scholarly journals A novel coding mechanism for social vocalizations in the lateral amygdala

2012 ◽  
Vol 107 (4) ◽  
pp. 1047-1057 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie A. Gadziola ◽  
Jasmine M. S. Grimsley ◽  
Sharad J. Shanbhag ◽  
Jeffrey J. Wenstrup
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Response Duration ◽  
Spike Rate ◽  
Acoustic Stimuli ◽  
Big Brown Bats ◽  
The Social ◽  
General Functioning ◽  
Persistent Firing ◽  
Duration Information ◽  
Lateral Nucleus

The amygdala plays a central role in evaluating the significance of acoustic signals and coordinating the appropriate behavioral responses. To understand how amygdalar responses modulate auditory processing and drive emotional expression, we assessed how neurons respond to and encode information that is carried within complex acoustic stimuli. We characterized responses of single neurons in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala to social vocalizations and synthetic acoustic stimuli in awake big brown bats. Neurons typically responded to most of the social vocalizations presented (mean = nine of 11 vocalizations) but differentially modulated both firing rate and response duration. Surprisingly, response duration provided substantially more information about vocalizations than did spike rate. In most neurons, variation in response duration depended, in part, on persistent excitatory discharge that extended beyond stimulus duration. Information in persistent firing duration was significantly greater than in spike rate, and the majority of neurons displayed more information in persistent firing, which was more likely to be observed in response to aggressive vocalizations (64%) than appeasement vocalizations (25%), suggesting that persistent firing may relate to the behavioral context of vocalizations. These findings suggest that the amygdala uses a novel coding strategy for discriminating among vocalizations and underscore the importance of persistent firing in the general functioning of the amygdala.

Neuromodulatory Feedback to the Inferior Colliculus

2018 ◽  
pp. 576-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Hurley
Keyword(s):  
Inferior Colliculus ◽  
Auditory System ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Internal State ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Auditory Information ◽  
Situational Variables ◽  
Acoustic Stimuli ◽  
Functionally Diverse ◽  
Behavioral Information

The inferior colliculus (IC) receives prominent projections from centralized neuromodulatory systems. These systems include extra-auditory clusters of cholinergic, dopaminergic, noradrenergic, and serotonergic neurons. Although these modulatory sites are not explicitly part of the auditory system, they receive projections from primary auditory regions and are responsive to acoustic stimuli. This bidirectional influence suggests the existence of auditory-modulatory feedback loops. A characteristic of neuromodulatory centers is that they integrate inputs from anatomically widespread and functionally diverse sets of brain regions. This connectivity gives neuromodulatory systems the potential to import information into the auditory system on situational variables that accompany acoustic stimuli, such as context, internal state, or experience. Once released, neuromodulators functionally reconfigure auditory circuitry through a variety of receptors expressed by auditory neurons. In addition to shaping ascending auditory information, neuromodulation within the IC influences behaviors that arise subcortically, such as prepulse inhibition of the startle response. Neuromodulatory systems therefore provide a route for integrative behavioral information to access auditory processing from its earliest levels.

Cortical auditory evoked potentials with different acoustic stimuli: Evidence of differences and similarities in coding in auditory processing disorders

2021 ◽  
pp. 110944
Author(s):  
Pamela Papile Lunardelo ◽  
Marisa Tomoe Hebihara Fukuda ◽  
Patricia Aparecida Zuanetti ◽  
Ângela Cristina Pontes-Fernandes ◽  
Marita Iannazzo Ferretti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Evoked Potentials ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potentials ◽  
Auditory Processing Disorders ◽  
Acoustic Stimuli ◽  
Cortical Auditory Evoked Potentials

A Search for Tonal Pattern Perception in Cebus Monkeys: Why Monkeys Can't Hum a Tune

1988 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 453-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. D'Amato
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Average Frequency ◽  
Pattern Perception ◽  
Striking Difference ◽  
Tonal Pattern ◽  
Acoustic Stimuli ◽  
Discriminative Behavior ◽  
Tonal Patterns ◽  
Cebus Monkeys ◽  
Species Specific

This article reviews a series of experiments aimed at assessing the capacity of cebus monkeys and rats for tonal pattern perception (sensitivity to frequency contour). The animals' ability to differentiate between two tunes (structured sequences of tones) that shared several component notes and were similar in their average frequency suggested tonal pattern perception in both species. Detailed analysis of the basis of their discriminative behavior revealed, however, that the latter was completely controlled by local cues. Additional studies confirmed this finding and showed that the cognitive limitation was not, in the case of the monkeys, due to a generally impoverished capacity for processing acoustic stimuli or to an unduly truncated auditory short- term store. Many species of songbirds also seem remarkably deficient in their ability to perceive the tonal patterns of non-species-specific acoustic stimuli, which may be widespread among animals. Some implications of this striking difference in the auditory processing capacities of animals and humans are briefly discussed.

