmic syllable-related activity in a songbird motor thalamic nucleus necessary for learned vocalizations |
| title_full | Rhythmic syllable-related activity in a songbird motor thalamic nucleus necessary for learned vocalizations |
| title_fullStr | Rhythmic syllable-related activity in a songbird motor thalamic nucleus necessary for learned vocalizations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rhythmic syllable-related activity in a songbird motor thalamic nucleus necessary for learned vocalizations |
| title_short | Rhythmic syllable-related activity in a songbird motor thalamic nucleus necessary for learned vocalizations |
| title_sort | rhythmic syllable related activity in a songbird motor thalamic nucleus necessary for learned vocalizations |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/112249 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6581-2390 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7539-1745 |
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