Expression of FoxP2 in the basal ganglia regulates vocal motor sequences in the adult songbird.

Disruption of the transcription factor FoxP2, which is enriched in the basal ganglia, impairs vocal development in humans and songbirds. The basal ganglia are important for the selection and sequencing of motor actions, but the circuit mechanisms governing accurate sequencing of learned vocalizations are unknown. Here, we show that expression of FoxP2 in the basal ganglia is vital for the fluent initiation and termination of birdsong, as well as the maintenance of song syllable sequencing in adulthood.

Cellular transcriptomics reveals evolutionary identities of songbird vocal circuits.

Birds display advanced behaviors, including vocal learning and problem-solving, yet lack a layered neocortex, a structure associated with complex behavior in mammals. To determine whether these behavioral similarities result from shared or distinct neural circuits, we used single-cell RNA sequencing to characterize the neuronal repertoire of the songbird song motor pathway. Glutamatergic vocal neurons had considerable transcriptional similarity to neocortical projection neurons; however, they displayed regulatory gene expression patterns more closely related to neurons in the ventral pallium.

In vivo imaging of D receptors and corticosteroids predict behavioural responses to captivity stress in a wild bird.

Individual physiological variation may underlie individual differences in behaviour in response to stressors. This study tested the hypothesis that individual variation in dopamine and corticosteroid physiology in wild house sparrows (Passer domesticus, n = 15) would significantly predict behaviour and weight loss in response to a long-term stressor, captivity. We found that individuals that coped better with captivity (fewer anxiety-related behaviours, more time spent feeding, higher body mass) had lower baseline and higher stress-induced corticosteroid titres at capture.

Beyond bulk: a review of single cell transcriptomics methodologies and applications.

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is a promising approach to study the transcriptomes of individual cells in the brain and the central nervous system (CNS). This technology acts as a bridge between neuroscience, computational biology, and systems biology, enabling an unbiased and novel understanding of the cellular composition of the brain and CNS. Gene expression at the single cell resolution is often noisy, sparse, and high-dimensional, creating challenges for computational analysis of such data.

Co-localization of mu-opioid and dopamine D1 receptors in the medial preoptic area and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis across seasonal states in male European starlings.

In seasonally breeding animals, changes in photoperiod and sex-steroid hormones may modify sexual behavior in part by altering the activity of neuromodulators, including opioids and dopamine. In rats and birds, activation of mu-opioid receptors (MOR) and dopamine D1 receptors in the medial preoptic area (mPOA) often have opposing effects on sexual behavior, yet mechanisms by which the mPOA integrates these opposing effects to modulate behavior remain unknown. Here, we used male European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) to provide insight into the hypothesis that MOR and D1 receptors modify sexual behavior seasonally by altering activity in the same neurons in the mPOA.

Neurotensin and neurotensin receptor 1 mRNA expression in song-control regions changes during development in male zebra finches.

Learned vocalizations are important for communication in some vertebrate taxa. The neural circuitry for the learning and production of vocalizations is well known in songbirds, many of which learn songs initially during a critical period early in life. Dopamine is essential for motor learning, including song learning, and dopamine-related measures change throughout development in song-control regions such as HVC, the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium (LMAN), Area X, and the robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA).

Co-localization patterns of neurotensin receptor 1 and tyrosine hydroxylase in brain regions involved in motivation and social behavior in male European starlings.

Animals communicate in distinct social contexts to convey information specific to those contexts, such as sexual or agonistic motivation. In seasonally-breeding male songbirds, seasonal changes in day length and increases in testosterone stimulate sexually-motivated song directed at females for courtship and reproduction. Dopamine and testosterone may act in the same brain regions to stimulate sexually-motivated singing.

Sleep restriction and cognitive load affect performance on a simulated marksmanship task.

Sleep restriction degrades cognitive and motor performance, which can adversely impact job performance and increase the risk of accidents. Military personnel are prone to operating under sleep restriction, and previous work suggests that military marksmanship may be negatively affected under such conditions. Results of these studies, however, are mixed and have often incorporated additional stressors (e.

Song practice as a rewarding form of play in songbirds.

In adult songbirds, the primary functions of song are mate attraction and territory defense; yet, many songbirds sing at high rates as juveniles and outside these primary contexts as adults. Singing outside primary contexts is critical for song learning and maintenance, and ultimately necessary for breeding success. However, this type of singing (i.

Song-associated reward correlates with endocannabinoid-related gene expression in male European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).

Vocal communication is required for successful social interactions in numerous species. During the breeding season, songbirds produce songs that are reinforced by behavioral consequences (e.g.

Song in an Affiliative Context Relates to the Neural Expression of Dopamine- and Neurotensin-Related Genes in Male European Starlings.

Some animals, including songbirds, vocalize at high rates when alone or in large groups. In songbirds, vocal behavior in these contexts is important for song learning and group cohesion. It is not obviously targeted at any particular individual and is described as 'undirected'.

Neurotensin neural mRNA expression correlates with vocal communication and other highly-motivated social behaviors in male European starlings.

Vocalizations coordinate social interactions in many species and often are important for behaviors such as mate attraction or territorial defense. Although the neural circuitry underlying vocal communication is well-known for some animal groups, such as songbirds, the motivational processes that regulate vocal signals are not as clearly understood. Neurotensin (NT) is a neuropeptide implicated in motivation that can modulate the activity of dopaminergic neurons.

Neurotensin immunolabeling relates to sexually-motivated song and other social behaviors in male European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).

The brain regions involved in vocal communication are well described for some species, including songbirds, but less is known about the neural mechanisms underlying motivational aspects of communication. Mesolimbic dopaminergic projections from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are central to mediating motivated behaviors. In songbirds, VTA provides dopaminergic innervation to brain regions associated with motivation and social behavior that are also involved in sexually-motivated song production.

Marksmanship deficits caused by an exhaustive whole-body lifting task with and without torso-borne loads.

Studies of exhaustive exercise on marksmanship are inconclusive and have not measured trigger pull latencies (LAT) nor considered impact of added torso loads. This study examined the impact of exhaustive whole-body exercise and torso loading on accuracy, precision, and latency during a marksmanship test. Twelve men lifted a 20.

Fear of failure: implications for military health care specialist student training.

During scholastic or physical performance testing, individuals who fear failure tend to focus on their fears instead of the task and often perform poorly. This study examined the relationship between fear-of-failure (FoF) and performance among 200~students (male=140, female =60) attending Health Care Specialist Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Ft. Sam Houston.

Hydration effects on cognitive performance during military tasks in temperate and cold environments.

Body water deficits or hypohydration (HYP) may degrade cognitive performance during heat exposure and perhaps temperate conditions. Cold exposure often induces HYP, but the combined effects of cold and HYP on cognitive performance are unknown. This study investigated whether HYP degrades cognitive performance during cold exposure and if physical exercise could mitigate any cold-induced performance decline.

Effects of the periodic administration of odor or vibration on a 3-hr. vigilance task.

The present study examined performance during 3 hr. of simulated sentry duty with and without the intermittent administration of low-level sensory stimuli (odor or vibration). For odor and control conditions, target-detection latency increased steadily over the course of the 3-hr.

Relation of rifle stock length and weight to military rifle marksmanship performance by men and women.

15 male and 13 female soldiers participated in a study to examine the effects of sex, rifle stock length 117.8 cm, 22.3 cm, and 26.

Heat strain evaluation of chemical protective garments.

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare thermoregulatory and subjective responses of 12 test subjects (10 male, 2 female) wearing 5 different Joint Service Lightweight Integrated Suit Technology (JSLIST) prototype and 3 different currently fielded control chemical/ biological (CB) protective overgarments.

Methods: The overgarments were compared while subjects attempted to complete 100 min of moderate exercise (400 W) in an environmental chamber (35 degrees C/50% rh). Rectal temperature (Tre), skin temperature, heart rate, sweating rate, and test time, as well as subjective symptoms of heat illness were measured.

Symptoms during load carrying: effects of mass and load distribution during a 20-km road march.

Soldiers must often carry heavy loads which can lead to symptoms of body soreness, aches, pains, and tiredness. This study assessed symptoms when soldiers carried loads in the standard U.S.