A respiratory-vocal pathway in the brainstem of the pigeon

To provide an anatomical basis for the interaction of respiration and vocalization, neuroanatomical tracing experiments were undertaken to define the link between the nucleus receiving input from the lung and the tracheosyringeal motor nucleus (nXIIts). The ventral parabrachial nucleus (PBv) receives a projection from the lateral parasolitary nucleus and from the midbrain and projects to nXIIts. The PBv is therefore well placed to gate the activity of nXIIts neurons during respiration.