QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

The Journal of Neuroscience, May 3, 2006, 26(18):4860-4869; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4607-05.2006

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplemental data Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (7) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Smotherman, M. Articles by Metzner, W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Smotherman, M. Articles by Metzner, W.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
A Mechanism for Vocal-Respiratory Coupling in the Mammalian Parabrachial Nucleus

Michael Smotherman,^1,3 Kohta Kobayasi,¹ Jie Ma,¹ Shuyi Zhang,^4,5 and Walter Metzner^1,2

¹Department of Physiological Science and ²Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, ³Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77845-3258, ⁴Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China, and ⁵Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510663, China

Correspondence should be addressed to Michael Smotherman, Texas A&M University, Biology Department, 3258 TAMU, College Station, TX 77845-3258. E-mail: Email: smotherman{at}tamu.edu

Mammalian vocalizations require the precise coordination of separate laryngeal and respiratory motor pathways. Precisely how and where in the brain vocal motor patterns interact with respiratory rhythm control is unknown. The parabrachial nucleus (PB) is known to mediate key respiratory reflexes and is also considered a principle component of the mammalian vocal motor pathway, making it a likely site for vocal-respiratory interactions, yet a specific role for the PB in vocalizing has yet to be demonstrated. To investigate the role of the PB in vocal-respiratory coordination, we pharmacologically manipulated synaptic activity in the PB while spontaneously vocalizing horseshoe bats were provoked to emit either short, single syllable or long, multisyllabic vocal motor patterns. Iontophoresis of the GABA_A agonist muscimol (MUS) into the lateral PB extended expiratory durations surrounding all vocalizations and increased mean call durations. Alternatively, application of the GABA_A antagonist bicuculline methiodide (BIC) shortened expirations and call durations. In addition, BIC eliminated the occurrence of multisyllabic vocalizations. BIC caused a mild increase in quiet breathing rates, whereas MUS tended to slow quiet breathing. The results indicate that GABA_A receptor-mediated inhibition in the lateral PB modulates the time course of respiratory phase switching during vocalizing, and is needed for proper coordination of calling and breathing in mammals. We hypothesize that vocal-respiratory rhythm entrainment is achieved at least in part via mechanisms similar to other forms of locomotor-respiratory coupling, namely somatosensory feedback influences on respiratory phase-switching in the lateral PB.

Key words: respiration; vocalization; echolocation; sensorimotor; parabrachial; speech

---

Received Oct. 27, 2005; revised March 28, 2006; accepted March 29, 2006.

Correspondence should be addressed to Michael Smotherman, Texas A&M University, Biology Department, 3258 TAMU, College Station, TX 77845-3258. E-mail: Email: smotherman{at}tamu.edu

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Brown, E. Ngan, and M. Liotti A Larynx Area in the Human Motor Cortex Cereb Cortex, April 1, 2008; 18(4): 837 - 845. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. C. Ashmore, J. A. Renk, and M. F. Schmidt Bottom-Up Activation of the Vocal Motor Forebrain by the Respiratory Brainstem J. Neurosci., March 5, 2008; 28(10): 2613 - 2623. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Zornik and D. B. Kelley Regulation of Respiratory and Vocal Motor Pools in the Isolated Brain of Xenopus laevis J. Neurosci., January 16, 2008; 28(3): 612 - 621. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Luo, W. Metzner, F. J. Wu, S. Y. Zhang, and Q. C. Chen Duration-Sensitive Neurons in the Inferior Colliculus of Horseshoe Bats: Adaptations for Using CF-FM Echolocation Pulses J Neurophysiol, January 1, 2008; 99(1): 284 - 296. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. R. Sinha and C. F. Moss Vocal Premotor Activity in the Superior Colliculus J. Neurosci., January 3, 2007; 27(1): 98 - 110. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Y. Fong and J. T. Potts Neurokinin-1 receptor activation in Botzinger complex evokes bradypnoea J. Physiol., September 15, 2006; 575(3): 869 - 885. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help