Basolateral amygdala responds robustly to social calls: spiking characteristics of single unit activity.

ABSTRACT: Vocalizations emitted within a social context can trigger call-specific changes in the emotional and physiological/autonomic state of the receiver. The amygdala is implicated in mediating these changes, but its role in call perception remains relatively unexplored. We examined call and pitch selectivity of single neurons within the basolateral amygdala (BLA) by recording spiking activity in response to 5 pitch variants of each of 14 species-specific calls presented to awake, head-restrained mustached bats, Pteronotus parnellii. A response-wise analysis across neurons revealed seven types of temporal response patterns based on the timing and duration of spiking. Roughly half of the responses to different call types were significantly affected by changes in call pitch. A neuron-wise analysis

SUBMITTER: Naumann RT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3094175 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature