Background noise does not modify song-induced genic activation in the bird brain

Behavioural Brain Research
Clémentine VignalMarilyn Beauchaud

Abstract

Specialised brain structures allow songbirds to process acoustic signals. One of these brain areas, the NCM (caudomedial neostriatum), shows an immediate-early gene ZENK response when a bird hears a conspecific song. Using a neuro-ethological approach, we investigate if high level of background noise added to conspecific song can modify this song-induced genic activation. We test the ZENK activation in the NCM of adult male Zebra finches Taeniopygya guttata (n = 17) by playing back conspecific signals mixed with different levels of noise, the successful discrimination being reflected by the birds' (n = 6) behavioural responses to these stimuli. From our results, it appears that a high genic activation of the NCM does not necessarily require the audition of an undegraded species-specific signal. Nevertheless, it requires that the signal still contains sufficient information to elicit a behavioural response. The genic activation of the NCM remains thus stable against very high levels of a wide-band background noise, as far as the signal recognition remains possible for the bird.

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Citations

Feb 3, 2011·Conservation Biology : the Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·A V KociolekD S Proppe
Mar 19, 2013·PLoS Computational Biology·R Channing MooreFrédéric E Theunissen
Sep 11, 2012·Journal of Physiology, Paris·Lisbeth Van RuijsseveltAnnemie Van der Linden
Mar 25, 2009·Trends in Neurosciences·Annemie Van der LindenJacques Balthazart
May 13, 2008·Comptes rendus biologies·Clémentine VignalNicolas Mathevon
Oct 22, 2005·Applied Optics·Stéphane RamsteinStéphane Mottin
Aug 24, 2005·The European Journal of Neuroscience·Clémentine VignalNicolas Mathevon
Nov 4, 2009·Developmental Neurobiology·Sara E SanfordDonna L Maney
Mar 3, 2015·The European Journal of Neuroscience·Julie E Elie, Frédéric E Theunissen

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