Cingulate cortex shapes early postnatal development of social vocalizations.
Gurueswar Nagarajan1, Denis Matrov1, Anna C Pearson1
1Section on Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States.
Elife
|July 25, 2025
Summary
Early damage to the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in marmosets disrupts social vocal development. Neonatal ACC lesions altered social contact call quality and downstream brain structures, impacting vocal communication.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Primatology
Background:
- Social vocalizations are crucial for social development.
- The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays a role in socioemotional regulation.
- Understanding early brain development's impact on vocal behavior is vital.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of early life anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) damage on the development of social vocalizations in common marmosets.
- To determine if ACC lesions affect vocal call production, quality, and long-term neural changes.
Main Methods:
- Neonatal common marmosets received ACC lesions or served as controls.
- Vocalizations were recorded and analyzed during the first 6 weeks of life.
- Post-mortem analysis examined GABA immunoreactivity in adult brain regions (amygdala, periaqueductal gray).
Main Results:
- Early ACC lesions did not significantly affect basic vocal call production.
- The quality, sequence, and acoustic properties of social contact calls were compromised.
- Lesioned animals produced fewer, shorter, louder, and more monotonic social contact calls.
- Adult animals with early ACC damage showed diminished GABA immunoreactivity in the amygdala and periaqueductal gray.
Conclusions:
- The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is essential for the normal developmental trajectory of social vocal behavior.
- Early ACC damage leads to lasting alterations in vocal communication and associated neural pathways.
- Disruption of ACC function impacts inhibitory balance in downstream vocal control areas.
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