Auditory representation of the vocal repertoire in a songbird with multiple song types

Mooney, Richard; Hoese, William J.; Nowicki, Stephen

doi:10.1073/pnas.221453298

Cited by 55 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Because duration-tuned neurons are also tuned to frequency and, in some cases, signal amplitude, these variables add additional dimensions to their response specificity. Convergence of outputs with multiple dimensions of specificity could endow neurons at higher levels with selectively to complex sequences of sounds such as species-specific vocalizations (Leppelsack, 1978;Suga et al, 1978;Margoliash, 1983;Rauschecker et al, 1995;Wang et al, 1995;Mooney et al, 2001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temporal Masking Reveals Properties of Sound-Evoked Inhibition in Duration-Tuned Neurons of the Inferior Colliculus

et al. 2003

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The inferior colliculus (IC) is the first place in the central auditory pathway where duration-selective neurons are found. Previous neuropharmacological and electrophysiological studies have shown that they are created there and have led to a conceptual model in which excitatory and inhibitory inputs are offset in time so that the cell fires only when sound duration is such that onset-and offsetevoked excitation coincide; the response is suppressed by inhibition at other durations. We tested predictions from the model using paired tone stimulation and extracellular recording in the IC of the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus. Responses to a best duration (BD) tone were used as a probe to examine the strength and time course of inhibition activated by a nonexcitatory (NE) tone of the same frequency but differing in duration. As the relative time between the BD and NE tones was varied, the activity evoked by the BD tone was affected in ways comparable with backward, simultaneous, and forward masking. Responses to the BD tone were completely suppressed at short interstimulus intervals when the BD tone preceded the NE tone. Suppression was also seen when the stimuli temporally overlapped and summed and at intervals when the BD tone followed the NE tone. The results show that duration-selective neurons receive an onsetevoked, inhibitory input that precedes their excitatory input. The period of leading inhibition was correlated with BD and first spike latency. The results suggest how inhibition in the CNS could explain temporal masking phenomena, including backward masking.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temporal Masking Reveals Properties of Sound-Evoked Inhibition in Duration-Tuned Neurons of the Inferior Colliculus

et al. 2003

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“…As in previous in vivo intracellular and extracellular studies (Mooney, 2000;Mooney et al, 2001;Hahnloser et al, 2002;Rauske et al, 2003), we distinguished putative HVC relay cells and putative HVC interneurons based on the spike waveform of the recorded cells. Classically, the spike amplitude is defined as the voltage difference between the peak of the negativity and the peak of the positivity that follows it; the spike width is the duration between the beginning of the negativity and the peak of the following positive wave (Wilson et al, 1994;Gur et al, 1999;Henze et al, 2000;Del Negro and Edeline, 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Analyzing the spike waveform from a large number of HVC neurons (n ϭ 374), the distribution of spike duration significantly differed from a normal one: two subpopulations of cells, one exhibiting thin spikes (Ͻ0.4 ms) and the other exhibiting broad spike (Ն0.45 ms), were found (Del Negro and Edeline, 2002). Therefore, cells were assigned to these two categories, thin or broad, using a cutoff criterion of 0.4 ms. Because recent studies reported that relay cells and interneurons exhibit different auditory responses (phasic vs tonic) to song stimuli (Mooney, 2000;Mooney et al, 2001), particular attention was devoted to obtain a similar proportion of thin spike cells in long-day males as well as in short-day males in both experiments.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus far, song-selective neurons have been studied either in nonseasonal breeding birds such as the zebra finch (Margoliash and Fortune, 1992) or in fully reproductive seasonal birds (Margoliash, 1983(Margoliash, , 1986Mooney et al, 2001), leaving unclear whether HVC neurons remain selective outside the breeding season. At least two distinct outcomes can be expected when comparing this selectivity across seasons.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Selectivity of Canary HVC Neurons for the Bird's Own Song: Modulation by Photoperiodic Conditions

Negro¹,

Lehongre²,

Edeline³

2005

J. Neurosci.

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To what extent seasonal factors modify the neuronal functional properties within the nuclei of the avian song system remains an open question. In adult songbirds, neurons of the song premotor nucleus HVC (used as a proper name) exhibit selective responses for the bird's own song (BOS). Here we examine whether, outside the breeding season, when songs are less stereotyped, HVC neurons of male canaries still respond selectively to the BOS produced during this period. In an initial experiment, single-unit recordings (n ϭ 114) revealed that the neuronal selectivity for the current BOS was attenuated in males exposed to a short-day photoperiod (typical of the nonbreeding season) compared with that found in males exposed to a long-day photoperiod. In long-day conditions, 35% of the cells responded to the BOS, whereas only 12% did in short-day conditions; there were four times more selective cells (d Ͼ 1) in long-day than in short-day conditions.To determine whether these effects were the consequence of differences in acoustic features between breeding and nonbreeding songs, neurons (n ϭ 72) recorded in short-day conditions were tested with both a short-day BOS and a long-day BOS. A low percentage of neurons exhibited responses to short-day or to long-day BOS (11% for each song). Responses of putative interneurons (spike duration Ͻ0.4 ms) and of putative relay cells were similarly attenuated by the short-day conditions. These results strongly suggest that, in canary, rather than being a fixed property, the selectivity for the BOS moves along a continuum and peaks when the day length mimics the breeding conditions.

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“…Interestingly, while most HVC X neurons in anaesthetized songbirds display strong and selective auditory responses, less than half of HVC X cells that display singing-related activity also respond to song playback during periods of quiet wakefulness [35,38,73,74]. Furthermore, studies in adult zebra finches reveal that auditory activity can only be detected in HVC X and most other HVC cells when the animal is sedated, anaesthetized or asleep [57,62,63,77].…”

Section: Role In Perception and The Effects Of Auditory Experiencementioning

confidence: 99%

Auditory–vocal mirroring in songbirds

Mooney

2014

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Mirror neurons are theorized to serve as a neural substrate for spoken language in humans, but the existence and functions of auditory-vocal mirror neurons in the human brain remain largely matters of speculation. Songbirds resemble humans in their capacity for vocal learning and depend on their learned songs to facilitate courtship and individual recognition. Recent neurophysiological studies have detected putative auditory-vocal mirror neurons in a sensorimotor region of the songbird's brain that plays an important role in expressive and receptive aspects of vocal communication. This review discusses the auditory and motor-related properties of these cells, considers their potential role on song learning and communication in relation to classical studies of birdsong, and points to the circuit and developmental mechanisms that may give rise to auditory-vocal mirroring in the songbird's brain.

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Auditory representation of the vocal repertoire in a songbird with multiple song types

Cited by 55 publications

References 32 publications

Temporal Masking Reveals Properties of Sound-Evoked Inhibition in Duration-Tuned Neurons of the Inferior Colliculus

Temporal Masking Reveals Properties of Sound-Evoked Inhibition in Duration-Tuned Neurons of the Inferior Colliculus

Selectivity of Canary HVC Neurons for the Bird's Own Song: Modulation by Photoperiodic Conditions

Auditory–vocal mirroring in songbirds

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