鸣禽栗鹀前脑古纹状体粗核及其周区的神经联系

鸣禽的发声及其学习过程涉及前脑不同部位的几个核团,其中高级发声中枢(high vocal center,HVC)是发声控制的主导核团(Nottebohm等,1976);古纹状体粗核(robust nucleus of archistriatalis,RA)是前脑多种信息的会聚点(Wild,1994),并在呼吸与发声协调等方面有相当重要的作用(Vicario,1991).国外曾对金丝雀、斑胸草雀RA的纤维联系有过系统的研究(Nottebohm等,1982;Wild,1993),国内张信文等(1994)也曾对黄雀RA的纤维联系进行过报道.     

燕雀丘间复合体背内侧核对叫声的调控模式

鸣禽鸟的基本发声中枢——丘间复合体背内侧核(nucleus dorsalis medialis of the intercollicular complex,DM)对叫声的调控模式是诱发单次叫声。应用电生理与声学分析相结合的方法研究鸣禽鸟燕雀(Fringilla montifringilla)DM核团对声音调控的模式。经语图和频谱图分析,结果显示：燕雀左侧DM诱发单次叫声的声长和主能量区的带宽分别为右侧DM诱发叫声的2倍和1．7～3．1倍,提示燕雀DM对叫声声长和声强的调控能力,均呈明显的左侧优势。这与高级发声中枢(high vocal center,HVC)和古纹状体粗核(nucleus robustus archistriatalis,RA)等发声控制核团在控声模式中具有左侧优势的特征相似,从而为鸣禽发声控制通路高、低级中枢具有内源投射关系提供了声学上的证据。     

雄激素对成年雄性斑胸草雀前脑高级发声中枢-弓状皮质栎核通路长时程压抑的影响

雄激素可通过调控鸣唱控制系统改变鸣禽的鸣唱行为。本研究以成年雄性斑胸草雀为实验动物,采用在体电生理实验方法,观察雄激素对高级发声中枢(high vocal center,HVC)-弓状皮质栎核(robust nucleus of the arcopallium,RA)通路突触可塑性的影响,以期阐明雄激素对成年鸣禽鸣唱稳定性维持的神经生理机制。将实验动物分为对照组、去势组与去势+埋植睾酮组,分别记录高频刺激(400 Hz,2 s)HVC后,HVC-RA通路长时程压抑(long-term depression,LTD)的变化以及双脉冲易化效应。结果显示,高频刺激HVC,在对照组可以记录到LTD现象;去势组中仅有短时程压抑(short-term depression,STD)现象;去势+埋植睾酮组中LTD现象则恢复。双脉冲易化现象在去势组不明显,而对照组和去势+埋植睾酮组易化率明显高于去势组。以上结果提示,雄激素可能通过影响成年雄性斑胸草雀HVC-RA通路的LTD水平来维持鸣曲稳定性,并对该通路的短时程突触可塑性有一定的调节作用。     

锡嘴雀延脑发声中枢注入HRP对上位脑细胞标记的研究

在雌、雄锡嘴雀(Coccothraustes coccthraustes)的延脑发声中枢中间核(Interm edius nucleas,IM),注入辣根过氧化物酶(Horseradish peroxidase,HRP),标记上位脑控制发声核团有原纹状体粗核(Nucleus robustus atchistriatalis,RA)和背中核(Nucleus dersalis medialis,DM)。其中RA双侧被标记,并有明显的左侧优势,特别是在雄性鸟中这种优势更为突出。     

新纹状体巨细胞核外侧部与鸣禽鸣唱学习可塑性

鸣禽鸣唱控制系统的前端脑通路(anterior forebrain pathway,AFP)在呜唱学习中发挥着重要作用.新纹状体巨细胞核外侧部(lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior neostriatum,LMAN)是AFP的最后一级输出核团,AFP中的信号通过LMAN传导到弓状皮质栎核(robust nucleus of the arcopallium,RA),与高级发声中枢(high vocal centre,HVC)共同调节RA的活动,从而影响鸣禽的发声行为.LMAN可能通过其与RA的单突触连接来影响鸣唱可塑性.文章对近年来LMAN在呜唱学习可塑性方面的研究进行综述.     

