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Single neurons in monkey prefrontal cortex encode volitional initiation of vocalizations

Author

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  • Steffen R. Hage

    (Animal Physiology, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen)

  • Andreas Nieder

    (Animal Physiology, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen)

Abstract

Broca’s area in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) has a crucial role in human volitional speech production; damage to this area causes severe impairment of speech production. Lesions in PFC of monkeys, however, have only mild effects on spontaneous vocal behaviour. Non-human primate vocalizations are thus believed to constitute affective utterances processed by a subcortical network. Here in contrast to this assumption, we show that rhesus monkeys can control their vocalizations in a goal-directed way. During single-cell recordings in the vlPFC of monkeys trained to vocalize in response to visual cues, we find call-related neurons that specifically predict the preparation of instructed vocalizations. The activity of many call-related neurons before vocal output correlates with call parameters of instructed vocalizations. These findings suggest a cardinal role of the monkey homologue of Broca’s area in vocal planning and call initiation, a putative phylogenetic precursor in non-human primates for speech control in linguistic humans.

Suggested Citation

  • Steffen R. Hage & Andreas Nieder, 2013. "Single neurons in monkey prefrontal cortex encode volitional initiation of vocalizations," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:4:y:2013:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms3409
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3409
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    Cited by:

    1. Lingyun Zhao & Xiaoqin Wang, 2023. "Frontal cortex activity during the production of diverse social communication calls in marmoset monkeys," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-17, December.
    2. Joji Tsunada & Xiaoqin Wang & Steven J. Eliades, 2024. "Multiple processes of vocal sensory-motor interaction in primate auditory cortex," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Francisco García-Rosales & Luciana López-Jury & Eugenia González-Palomares & Johannes Wetekam & Yuranny Cabral-Calderín & Ava Kiai & Manfred Kössl & Julio C. Hechavarría, 2022. "Echolocation-related reversal of information flow in a cortical vocalization network," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-15, December.

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