Spatial cognition and the avian hippocampus: Research in domestic chicks

Morandi-Raikova, Anastasia; Mayer, Uwe

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1005726

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 164 publications

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“…The detour task has also been suggested to reflect inhibitory control, as chicks have to inhibit their tendency to directly approach their goal in order to reach it 26 , 49 . That a spatially more complex rearing environment results in improved spatial skills is supported by previous research 13 , 15 , 16 , 32 , with possible links to neural activity in the hippocampus 17 , 18 . However, the shorter latency to solve the detour task could also be linked to a generally improved ability to solve problems as a consequence of living in a more enriched environment (reviewed by Zentall 50 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

“…For example, aviary-reared hens are faster locating a reward in a spatial task and have greater working memory compared to individuals reared in a simple cage environment 16 . These results may be reflecting increased neural activation in the hippocampus, a brain region highly associated with spatial skills and navigation, which is seen already in day-old chicks exposed to spatially complex environments 17,18 . Thus it can be suggested that early exposure to mild stress and spatial complexity may contribute to an improved ability to cope with future stressful situations and greater ability to make the most of opportunities when they arise.…”

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confidence: 98%

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Environmental change or choice during early rearing improves behavioural adaptability in laying hen chicks

Skånberg

Newberry

Estévez

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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Laying hens are typically moved to a novel environment after rearing, requiring adaptability to cope with change. We hypothesized that the standard rearing of laying hen chicks, in non-changing environments with limited choices (a single variant of each resource), impairs their ability to learn new routines, use new equipment and exploit new resources. On the contrary, rearing in a changing environment that also offers a choice of resource variants could better prepare chicks for the unexpected. To explore this hypothesis, environmental change and choice were manipulated in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment. Compared to standard rearing, greater change during early rearing, through repeatedly swapping litter and perch types, reduced initial freezing when exposed to a novel environment suggesting a lower fear response. Greater choice during rearing, through simultaneous access to multiple litter and perch types, resulted in shorter latencies to solve a detour task, more movement in novel environments and less spatial clustering, suggesting improved spatial skills and higher exploration. However, combining both change and choice did not generally result in greater improvement relative to providing one or the other alone. We conclude that environmental change and choice during rearing have different positive but non-synergistic effects on later adaptability potential.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

mentioning

confidence: 98%

Environmental change or choice during early rearing improves behavioural adaptability in laying hen chicks

Skånberg

Newberry

Estévez

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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“…This finding raises the possibility that a neural circuit corresponding to the trisynaptic circuit exists in the HF of birds. The current state of the avian HF, especially in chickens, was recently reviewed (see Morandi-Raikova and Mayer, 2022 ).…”

Section: The Avian Brainmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular biology of serotonergic systems in avian brains

Fujita

Aoki

Mori

et al. 2023

Front. Mol. Neurosci.

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Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is a phylogenetically conserved neurotransmitter and modulator. Neurons utilizing serotonin have been identified in the central nervous systems of all vertebrates. In the central serotonergic system of vertebrate species examined so far, serotonergic neurons have been confirmed to exist in clusters in the brainstem. Although many serotonin-regulated cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functions have been elucidated in mammals, equivalents remain poorly understood in non-mammalian vertebrates. The purpose of this review is to summarize current knowledge of the anatomical organization and molecular features of the avian central serotonergic system. In addition, selected key functions of serotonin are briefly reviewed. Gene association studies between serotonergic system related genes and behaviors in birds have elucidated that the serotonergic system is involved in the regulation of behavior in birds similar to that observed in mammals. The widespread distribution of serotonergic modulation in the central nervous system and the evolutionary conservation of the serotonergic system provide a strong foundation for understanding and comparing the evolutionary continuity of neural circuits controlling corresponding brain functions within vertebrates. The main focus of this review is the chicken brain, with this type of poultry used as a model bird. The chicken is widely used not only as a model for answering questions in developmental biology and as a model for agriculturally useful breeding, but also in research relating to cognitive, behavioral, and emotional processes. In addition to a wealth of prior research on the projection relationships of avian brain regions, detailed subdivision similarities between avian and mammalian brains have recently been identified. Therefore, identifying the neural circuits modulated by the serotonergic system in avian brains may provide an interesting opportunity for detailed comparative studies of the function of serotonergic systems in mammals.

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“…The bird Hp and mammalian Hp have the same origin [19]. After close to 310 million years of independent evolution, although there are some differences in their structure, and the correspondence between their subdivisions is still under debate, researchers agree that the bird Hp shows homology with that of mammals [20][21][22]. Like the mammalian system, the bird Hp has access to highly processed visual information through the parahippocampal area (APH) [8,19], which provides the neural circuit basis for the formation of visual-spatial associative memory.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced Hippocampus–Nidopallium Caudolaterale Interaction in Visual–Spatial Associative Learning of Pigeons

Zhu,

Zhang,

Liu

et al. 2024

Animals

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Learning the spatial location associated with visual cues in the environment is crucial for survival. This ability is supported by a distributed interactive network. However, it is not fully understood how the most important task-related brain areas in birds, the hippocampus (Hp) and the nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL), interact in visual–spatial associative learning. To investigate the mechanisms of such coordination, synchrony and causal analysis were applied to the local field potentials of the Hp and NCL of pigeons while performing a visual–spatial associative learning task. The results showed that, over the course of learning, theta-band (4–12 Hz) oscillations in the Hp and NCL became strongly synchronized before the pigeons entered the critical choice platform for turning, with the information flowing preferentially from the Hp to the NCL. The learning process was primarily associated with the increased Hp–NCL interaction of theta rhythm. Meanwhile, the enhanced theta-band Hp–NCL interaction predicted the correct choice, supporting the pigeons’ use of visual cues to guide navigation. These findings provide insight into the dynamics of Hp–NCL interaction during visual–spatial associative learning, serving to reveal the mechanisms of Hp and NCL coordination during the encoding and retrieval of visual–spatial associative memory.

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Spatial cognition and the avian hippocampus: Research in domestic chicks

Cited by 10 publications

References 164 publications

Environmental change or choice during early rearing improves behavioural adaptability in laying hen chicks

Environmental change or choice during early rearing improves behavioural adaptability in laying hen chicks

Molecular biology of serotonergic systems in avian brains

Enhanced Hippocampus–Nidopallium Caudolaterale Interaction in Visual–Spatial Associative Learning of Pigeons

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