黄雀发声核团与部分听觉中枢内P物质的分布和性双态比较

用免疫组织化学方法研究P物质在雌雄黄雀发声控制核团和听觉中枢内的分布,结合计算机图像分析仪检测SP免疫阳性细胞和末梢的灰度值,并作雌雄比较。结果如下:1.在发声学习中枢嗅叶X区有大量的SP阳性神经末梢和一些神经细胞。2.在发声控制核团前脑高级发声中枢(HVc)、古纹状体栎核、发声学习中枢新纹状体巨细胞核和丘脑背内侧核外侧部内有许多的SP免疫阳性细胞。3.在发声控制中枢中脑背内侧核和延髓舌下神经核气管呜管部、听觉中枢丘脑卵圆核的壳区、中脑背外侧核壳区及中脑丘间核等有密集的SP免疫阳性神经末梢和纤维分布;雄性发声中枢内SP的分布比雌性丰富,两者有显著的差异。结果表明:SP的分布在雌雄发声中枢之间存在显著的性双态;SP广泛分布于黄雀发声控制核团和部分听觉中枢内,提示SP可能在发声控制及听觉中枢内具有重要的生理功能。     

成年斑胸草雀在体HVC-RA突触传递的电生理特性

鸣禽高级发声中枢（high vocal center,HVC）至弓状皮质栎核（robust nucleus ofthe arcopallium,RA）的突触传递是鸣唱运动通路中的关键部分.本文运用在体场电位电生理记录的方法,研究了成年雄性斑胸草雀（Taeniopygia guttata）HVC-RA突触的电生理特性.实验结果显示,刺激HVC,在RA内所记录到的诱发场电位幅度较小.配对脉冲检测发现,HVC-RA突触传递具有明显的配对脉冲易化特性.当以强直刺激作用于HVC,RA内诱发场电位随即显著减小,并在15 min内逐渐恢复,表明HVC-RA突触传递在强直刺激过后出现了短时抑制.该通路的突触传递特性可能与其在发声控制中的作用有关.以上的实验结果为进一步研究发声运动过程中的突触可塑性提供了资料.     

鸣禽锡嘴雀(Coccothraustes coccothraustes)发声中枢的定位研究

用常规组织学,HRP 逆行示踪,电生理等方法确定了鸣禽锡嘴雀控制发声的神经核团及这些核团的定位坐标值。锡嘴雀控制发声的神经通路由四级神经核团组成。位于端脑上纹状体腹侧的尾部区域(HVc)是控制鸣禽发声的高位中枢,它发出的神经纤维投射到端脑原纹状体腹内侧的粗核(RA),由 RA 又发出两束纤维,分別投射到中脑丘间核(ICo)和延脑的中间核(IM)。左右侧发声控制神经通路并非严格单侧性,每侧气管鸣管肌群分別受双侧发声中枢的交叉控制。中脑 ICo 在控制发声行为中具有相对独立性。各级发声核团的定位坐标值为,HVc∶p1.3,L/R2.4,H0.8;RA∶1.4,L/R3.2,H6.0;ICo∶p0.3,L/R2.6,H8.5:IM∶P3.1,L/R1.0,H∶7.8。     

鸣禽栗鵐前脑古纹状体粗核及其周区的神经联系

鸣禽的发声及其学习过程涉及前脑不同部位的几个核团，其中高级发声中枢（ｈｉｇｈｖｏｃａｌｃｅｎｔｅｒ，ＨＶＣ）是发声控制的主导核团（Ｎｏｔｔｅｂｏｈｍ等，１９７６）；古纹状体粗核（ｒｏｂｕｓｔｎｕｃｌｅｕｓｏｆａｒｃｈｉｓｔｒｉａｔａｌｉｓ，ＲＡ）是前脑多种信息的会聚点（Ｗｉｌｄ，１９９４），并在呼吸与发声协调等方面有相当重要的作用（Ｖｉｃａｒｉｏ，１９９１）。国外曾对金丝雀、斑胸草雀ＲＡ的纤维联系有过系统的研究（Ｎｏｔｔｅｂｏｈｍ等，１９８２；Ｗｉｌｄ，１９９３），国内张信文等（１９９４）也曾对…     

黄雀发声核团与部分听觉中枢内P物质的分布和性双态比较

用免疫组织化学方法研究P物质在雌雄黄雀发声控制核团和听觉中枢内的分布,结合计算机图像分析仪检测SP免疫阳性细胞和末梢的灰度值,并作雌雄比较。结果如下：1．在发声学习中枢嗅叶X区有大量的SP阳性神经末梢和一些神经细胞。2．在发声控制核团前脑高级发声中枢(HVc)、古纹状体栎核、发声学习中枢新纹状体巨细胞核和丘脑背内侧核外侧部内有许多的SP免疫阳性细胞。3．在发声控制中枢中脑背内侧核和延髓舌下神经核气管鸣管部、听觉中枢丘脑卵圆核的壳区、中脑背外侧核壳区及中脑丘间核等有密集的SP免疫阳性神经末梢和纤维分布;雄性发声中枢内SP的分布比雌性丰富,两者有显著的差异。结果表明：SP的分布在雌雄发声中枢之间存在显著的性双态;SP广泛分布于黄雀发声控制核团和部分听觉中枢内,提示SP可能在发声控制及听觉中枢内具有重要的生理功能。     

Bilateral feedback projections to the forebrain in the premotor network for singing in zebra finches

A discrete neural circuit mediates the production of learned vocalizations in oscine songbirds. Although this circuit includes some bilateral pathways at midbrain and medullary levels, the forebrain components of the song control network are not directly connected across the midline. There have been no previous reports of bilateral projections from medullary and midbrain vocal control nuclei back to the forebrain song system, but the existence of such bilateral corollary discharge pathways was strongly suggested by the recent observation that unilateral stimulation of a forebrain song nucleus during singing leads to a rapid readjustment of premotor activity in the contralateral forebrain. In the present study, we used neuroanatomical tracers to demonstrate bilateral projections from (a) the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVL), which may control respiratory aspects of vocalization, to nucleus uvaeformis (Uva), and (b) the dorsomedial intercollicular nucleus (DM), a midbrain vocal control region, to Uva. Both RVL and DM receive descending projections from the forebrain song nucleus robustus archistriatalis, and Uva projects directly to the forebrain song nuclei interfacialis and high vocal center. We suggest that the bilateral feedback projections from DM and RVL to Uva function to coordinate the two hemispheres during singing in adult songbirds and to convey internal feedback of premotor signals to the forebrain in young birds that are learning to sing. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 34: 27–40, 1998     

Functional organization of forebrain pathways for song production and perception

This article reviews the organization of the forebrain nuclei of the avian song system. Particular emphasis is placed on recent physiologic recordings from awake behaving adult birds while they sing, call, and listen to broadcasts of acoustic stimuli. The neurons in the descending motor pathway (HVc and RA) are organized in a hierarchical arrangement of temporal units of song production, with HVc neurons representing syllables and RA neurons representing notes. The nuclei Uva and NIf, which are afferent to HVc, may help organize syllables into larger units of vocalization. HVc and RA are also active during production of all calls. The patterns of activity associated with calls differ between learned calls and those that are innately specified, and give insight into the interactions between the forebrain and midbrain during calling, as well as into the evolutionary origins of the song system. Neurons in Area X, the first part of the anterior forebrain pathway leading from HVc to RA, are also active during singing. Many HVc neurons are also auditory, exhibiting selectivity for learned acoustic parameters of the individual bird's own song (BOS). Similar auditory responses are also observed in RA and Area X in anesthetized birds. In contrast to HVc, however, auditory responses in RA are very weak or absent in awake birds under our experimental paradigm, but are uncovered when birds are anesthetized. Thus, the roles of both pathways beyond HVc in adult birds is under review. In particular, theories hypothesizing a role for the descending motor pathway (RA and below) in adult song perception do not appear to obtain. The data also suggest that the anterior forebrain pathway has a greater motor role than previously considered. We suggest that a major role of the anterior forebrain pathway is to resolve the timing mismatch between motor program readout and sensory feedback, thereby facilitating motor programming during birdsong learning. Pathways afferent to HVc may participate more in sensory acquisition and sensorimotor learning during song development than is commonly assumed. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 33: 671–693, 1997     