scholarly journals The Effects of “VelaMente?!” Project on Social Functioning of People With Severe Psychosocial Disabilities

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 220-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Sancassiani ◽  
Stefano Lorrai ◽  
Giulia Cossu ◽  
Alessio Cocco ◽  
Giuseppina Trincas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Functioning ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
The Other ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Satisfaction Questionnaire ◽  
The Social ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Psychosocial Disability ◽  
Rehabilitative Intervention ◽  
General Functioning

Introduction:Physical activity helps to improve several clinical outcomes of people with severe psychosocial disabilities. The aims of this study were; 1) to assess the efficacy of a psychosocial rehabilitative intervention focused on sailing in a crew on: a) social functioning; b) severity of the psychosocial disability; c) general functioning; d) dysregulation of biorhythms of people with severe psychosocial disabilities, and 2) to evaluate the attenders’ satisfaction about the project.Methods:A randomized waitlist controlled trial with parallel groups was carried out involving 51 people with severe psychosocial disabilities. The intervention was a 3 months-lasting course to learn sailing in a crew. Just after the randomization, a group began the sailing course and the other group (wait list) attended the sailing course after 3 months of treatments as usual. Before and after the sailing course, as well as the waiting list period, all attenders were assessed by HoNOS, GAF, CGI-S and BRIAN. At the end of the sailing course, they completed also a self-report satisfaction questionnaire.Results:Social functioning significantly improved after the sailing course (HoNOS total score “time X group”: p=0.011), mainly because of the improvement of psychopathological symptoms (HoNOS symptoms score “time X group”: p=0.003). Furthermore, participants greatly appreciated the rehabilitative program based on sailing in a crew.Conclusions:When compared to more traditional rehabilitative activities that are usually carried out in mental health services, a psychosocial rehabilitative intervention based on sailing in a crew significantly improve the social functioning of people with severe psychosocial disabilities.

scholarly journals Functional connectivity in human auditory networks and the origins of variation in the transmission of musical systems

eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Massimo Lumaca ◽  
Boris Kleber ◽  
Elvira Brattico ◽  
Peter Vuust ◽  
Giosue Baggio
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Cultural Transmission ◽  
Structural Modification ◽  
Laboratory Model ◽  
Signaling Game ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
The Social ◽  
Musical Systems ◽  
Processing Mechanisms

Music producers, whether original composers or performers, vary in their ability to acquire and faithfully transmit music. This form of variation may serve as a mechanism for the emergence of new traits in musical systems. In this study, we aim to investigate whether individual differences in the social learning and transmission of music relate to intrinsic neural dynamics of auditory processing systems. We combined auditory and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with an interactive laboratory model of cultural transmission, the signaling game, in an experiment with a large cohort of participants (N=51). We found that the degree of interhemispheric rs-FC within fronto-temporal auditory networks predicts—weeks after scanning—learning, transmission, and structural modification of an artificial tone system. Our study introduces neuroimaging in cultural transmission research and points to specific neural auditory processing mechanisms that constrain and drive variation in the cultural transmission and regularization of musical systems.

scholarly journals Bilateral auditory processing studied by selective cold-deactivation of cricket hearing organs

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinyang Zhang ◽  
Berthold Hedwig
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Reciprocal Inhibition ◽  
Excitatory Input ◽  
Intracellular Recordings ◽  
Afferent Activity ◽  
Acoustic Stimuli ◽  
Hearing Organ ◽  
Inhibitory Coupling ◽  
Sound Pulses

ABSTRACTWe studied bilateral processing in the auditory ON neurons of crickets using reversible cold-deactivation of the hearing organs by means of Peltier elements. Intracellular recordings of the neurons’ activity in response to acoustic stimuli were obtained, while either the ipsilateral or the contralateral hearing organ was cold-deactivated. Afferent activity was abolished at a temperature of about 10°C. In ON1 contralateral inhibition has no effect on the latency and amplitude of the phasic onset activity, it enhances the decline of the onset activity and decreases the subsequent tonic spiking response to acoustic stimuli. As a consequence the phasic onset activity becomes more salient and reciprocal inhibition may support the detection of sound pulses. Contralateral inhibition had a significant impact on the tonic ON1 response, in line with its presumed function to enhance the bilateral auditory contrast. In ON2, experiments confirmed a bilateral excitatory input, with the ipsilateral input dominating the response, and no inhibitory coupling between the ON2 neurons.

