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Neuronal activity in the inferior colliculus and bordering structures during vocalization in the squirrel monkey
1German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
Brain Research
|July 10, 2003
Summary
Squirrel monkeys use the reticular formation near the inferior colliculus to distinguish self-vocalizations from external sounds. This brain region helps process auditory information for vocal motor control.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Vocal Communication
Background:
- Discriminating self-produced sounds from external auditory stimuli is crucial for communication.
- The neural mechanisms underlying this auditory self-monitoring are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate neural activity in the inferior colliculus and surrounding areas during vocalization and acoustic stimulation.
- To identify neurons involved in differentiating self-produced vocalizations from external sounds in squirrel monkeys.
Main Methods:
- Microelectrode recordings were performed in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus).
- Vocalization was induced via kainic acid injections into the periaqueductal gray.
- Auditory tests included narrow-band noise sweeps across the hearing range.
Main Results:
- 577 neurons were analyzed.
- Audiosensitive neurons firing before self-vocalization were found in the inferior colliculus and reticular formation.
- The reticular formation contained neurons that responded to external sounds but not self-vocalization.
Conclusions:
- The reticular formation adjacent to the inferior colliculus plays a role in discriminating self-produced from external vocalizations.
- A vocal-motor feedforward mechanism is suggested to underlie this auditory self-monitoring ability.