Temporal patterning of song production: Participation of nucleus uvaeformis of the thalamus

Birdsong is a learned vocal behavior used in intraspecific communication. The motor pathway serving learned vocalizations includes the forebrain nuclei NIf, HVC, and RA; RA projects to midbrain and brain stem areas that control the temporal and acoustic features of song. Nucleus Uvaeformis of the thalamus (Uva) sends input to two of these forebrain nuclei (NIf and HVC) but has not been thought to be important for song production. We used three experimental approaches to reexamine Uva's function in adult male zebra finches. (1) Electrical stimulation applied to Uva activated HVC and the vocal motor pathway, including tracheosyringeal motor neurons that innervate the bird's vocal organ. (2) Bilateral lesions of Uva including the dorso-medial portion of the nucleus affected the normal temporal organization of song. (3) Chronic multiunit recordings from Uva during normal song and calls show bursts of premotor activity that lead the onset of some song components, and also larger bursts that mark the end of complete song motifs. These results implicate Uva in the production of learned vocalizations, and further suggest that Uva contributes more to the temporal structure than to the acoustic characteristics of song. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Involvement of the avian song system in reproductive behaviour

The song system of songbirds consists of an interconnected set of forebrain nuclei that has traditionally been regarded as dedicated to the learning and production of song. Here, however, we suggest that the song system could also influence muscles used in reproductive behaviour, such as the cloacal sphincter muscle. We show that the same medullary nucleus, retroambigualis (RAm), that projects upon spinal motoneurons innervating expiratory muscles (which provide the pressure head for vocalization) and upon vocal motoneurons for respiratory–vocal coordination also projects upon cloacal motoneurons. Furthermore, RAm neurons projecting to sacral spinal levels were shown to receive direct projections from nucleus robustus arcopallialis (RA) of the forebrain song system. Thus, by indicating a possible disynaptic relationship between RA and motoneurons innervating the reproductive organ, in both males and females, these results potentially extend the role of the song system to include consummatory as well as appetitive aspects of reproductive behaviour.     

Breeding-context-dependent relationships between song and cFOS labeling within social behavior brain regions in male European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)

Male European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) sing throughout the year, but the social factors that motivate singing behavior differ depending upon the context in which song is produced. In a non-breeding context (when testosterone concentrations are low), starlings form large, mixed-sex flocks and song is involved in flock cohesion and perhaps maintenance of social hierarchies. In contrast, in a breeding context (when testosterone concentrations are high), male song plays a direct role in mate attraction. How the nervous system ensures that song production occurs in an appropriate context in response to appropriate stimuli is not well understood. The song control system regulates song production, learning, and, to some extent, perception; however, these nuclei do not appear to regulate the social context in which song is produced. A network of steroid hormone sensitive nuclei of the basal forebrain and midbrain regulates social behavior. The present study used the immediate early gene cFOS to explore possible involvement of these regions in context-dependent song production. Numbers of cFOS-labeled cells in the medial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, anterior hypothalamus, and ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus related positively only to song produced in a breeding context. In contrast, numbers of cFOS-labeled cells in three zones of the lateral septum related positively only to song produced in a non-breeding context. Taken together, these data suggest differential regulation of male starling song by social behavior nuclei depending upon the breeding context in which it is produced.     

白腰文鸟发声行为的性别差异及其机制

通过声谱分析,研究了５－１２０日龄雌、雄白腰文鸟（Lonchura striata swinhoei)的声谱变化,及该时段３个主要发声控制核团）ＨＶＣ、ＲＡ、Ａrea X)体积、睾丸（睾酮）的相应改变。结果如下：①４５日龄以前,雌雄鸟只能发出简单鸣叫（call),鸣声基本不会鸣唱。②雄性ＨＶＣ,ＲＡ,ＡreaX体积均比雌性大２－６部。３个核团的大小发育不完全一致。各核团的快速生长期与鸣唱学习的主要时段（６０－１２０日龄）不同步,说明核团的个体发育可能不完全受发声行为的影响。③睾丸的充分发育（１２０日龄后）及血液中具有较高的睾酮水平是雄鸟发出成熟鸣唱语句的重要条件。     

Differential Effect of NMDA on Extracellular Serotonin in Rat Midbrain Raphe and Forebrain Sites

Abstract: The contribution of NMDA receptors to regulation of serotonin (5-HT) release was assessed by in vivo microdialysis in freely behaving rats. During infusion of NMDA (30, 100, and 300 µ M ) into the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), 5-HT was increased by ∼25, 100, and 280%, respectively. Competitive and noncompetitive NMDA-receptor antagonists blocked this effect on DRN 5-HT. Infusion of NMDA (300 µ M ) into the DRN also produced an 80% increase in extracellular 5-HT in the nucleus accumbens. During infusion of NMDA (100 and 300 µ M ) into the median raphe nucleus (MRN), 5-HT was increased by ∼15 and 80%, respectively. NMDA-receptor antagonists blocked this effect on MRN 5-HT. Infusion of NMDA into the MRN also produced a significant increase in hippocampal 5-HT. In contrast, infusion of NMDA into the nucleus accumbens, frontal cortex, or hippocampus produced small decreases in 5-HT in these forebrain sites. Taken together, these results suggest that NMDA receptors in the midbrain raphe, but not the forebrain, can have an excitatory influence on 5-HT neurons and, thus, produce increased 5-HT release in the forebrain. Furthermore, in comparison with the MRN, DRN 5-HT neurons were more sensitive to the excitatory effect of NMDA.     

Early estrogen treatment of female zebra finches masculinizes the brain pathway for learned vocalizations

Telencephalic nucleus HVC and its two efferent targets, RA and X, play essential roles in the production of complex, learned vocalizations in the male zebra finch. Normal females do not produce these learned vocalizations; HVC, RA, and X are small in volume, and HVC and RA are not synaptically connected. We have shown that estrogen treatment during development causes females to learn and produce male-like vocalization. This article describes the neural masculinization of these E2 females, replicating and extending the work of others. Female zebra finches were treated with 17β-estradiol (E2) at hatching, at 14–22 days of age, or as adults. In adulthood, the volumes of nucleus RA and area X were measured and the efferent projections of nucleus HVC examined using the anterograde tracer PHA-L. Early, sustained E2 treatment caused the greatest increase in the volume of RA and X, the innervation of RA and X by HVC axons, and the masculinization of auditory responses of cells in RA. Treatments that lasted for a shorter period or started later in development resulted in different patterns of partial brain masculinization. E2 treatment in adulthood had no effect on the volume of RA or X or their innervation by HVC. Bilateral lesions of the tracheosyringeal nerves or of HVC had the same effects on the male-typical vocalizations produced by E2 females as they do on the vocalizations produced by males. These results demonstrate that the neural masculinization of telencephalic nuclei induced by E2 treatment sets up a functional circuit in females similar to one in males that enables the learning and production of complex vocalizations.     

HVC microlesions do not destabilize the vocal patterns of adult male zebra finches with prior ablation of LMAN

The songs of adult male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) arise by an integration of activity from two neural pathways that emanate from the telencephalic nucleus HVC (proper name). One pathway descends directly from HVC to the vocal premotor nucleus RA (the robust nucleus of the arcopallium) whereas a second pathway descends from HVC into a basal ganglia circuit (the anterior forebrain pathway, AFP) that also terminates in RA. Although HVC neurons that project directly to RA outnumber those that contribute to the AFP, both populations are distributed throughout HVC. Thus, partial ablation (microlesion) of HVC should damage both pathways in a proportional manner. We report here that bilateral HVC microlesions in adult male zebra finches produce an immediate loss of song stereotypy from which birds recover, in some cases within 3 days. The contribution of the AFP to the onset of song destabilization was tested by ablating the output nucleus of this circuit (LMAN, the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium) prior to bilateral HVC microlesions. Song stereotypy was largely unaffected. Together, our findings suggest that adult vocal production involves nonproportional integration of two streams of neural activity with opposing effects on song--HVC's direct projection to RA underlies production of stereotyped song whereas the AFP seems to facilitate vocal variation. However, the rapid recovery of song in birds with HVC microlesions alone suggests the presence of dynamic corrective mechanisms that favor vocal stereotypy.