Control of vocal and respiratory patterns in birdsong: dissection of forebrain and brainstem mechanisms using temperature.

ABSTRACT: Learned motor behaviors require descending forebrain control to be coordinated with midbrain and brainstem motor systems. In songbirds, such as the zebra finch, regular breathing is controlled by brainstem centers, but when the adult songbird begins to sing, its breathing becomes tightly coordinated with forebrain-controlled vocalizations. The periods of silence (gaps) between song syllables are typically filled with brief breaths, allowing the bird to sing uninterrupted for many seconds. While substantial progress has been made in identifying the brain areas and pathways involved in vocal and respiratory control, it is not understood how respiratory and vocal control is coordinated by forebrain motor circuits. Here we combine a recently developed technique for localized brain cooling, tog

SUBMITTER: Andalman AS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3182229 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature