Audio-Vocal Interaction in Single Neurons of the Monkey Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex
Audio-Vocal Interaction in Single Neurons of the Monkey Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex
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DOI：
10.1523/jneurosci.2371-14.2015
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发表时间：
2015-05-06
影响因子：
5.3
通讯作者：
Nieder, Andreas
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hage, Steffen R.;Nieder, Andreas
复杂的听觉-发声整合系统依赖于听觉和发声运动系统之间的强大互连。为了在发声运动控制过程中获得对声音-声音相互作用的认知控制，PFC需要参与。腹外侧前额叶皮层（VLPFC）的神经元已被证明分别编码的感觉知觉和发声的运动产生。然而，目前还不清楚PFC中的单个神经元是否反映了听觉-声音的相互作用。因此，我们记录了单个单位的活动，在VLPFC的恒河猴（猕猴），而他们生产的命令或被动地听猴子的声音发声。我们发现，12%的VLPFC中随机选择的神经元调制其放电率响应于声刺激与物种特异性呼叫。几乎四分之三的这些听觉神经元在猴子发出声音之前和/或期间表现出额外的放电率调制。基于这些声音-声音的相互作用，VLPFC可能很好地定位为联合收割机结合高阶听觉处理与发声运动输出的认知控制。VLPFC中的这种声音整合过程可能是复杂的学习声音整合系统进化的先驱，最终导致人类语言的产生。
Complex audio-vocal integration systems depend on a strong interconnection between the auditory and the vocal motor system. To gain cognitive control over audio-vocal interaction during vocal motor control, the PFC needs to be involved. Neurons in the ventrolateral PFC (VLPFC) have been shown to separately encode the sensory perceptions and motor production of vocalizations. It is unknown, however, whether single neurons in the PFC reflect audio-vocal interactions. We therefore recorded single-unit activity in the VLPFC of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) while they produced vocalizations on command or passively listened to monkey calls. We found that 12% of randomly selected neurons in VLPFC modulated their discharge rate in response to acoustic stimulation with species-specific calls. Almost three-fourths of these auditory neurons showed an additional modulation of their discharge rates either before and/or during the monkeys' motor production of vocalization. Based on these audio-vocal interactions, the VLPFC might be well positioned to combine higher order auditory processing with cognitive control of the vocal motor output. Such audio-vocal integration processes in the VLPFC might constitute a precursor for the evolution of complex learned audio-vocal integration systems, ultimately giving rise to human speech.