Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
Brock University
$25,000.00
Neural mechanisms of animal vocalization and communication
FY 2012-13
Summary
The program of research concerns vocal communication in rats. Vocalizations are used as a measuring tool allowing us to study brain mechanisms of emotional states. Rats communicate by ultrasonic calls, which are beyond the hearing range of humans. However, their calls are produced and controlled by similar (homologue) brain structures to those in the human brain that are involved in emotional arousal and vocal expression of our emotional states. The proposed research is focused on two transmitter systems (dopaminergic and cholinergic) originating from the brain stem (tegmentum) and innervating structures generating emotional arousal and emission of vocalizations that carry messages to other rats. Activity of the dopaminergic system initiates an appetitive (pleasant) state with emission of 50 kHz calls, while activity of the cholinergic system initiates an aversive (unpleasant) state with emission of 22 kHz calls. These vocalizations carry messages addressed to other rats and are used in research as a measure of the activity of relevant brain systems and the resulting state of the organism. The proposal includes investigation of the interaction between the dopaminergic and cholinergic systems and the mechanisms allowing the brain to select and initiate either the appetitive or aversive state, but not both of them together. The project also includes studies of other brain systems (in the hypothalamus) controlling emotive states. Messages coded in the vocalizations (semiotic content), as well as their development from infancy to adulthood, will also be studied, along with the development of the dopaminergic and cholinergic transmitter systems throughout the same ages.
The proposed research offers an innovative approach to study emotional expression, mechanisms of initiating and maintaining emotional states, and their quantitative analysis. I am convinced that this line of research will lead to a new and important way of defining emotional states based on patterns of brain activity. I anticipate that this growing line of research will further increase, and it should become a standard methodology in qualitative and quantitative studies of basic emotional states in animals.
Program
Discovery Grants Program - Individual
Recipient
Location
Ontario, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
41599-2012
Name nom
Brudzynski, Stefan
Department département
Psychology
Organization id
22
Institution établissement
Brock University
Province en
Ontario
Province fr
Ontario
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2012
Competition year année de concours
2012
Award amount
25000
Program id
RGPIN
Program name en
Discovery Grants Program - Individual
Program name fr
Programme de subventions à la découverte - individuelles
Group en
Discovery grants programs
Group fr
Programmes de subventions à la découverte
Committee code
1502
Committee name en
Biological Systems and Functions
Committee name fr
Systèmes et fonctions biologiques
Area of application code
1210
Area of application group en
Advancement of knowledge
Area of application group fr
Avancement des connaissances
Area of application en
Psychology
Area of application fr
Psychologie
Research subject code
6308
Research subject group en
Psychology
Research subject group fr
Psychologie
Research subject en
Behavioural neuroscience
Research subject fr
Neurologie du comportement
Partie
1
Nb partie
5
Application title
Neural mechanisms of animal vocalization and communication
Keyword
NSERC
Application summary
The program of research concerns vocal communication in rats. Vocalizations are used as a measuring tool allowing us to study brain mechanisms of emotional states. Rats communicate by ultrasonic calls, which are beyond the hearing range of humans. However, their calls are produced and controlled by similar (homologue) brain structures to those in the human brain that are involved in emotional arousal and vocal expression of our emotional states. The proposed research is focused on two transmitter systems (dopaminergic and cholinergic) originating from the brain stem (tegmentum) and innervating structures generating emotional arousal and emission of vocalizations that carry messages to other rats. Activity of the dopaminergic system initiates an appetitive (pleasant) state with emission of 50 kHz calls, while activity of the cholinergic system initiates an aversive (unpleasant) state with emission of 22 kHz calls. These vocalizations carry messages addressed to other rats and are used in research as a measure of the activity of relevant brain systems and the resulting state of the organism. The proposal includes investigation of the interaction between the dopaminergic and cholinergic systems and the mechanisms allowing the brain to select and initiate either the appetitive or aversive state, but not both of them together. The project also includes studies of other brain systems (in the hypothalamus) controlling emotive states. Messages coded in the vocalizations (semiotic content), as well as their development from infancy to adulthood, will also be studied, along with the development of the dopaminergic and cholinergic transmitter systems throughout the same ages.
The proposed research offers an innovative approach to study emotional expression, mechanisms of initiating and maintaining emotional states, and their quantitative analysis. I am convinced that this line of research will lead to a new and important way of defining emotional states based on patterns of brain activity. I anticipate that this growing line of research will further increase, and it should become a standard methodology in qualitative and quantitative studies of basic emotional states in animals.
