The role of frontal lobe networks in cognitive control of monkey vocalizations

说话是人类的关键特征之一，它允许我们进行复杂的视听交流。习得的声音模式，如人类语言，主要是由皮层区域产生的，其中腹外侧额叶的布洛卡区是自发语言产生的关键结构。相比之下，包括非人类灵长类动物和大多数其他哺乳动物在内的基因预编程发声是由脑干中复杂的神经网络产生的。最近，我们建立了恒河猴作为非人类灵长类动物模型来研究声音行为意志控制的行为和神经基础。我们的神经生理学数据表明，布洛卡区的猴子同系物在声音规划和呼叫发起中起着重要作用，这是一种假定的非人类灵长类动物语言控制的系统发育前体。本研究的目的是，首先，通过测试在行为任务的不同时期，猴子的布洛卡区神经元群的激活和失活如何影响发声行为，进一步研究人类布洛卡区的猴子同质体在自愿呼叫产生中的作用。其次，在前扣带皮层和补充前运动区域的记录将阐明单个神经元如何促进发声行为中认知过程和运动输出的联系。

Speech is one of the key distinguishing features that defines us as human allowing us complex audio-vocal communication. Learned vocal patterns such as human speech are produced primarily by cortical areas, with Broca area in the ventro-lateral frontal lobe as key structure for voluntary speech production. In contrast, genetically pre-programmed vocalizations, which include those of non-human primates and most other mammals, are generated by a complex neuronal network in the brainstem. Recently, we established the rhesus monkey as a nonhuman primate model to study behavioral and neuronal foundations of volitional control of vocal behavior. Our neurophysiological data suggest a cardinal role of the monkey homologue of Broca area in vocal planning and call initiation, a putative phylogenetic precursor in nonhuman primates for speech control in linguistic humans. The aim of the proposed project is, first, to further investigate the role of the monkey homologue of human Broca area in volitional call production by testing how activation and inactivation of groups of neurons during different epochs of the behavioral task in the monkeys homologue of Broca area is affecting vocal behavior. Second, recordings in the anterior cingulate cortex and the pre-supplementary motor area will elucidate how single neurons contribute to the linkage of cognitive processes and motor output in vocal behavior.