Neuron,
Journal Year:
2023,
Volume and Issue:
111(19), P. 3041 - 3052.e7
Published: July 28, 2023
The
persistence
of
play
after
decortication
points
to
a
subcortical
mechanism
control.
We
found
that
global
blockade
the
rat
periaqueductal
gray
with
either
muscimol
or
lidocaine
interfered
ticklishness
and
play.
recorded
vocalizations
neural
activity
from
young,
playful
rats
during
interspecific
touch,
play,
tickling.
Rats
vocalized
weakly
touch
more
strongly
Periaqueductal
units
showed
diverse
but
strong
modulation
tickling
Hierarchical
clustering
based
on
neuronal
responses
revealed
functional
clusters
mapping
different
columns.
Specifically,
we
observed
play-neutral/tickling-inhibited
tickling/play-neutral
in
dorsolateral
dorsomedial
In
contrast,
play/tickling-excited
mapped
lateral
columns
were
suppressed
by
anxiogenic
conditions.
Optogenetic
inactivation
disrupted
conclude
are
decisive
for
laughter.
Annual Review of Neuroscience,
Journal Year:
2022,
Volume and Issue:
45(1), P. 223 - 247
Published: March 9, 2022
Breathing
is
a
vital
rhythmic
motor
behavior
with
surprisingly
broad
influence
on
the
brain
and
body.
The
apparent
simplicity
of
breathing
belies
complex
neural
control
system,
central
pattern
generator
(bCPG),
that
exhibits
diverse
operational
modes
to
regulate
gas
exchange
coordinate
an
array
behaviors.
In
this
review,
we
focus
selected
advances
in
our
understanding
bCPG.
At
core
bCPG
preBötzinger
(preBötC),
which
drives
inspiratory
rhythm
via
unexpectedly
sophisticated
emergent
mechanism.
Synchronization
dynamics
underlying
preBötC
rhythmogenesis
imbue
system
robustness
lability.
These
are
modulated
by
inputs
from
throughout
generate
rhythmic,
patterned
activity
widely
distributed.
connectivity
emerging
literature
support
link
between
breathing,
emotion,
cognition
becoming
experimentally
tractable.
bring
great
potential
for
elucidating
function
dysfunction
other
mammalian
circuits.
Annual Review of Neuroscience,
Journal Year:
2023,
Volume and Issue:
46(1), P. 211 - 231
Published: March 14, 2023
Emotions
are
fundamental
to
our
experience
and
behavior,
affecting
motivating
all
aspects
of
lives.
Scientists
various
disciplines
have
been
fascinated
by
emotions
for
centuries,
yet
even
today
vigorous
debates
abound
about
how
define
best
study
their
neural
underpinnings.
Defining
from
an
evolutionary
perspective
acknowledging
important
functional
roles
in
supporting
survival
allows
the
emotion
states
diverse
species.
This
approach
enables
taking
advantage
modern
tools
behavioral,
systems,
circuit
neurosciences,
allowing
precise
dissection
mechanisms
behavior
underlying
processes
model
organisms.
Here
we
review
findings
processing
across
species
try
identify
points
convergence
as
well
next
steps
pursuit
understanding
emerge
activity.
European Journal of Neuroscience,
Journal Year:
2023,
Volume and Issue:
57(12), P. 2062 - 2096
Published: March 9, 2023
Mice
and
rats
emit
ultrasonic
vocalizations
(USVs),
which
may
express
their
arousal
emotional
states,
to
communicate
with
each
other.
There
is
continued
scientific
effort
better
understand
the
functions
of
USVs
as
a
central
element
rodent
behavioral
repertoire.
However,
studying
not
only
important
because
ethological
relevance,
but
also
they
are
widely
applied
readout
in
various
fields
biomedical
research.
In
mice
rats,
large
number
experimental
models
brain
disorders
exist
emission
these
can
provide
valuable
information
about
health
status
animals
effectiveness
possible
interventions,
both
environmental
pharmacological.
This
review
(i)
provides
an
updated
overview
contexts
calling
behaviour
has
particularly
high
translational
value,
(ii)
gives
some
examples
novel
approaches
tools
used
for
analysis
combining
qualitative
quantitative
methods.
The
relevance
age
sex
differences
well
importance
longitudinal
evaluations
non-calling
discussed.
Finally,
assessing
communicative
impact
receiver,
that
is,
through
playback
studies,
highlighted.
Science,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
383(6687)
Published: March 7, 2024
Phonation
critically
depends
on
precise
controls
of
laryngeal
muscles
in
coordination
with
ongoing
respiration.
However,
the
neural
mechanisms
governing
these
processes
remain
unclear.
We
identified
excitatory
vocalization-specific
premotor
neurons
located
retroambiguus
nucleus
(RAm
VOC
)
adult
mice
as
being
both
necessary
and
sufficient
for
driving
vocal
cord
closure
eliciting
mouse
ultrasonic
vocalizations
(USVs).
The
duration
RAm
activation
can
determine
lengths
USV
syllables
concurrent
expiration
periods,
impact
depending
respiration
phases.
receive
inhibition
from
preBötzinger
complex,
inspiration
needs
override
-mediated
closure.
Ablating
inhibitory
synapses
compromised
this
gating
adduction,
resulting
discoordination
vocalization
Our
study
reveals
circuits
production
vocal-respiratory
coordination.
Nature Communications,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
16(1)
Published: Feb. 18, 2025
Abstract
NOVA1,
a
neuronal
RNA-binding
protein
expressed
in
the
central
nervous
system,
is
essential
for
survival
mice
and
normal
development
humans.
A
single
amino
acid
change
(I197V)
NOVA1’s
second
RNA
binding
domain
unique
to
modern
To
study
its
physiological
effects,
we
generated
carrying
human-specific
I197V
variant
(
Nova1
hu/hu
)
analyzed
molecular
behavioral
consequences.
While
substitution
had
minimal
impact
on
capacity,
it
led
specific
effects
alternative
splicing,
CLIP
revealed
multiple
peaks
mouse
brain
transcripts
involved
vocalization.
These
findings
were
associated
with
differences
vocalization
patterns
as
pups
adults.
Our
suggest
that
this
NOVA1
may
have
been
part
of
an
ancient
evolutionary
selective
sweep
common
ancestral
population
Homo
sapiens
,
possibly
contributing
spoken
language
through
differential
regulation
during
development.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences,
Journal Year:
2019,
Volume and Issue:
375(1789), P. 20190054 - 20190054
Published: Nov. 18, 2019
Vocalization
is
an
ancient
vertebrate
trait
essential
to
many
forms
of
communication,
ranging
from
courtship
calls
free
verse.
Vocalizations
may
be
entirely
innate
and
evoked
by
sexual
cues
or
emotional
state,
as
with
types
made
in
primates,
rodents
birds;
volitional,
that,
following
extensive
training,
can
arbitrary
sensory
non-human
primates
corvid
songbirds;
learned,
acoustically
flexible
complex,
human
speech
the
songs
oscine
songbirds.
This
review
compares
contrasts
neural
mechanisms
underlying
innate,
volitional
learned
vocalizations,
emphasis
on
functional
studies
comparison
reveals
both
highly
conserved
convergent
vocal
production
these
different
groups,
despite
their
often
vast
phylogenetic
separation.
similarity
central
for
presents
experimentalists
useful
avenues
gaining
detailed
mechanistic
insight
into
how
vocalizations
are
employed
social
signalling,
they
modified
through
experience
yield
new
repertoires
customized
individual's
group.
article
part
theme
issue
‘What
animal
communication
teach
us
about
language?’