Research Press Release
Nature
March 23, 2023
Neuroscience: How bird brain cells work in harmony to start singing
Suggests that the ability of zebra finch to move from one syllable to the next during courtship songs depends on the influence of specific neurons in the thalamic region of the brain and another brain region associated with bird song. The paper wasNaturewill be published in The findings of this study highlight the role of the thalamus in controlling complex behavior.
The thalamus of the animal brain has been shown to play a central role in executing trained simple movements. This is because input from the thalamus is required to stitch together short movements into long kinetic chains. A male zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) practices his song by imitating his father’s song. A father’s song is a chain of 2-7 syllables, each distinct and behaviorally meaningful. However, the mechanisms underlying the motor commands that generate these linkages remain unclear.
Michael Long and colleagues study how neurons in different brain regions coordinate to learn courtship songs and sing. Long et al. monitored brain activity by examining brain images of zebra finches performing courtship songs after finding a preferred female. Long et al. also used stimulating electrodes implanted in the zebra finch’s brain to deliver electrical currents at specific moments during courtship songs. Experiments by stimulating the nucleus uvaeformis (Uva), a small structure in the thalamus, reveal that the Uva connects to groups of neurons in another brain region (HVC). These neurons become very active just before a syllable begins.
These findings have important implications for understanding how complex behaviors are generated from combinations of simpler movements. A similar mechanism has also been proposed to coordinate human speech and respiration.
doi:10.1038/s41586-023-05818-x
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