Title |
Affective communication in rodents: ultrasonic vocalizations as a tool for research on emotion and motivation
|
---|---|
Published in |
Cell and Tissue Research, April 2013
|
DOI | 10.1007/s00441-013-1607-9 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Markus Wöhr, Rainer K. W. Schwarting |
Abstract |
Mice and rats emit and perceive calls in the ultrasonic range, i.e., above the human hearing threshold of about 20 kHz: so-called ultrasonic vocalizations (USV). Juvenile and adult rats emit 22-kHz USV in aversive situations, such as predator exposure and fighting or during drug withdrawal, whereas 50-kHz USV occur in appetitive situations, such as rough-and-tumble play and mating or in response to drugs of abuse, e.g., amphetamine. Aversive 22-kHz USV and appetitive 50-kHz USV serve distinct communicative functions. Whereas 22-kHz USV induce freezing behavior in the receiver, 50-kHz USV lead to social approach behavior. These opposite behavioral responses are paralleled by distinct patterns of brain activation. Freezing behavior in response to 22-kHz USV is paralleled by increased neuronal activity in brain areas regulating fear and anxiety, such as the amygdala and periaqueductal gray, whereas social approach behavior elicited by 50-kHz USV is accompanied by reduced activity levels in the amygdala but enhanced activity in the nucleus accumbens, a brain area implicated in reward processing. These opposing behavioral responses, together with distinct patterns of brain activation, particularly the bidirectional tonic activation or deactivation of the amygdala elicited by 22-kHz and 50-kHz USV, respectively, concur with a wealth of behavioral and neuroimaging studies in humans involving emotionally salient stimuli, such as fearful and happy facial expressions. Affective ultrasonic communication therefore offers a translational tool for studying the neurobiology underlying socio-affective communication. This is particularly relevant for rodent models of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by social and communication deficits, such as autism and schizophrenia. |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 3 | <1% |
Portugal | 2 | <1% |
Spain | 2 | <1% |
France | 1 | <1% |
Canada | 1 | <1% |
Austria | 1 | <1% |
Brazil | 1 | <1% |
Croatia | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 388 | 97% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 75 | 19% |
Researcher | 59 | 15% |
Student > Master | 57 | 14% |
Student > Bachelor | 49 | 12% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 28 | 7% |
Other | 46 | 12% |
Unknown | 86 | 22% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Neuroscience | 89 | 22% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 75 | 19% |
Psychology | 56 | 14% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 26 | 7% |
Engineering | 10 | 3% |
Other | 46 | 12% |
Unknown | 98 | 25% |