Processing of Modulated Sounds in the Zebra Finch Auditory Midbrain: Responses to Noise, Frequency Sweeps, and Sinusoidal Amplitude Modulations

2005 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 1143-1157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah M. N. Woolley ◽  
John H. Casseday
Keyword(s):  
Zebra Finch ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Frequency Tuning ◽  
Spike Rate ◽  
Auditory Midbrain ◽  
Complex Sounds ◽  
Tuning Curves ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Band Limited ◽  
Frequency Sweeps

The avian auditory midbrain nucleus, the mesencephalicus lateralis, dorsalis (MLd), is the first auditory processing stage in which multiple parallel inputs converge, and it provides the input to the auditory thalamus. We studied the responses of single MLd neurons to four types of modulated sounds: 1) white noise; 2) band-limited noise; 3) frequency modulated (FM) sweeps, and 4) sinusoidally amplitude-modulated tones (SAM) in adult male zebra finches. Responses were compared with the responses of the same neurons to pure tones in terms of temporal response patterns, thresholds, characteristic frequencies, frequency tuning bandwidths, tuning sharpness, and spike rate/intensity relationships. Most neurons responded well to noise. More than one-half of the neurons responded selectively to particular portions of the noise, suggesting that, unlike forebrain neurons, many MLd neurons can encode specific acoustic components of highly modulated sounds such as noise. Selectivity for FM sweep direction was found in only 13% of cells that responded to sweeps. Those cells also showed asymmetric tuning curves, suggesting that asymmetric inhibition plays a role in FM directional selectivity. Responses to SAM showed that MLd neurons code temporal modulation rates using both spike rate and synchronization. Nearly all cells showed low-pass or band-pass filtering properties for SAM. Best modulation frequencies matched the temporal modulations in zebra finch song. Results suggest that auditory midbrain neurons are well suited for encoding a wide range of complex sounds with a high degree of temporal accuracy rather than selectively responding to only some sounds.

scholarly journals Undernutrition, obesity and governance: a unified framework for upholding the right to food

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (Suppl 4) ◽  
pp. e000886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse B Bump
Keyword(s):  
Operational Definition ◽  
Trade Policies ◽  
Unified Framework ◽  
Right To Food ◽  
The Social ◽  
General Functioning ◽  
National Power ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Right ◽  
Very High

This paper addresses the need for conceptual and analytic clarity on nutrition governance, an essential underpinning of more effective approaches for undernutrition, the ‘single greatest constraint to global development' and obesity, which already accounts for 4% of the world’s disease burden and is growing rapidly.The governance of nutrition, which is essential to designing and implementing policies to realise the right to food, is among the most important and most defining duties of society. But research and action on nutrition governance are hampered by the absence of conceptual rigour, even as the continuing very high burden of undernutrition and the rapid rise in obesity highlight the need for such structures. The breadth of nutrition itself suggests that governance is both needed and sure to be complicated.This analysis explores the reasons attention has come to governance in development policy making, and why it has focused on nutrition governance in particular. It then assesses how the concept of nutrition governance has been used, finding that it has become increasingly prominent in scholarship on poor nutritional outcomes, but remains weakly specified and is invoked by different authors to mean different things. Undernutrition analysts have stressed coordination problems and structural issues related to the general functioning of government. Those studying obesity have emphasised international trade policies, regulatory issues and corporate behaviour.This paper argues that the lack of a clear, operational definition of governance is a serious obstacle to conceptualising and solving major problems in nutrition. To address this need, it develops a unified definition of nutrition governance consisting of three principles: accountability, participation and responsiveness. These are justified with reference to the social contract that defines modern nations and identifies citizens as the ultimate source of national power and legitimacy. A unified framework is then employed to explore solutions to nutrition governance problems.

scholarly journals Construct-Related Validity of the Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire – Children’s Form (ESCQ-C)

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-666
Author(s):  
Tamara Mohorić
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Emotional Skills ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
The Social ◽  
General Functioning ◽  
Academic Self Efficacy

Social and emotional skills have an important role in children’s general functioning and social relationships (e.g., with peers, and family). Questionnaires measuring these competencies should be carefully developed and validated and be in accordance with the developmental stage of children. The Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire – Children’s form (ESCQ-C) is a self-report measure of one’s ability to perceive and understand emotions, to express and label emotions, and to manage and regulate emotions. It was developed within the theoretical framework from the Mayer and Salovey (1997) emotional intelligence model. Structural validity of the ESCQ-C was assessed in a sample of preadolescent children (N = 639, 53% girls, Mage = 11.24, SDage = 0.71), and convergent validity was tested by correlating ESCQ-C subscales scores with the social, emotional and academic self-efficacy (The Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children, Muris, 2001). Our results suggest the four-factor structure for the ESCQ-C. Manage and regulate emotions subscale was divided into two subscales: the self-perceived ability to regulate one’s own emotions and other’s emotions. Correlations with the self-efficacy scales were moderate, suggesting good convergent validity. The ESCQ-C can be considered a valid measure of the emotional skills and competences for children.

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